Hopland is officially my happy place, and today we’re totally going there thanks to Lynette Boyle Photography. Because really, it wouldn’t be fair if we were to deny you the distinguished beauty of this wedding. It’s the type of crackling good fun you just won’t want to miss, and now you won’t have to because we’ve got it in THE VAULT!
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From The Bride…Jake and I met in a little town known as Las Vegas. I was on an Arizona fishing trip with my family and last-minute asked them to drop me off in Vegas to stay for a night with my girlfriends. Jake was in town for his friend’s bachelor party. Our mutual friend Janine decided to take me at the stroke of midnight to meet up with her friends, one of whom was Jake. We met and hit it off immediately, danced all night, and that turned into a long distance relationship, me in LA and Jake in SF! I guess what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas…and can lead to an engagement right in front of the Golden Gate bridge, twinkling in the dark San Francisco night.
Ever since I was a little girl and watched “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, I dreamed of having my future wedding reception under a big white tent. When the time came to look at venues, we looked at many but when we stumbled upon Contento Vineyard, our jaws dropped and we were absolutely in love with the site. It’s on a private vineyard in Mendocino wine country, on top of a plateau overlooking picturesque rolling vineyards, with a rustic barn and a big white tent! It’s also a DIY-lover’s paradise and acted as a blank palette to design as we wished with the most amazing vendors. Throwing in Jake’s love of country everything and the outdoors, and my love for all things French, we decided on a theme of French Festival, which was the inspiration for many elements of our wedding: our French balloon monogram (which we put on everything!), lavender bridal bouquets and succulent boutonnieres, chandeliers and candelabras, a vintage rooster gift box, and gilded touches. I also taught myself calligraphy, which proved to be quite useful in order to add wistful accents. Jake’s favorite sports team is Michigan football, whose colors are blue and “maize”, so we decided on a light blue and gold color palette to be in the same color family, and I threw in my favorite color of mint.
After the church ceremony, guests were transported to the vineyard by shuttle, and it was wonderful to see all the guests exploring the gorgeous property and into the vineyards as well. I decided to surprise Jake with a Michigan sports cake, and he surprised me at the same time by wearing an “ao dai”, a Vietnamese gown during the cake-cutting. Our dear friend, a DJ by the name of TRAVISWILD, put on an upbeat music performance to get our grooves on. By the end of the night, my beautiful Jim Hjelm dress was completely ripped and covered with dirt, but that to me was a sign of a great night. We are so grateful to our incredible vendors for working so tirelessly with us through the Mendocino heat and long nights to make the day so unforgettable.
From Lynette Boyle Photography…One of the nicest things about working with couples like Christine and Jake is that they care about everyone involved in their wedding day. They want everyone to have an incredible time, even their vendors. They spent so much time preparing things to make all of their guests from near and far feel welcome and at home. They spent hours hand-making welcome bags, escort cards and cornhole boards, hunting at flea markets, choosing signature cocktails, and picking out thank you gifts. It meant so much to their guests that they did everything themselves. I also loved how they managed to surprise each other throughout the day with thoughtful gifts and gestures. Most importantly though, they did all these things because they wanted to, not because they felt like they had to. What a privilege it was to photograph this beautiful couple on their wedding day!
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Photography: Lynette Boyle Photography | Cinematography: Two Spoons Productions | Coordination: Lake Event and Design | Floral Design: Sweetness And Light | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Cake: Giorgi's Wedding Cakes | Invitations: Ragan House Lettering | Invitations: Hadassah Calligraphy | Ceremony Venue: Saint Mary Of The Angels | Reception Venue: Brutocao Contento Vineyards | Bride's Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Rings: Kieu Hahn Jewelry | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Adrianna Papell | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Shoshanna | Catering: AATR Weddings | Hair And Makeup: Krissy From The Parlour Ukiah | DJ: Weddings By Sunnyside | Groom's Attire: The Tie Bar | Groom's Attire: Own Only | Groom's Attire: Ralph Lauren | Bride's Earrings: Bloomingdales | Bridesmaid Gifts: Elizabeth's Embellishments | C+J Lighted Sign: Bed Bath & Beyond | CJK Chair Sign: Mattie V | Cake Topper: Red Light Studio | Dress Hanger: BHLDN | Escort Card Favors: Kate Aspen | Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab | Groom's Cake: Giorgi's Wedding Cakes | Groom's Pocket Watch: Paperonly | Menu Chalkboards: Mintage Designs | Ring Bearer Airplane Sign: Dj Hush Dan Haddad | Robes: Silk And More | Table Numbers: OAKYdesigns | Veil: IHeartBride