Take a stunning Napa Valley setting, a fab team of vendors (ahem, Stacy McCain, Paula LeDuc Fine Catering and Sweet On Cake) and a bride and groom who are all sorts of stunning (seriously) and the results are this: a drop-dead gorgeous wedding that is all about the ROMANCE. Soak in the full gallery captured by Gertrude And Mabel Photography and the sweet film from Artisan Production below.
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From the Bride… Our wedding story began far from home. We both share a love of travel, so it came as no surprise (to everybody but me!) that Tom first asked for my hand in marriage in the South of France. We spent the following six months driving our native California coast each weekend, excel spreadsheets in hand, anxiously searching for an outdoor venue that spoke true to us – and perhaps the more challenging, could accommodate our ever-growing list of family and friends.
And then, much like our romance, the answer came naturally and without question: Beaulieu Garden in Napa Valley.
Napa was a place we both shared, full of memories from stolen visits during our Alma Mater’s USC Weekender, a place where Tom’s favorite cheeseburger (Gott’s Roadside) and my favorite wine (Cakebread Wine Cellars) coexisted. Of the available venues, Beaulieu Gardens was a standout – its vast green gardens easily accommodated our 250-plus guest list; its French namesake a subtle nod to my paternal heritage and the beginnings of our marital journey.
After a brief visit with the venue coordinator and caterer, Paula le Duc Fine Catering, we brought on the oh-so-talented Stacy McCain to help bring our wedding vision to life. Her resourcefulness and superior attention to detail were certainly evident in the successful execution of our event. As far as I know, there wasn’t a hiccup — and if there was, she certainly made sure I didn’t know about it!
The day of, our ceremony took place in Beaulieu’s Sunken Garden, an unexpected clearing characterized by its central lily pond and cherub fountain. Guests entered via private transfer down the venue’s canopied sycamore driveway, an incredible four hundred and fifty yards in length, and were greeted with minted ice tea and fresh lemonade as they made their way to the site. Tom and I repeated our vows in the shade of a wreathed arch, artfully created by our florist, Sharla Flock, while our guests looked on from under vintage parasols.
Following the cocktail hour, all made their way to the ivy-shrouded dining veranda. Our design premise was that of an intimate dinner setting: long kings tables with farm-to-table eats adorned with a mixed arrangement of votives, bulbous florals and natural candlelight. In our traditional California-casual way, we opted for linen runners over tablecloths and varied styles of chandeliers overhead. Tom and I sat side-by-side in an antique settee to metaphorically commemorate our union.
Similarly, the reception decor was an attempt to bring the indoors out, as if our living room had exploded onto the green landscape. Love seat lounges strewn with custom Rose Tarlow pillows and throw blankets flanked the pool as if to say, “grab a drink and stay a while.” And stay they did! Our dance floor buzzed to the tune of Rock Classics until the very last guest left. Even the mother of the groom joined onstage to sing along for a few melodies. All were well fed, well drunk and ready to continue the party.
But like all good nights, this one came to an end. At our reception’s conclusion, Tom and I hopped in the back of a vintage white Rolls Royce, fashioned with a burlap “Just Married” sign and white-painted cans, and sped down Highway 29 to our happily ever after… and our After Party at Hotel Yountville.
Photography: Gertrude & Mabel Photography | Videography: Artisan Production | Event Design: Stacy McCain Event Planning | Wedding Planning: Stacy McCain Event Planning | Floral Design: SHARLA FLOCK DESIGNS | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Sweet on Cake | Invitations: Tiny Pine Press | Shoes: Lanvin | Catering: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events | Hair & Makeup: Sarah Hyde | Officiant: Jack Bacca | Ceremony Music: Synchronicity | Transportation: California Wine Tours | Ceremony And Reception Venue: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events | Dinner Music: Associated Entertainment | Getaway Car: Nationwide Limousine Service | Photo Booth: Magnolia Photo Booth Co.