Because we know you love them as much as we do, here is another gorgeous wine country celebration in the oh so beautiful Sonoma. The adorable couple of this gorgeous occasion are actually owners of a local wine bar in their hometown and couldn’t think of a better way to start the new chapter of their life than in the heart of wine country at Cline Cellars. After gawking over all of their beautiful images from John The Photographer, I would say that was a fabulous choice. For even more of this pretty and personal day be sure to check out the full gallery.
Click here for the entire wedding gallery!
From the Bride… It all started with the venue. I’m from the Bay Area and Josh owns a wine shop/wine bar in Columbus, OH (where we currently reside) so it was only fitting for us to find a fabulous winery to set our wedding stage. We just fell in love with Cline Cellars for its gorgeous grounds, ease for our guests (no hills to climb, port-o-potties needed, or gravel roads for heels to get stuck in!) and fabulous reception space! We’d spent a lot of our engagement trip in Spain in barrel rooms and wine caves and the smell of Cline Cellars’ Barrel Room brought me right back to our trip. We loved the warehouse feel and knew we’d be able to make it glow on our wedding day.
I knew I didn’t want to go overboard on a “wine theme” wedding but did want to stay true to the nature of the space. As in all Jewish weddings, the chuppah (wedding canopy) was very important to me and I wanted it, and the rest of our décor, to feel really natural, textural and elegant. Milita, at Grant Avenue Florist in Novato, was amazing and she truly brought my vision to life! She went above and beyond with all the little details (mushrooms at the base of the branches, moss and twine on the candles, etc.) and was a joy to work with. I wanted to keep the centerpieces feeling eclectically elegant so did some tables with candles in large pillars on a slab of rustic wood, others with low green and white floral arrangements, and others still with tall Manzanita branches with hanging votives. All that, topped with natural wood chairs and champagne linens, votives up the barrels, uplights and amber strung bulbs (from ATL Events) and plenty of wine made for a warm evening for our closest friends and family.
I had the venue and a vision, now I just needed a dress! I shopped in California, Chicago and New York; must have tried on over 100 dresses. Then finally one day I popped into a new local boutique in my neighborhood (Big Rock Little Rooster) and fell in love with this Vera Wang. It came with a sash that I didn’t dig, but opted to get a Vera belt to go with it to add a bit of a pop and texture on what was such a simple gown. I loved the oversized buttons, the detail on the back, the simple lines and small train. It was easy, it was comfortable and Josh agreed, it was perfect! (Budget Bride trick of the trade: little secret, it was actually a Vera Wang bridesmaid’s dress in ivory so it was a steal! Shhh no one needs to know!?)
It’s traditional for Jewish weddings to begin with a Ketubah signing – the Jewish marriage contract. We did ours separately from the wedding ceremony to have some quiet time with just our immediate families. The ceremony was lovely but what was particularly special for me was the actual Ketubah. My younger sister spent time in Israel and in her Chicago apartment working tirelessly on this unbelievable masterpiece in our honor. It’s gorgeous and incredibly special as it outlines the life Josh and I wish to live, surrounded by her stunningly detailed work of art. It’s Jewish tradition to sip wine during the ceremony. (No complaints from us!) We decided to do the two cups of wine – the first to share among our families and the second just for us. We wanted to ensure that as many elements in the ceremony were meaningful to us as possible and therefore we used one Kiddush cup that Josh’s parents used at their wedding and has since been used by others in his family to pass around. Then for the cup Josh and I shared as we consecrated our union, was a special gift from my parents. Also during the ceremony we are blessed by our parents and used the talis (prayer shawl) that my late grandmother gave to my father on the day of my birth.
My goal was for our guests to have a blast in the natural beauty that is California Wine Country. I wanted everyone to walk away thinking, not only was that a gorgeous wedding, but it was soooo Josh and Becca! Through the hard work of my incredible vendors and the love and support of my remarkable family and friends, our wedding day was more than I’d even imagined and as Josh and I stood back and watched everyone drinking and dancing and enjoying their time together in our honor, I turned to my new husband and said, bottle this up and remember just how amazing our wedding day was!
Wedding Venue: Cline Cellars / Flowers: Grant Avenue Florist / Wedding Photographer: John Decker of John The Photographer / Caterer: Park Avenue Catering / Lighting: ATL Events / Bridal Gown: Vera Wang via Big Rock Little Rooster / Bridesmaid Dresses: Monique Lhuillier / Wedding Invitations: Ink and Ivory / Wedding Coordinator: Jackie Jones Wilson of Enchanted Weddings / Table Numbers: John Horst, Friend of the Bride & Groom, johnroberthorst@gmail.com / Ketubah: Shira Ballon, Sister of the Bride, shira.ballon@gmail.com / DJ: Jeff Virzi of California Mobile Entertainment / Groom’s Suit: Tom James Custom Suits / Hair: Jenny Rabe, jkenney15@yahoo.com