Ooh, Annie McElwain, you did us all a favor when you sent over this beautiful wedding. It’s the kind of day that can turn even the worst mornings right around. It’s the kind of day that sticks around in your daydreams for weeks. Is the kind of day (thanks to Paula Le Duc) that has your stomach rumbling while your eyes are twinkling. It’s my favorite kind of day, and lucky for you, it’s all right here.
From the beautiful bride… John & I searched all over California wine country for the perfect wedding venue. We were living in San Francisco, and given the summer weather can be somewhat unpredictable, we knew we’d need to get outside of the city for sunshine! John was actually the one who found Durham Ranch, and we fell in love with it the moment we saw it.
Over the next few months we worked with our incredible planner and designer, Meg, to think through all the little details that made the day special. We had family coming in from across the country, so wanted to be sure we made their trip worthwhile. I wore the same earrings my sister-in-law wore at her wedding to my rehearsal dinner, and I wore earrings my husband gave me for our first Christmas together at our wedding. On the day of the wedding, my mom gave me dried flowers from her bouquet. My sister-in-law gave my sister, my mom, and me special wedding day handkerchiefs, which I wrapped around my bouquet.
My dad’s speech had the room in tears, especially when he talked about my mom – “the love of his life.” My sister’s maid-of-honor speech and John’s brothers’ best man speeches were both sweet and hilarious, and we can’t wait to re-watch them. John focused on the band, and did a fantastic job. David Martin’s house party blew us away, and we both spent most of the night on the dance floor. We both made it up on stage for portions of the evening, along with John’s grandmother!
A highlight of the evening was stealing away with our amazing photographer, Annie, to capture some shots at the entrance to the ranch. The sun was setting, and as we walked hand-in-hand up the driveway of the ranch together, I was so thankful we took those few minutes together, and that we had Annie to capture them on film!
Photography: Annie McElwain Photography | Videography: Twenty Twenty Studios | Event Design + Planning: Meg Bowman (meghan.j.bowman@gmail.com) | Floral Design: St Helena Florist | Wedding Dress: Thread | Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew | Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events | Hair + Makeup: Amy Lawson | Calligraphy: Ann Patton (acpatton25@yahoo.com) | Band: David Martin House Party | Officiant: Rev. Donald MacInnes | Bridal Shoes: Loeffler Randall | Cake And Desserts: Knead To Make | Ceremony Musicians: Starlite Strings | Invitations + Map Illustration: Heart-shaped