Think planning a wedding is hard when you live together? These lovebirds did it while living 2,000 miles apart! And it couldn’t have turned out more perfect. Located at the most charming venue in the middle of rolling vineyards, the imagery captured by Jen Philips instantly made me want to book a trip to wine country—have a look at The Vault for the full day!
From the Bride… Cole and I wanted our wedding to be a reflection of our lives together so far. This meant great food, music, adventure, a lot of love and the most amazing family and friends supporting us. We had a long engagement and did a lot of the planning early on while living 2,000 miles apart! Believe it or not, the long distance planning process was really fun. We both grew up in Palo Alto, California so we considered some wedding venues closer to home, but we absolutely fell in love with Running Rabbit Ranch in Santa Rosa. We looked at eighteen different venues, and this one stood out the most to us. Perched on a hill and nestled in the vineyards, it was the perfect wine country wedding venue complete with white barns, old oak trees and goats a plenty.
Although there are hundreds of decisions to make during the wedding planning process, Cole and I felt that every decision we made felt “just right.” The decisions regarding the venue, our vendors, the ceremony, our vows and everything else came from our hearts and was a true reflection of what we value in life. We knew that we wanted to give our guests that quintessential summer wine country wedding experience while including some unique personal touches.
We honestly had a dream team of vendors! Jen, our photographer made us feel comfortable and at ease while taking photos in the 90+ degree weather. Brian from Ivy Hill Entertainment helped welcome our guests and set the mood with his acoustic guitar and singing. My stepfather officiated our ceremony on a high lawn overlooking the vineyards while goats and donkeys laughed along with us. We wrote our own vows and I surprised Cole with an engraved wedding band. The ceremony was an eloquent, funny and love-filled encapsulation of Cole and my relationship. We dined outside under an oak tree in the middle of the vineyards and had the most incredible farm to table food from the girl & the fig. I didn’t have a specific color palette or theme; I just wanted it to be fresh, clean and romantic. We were blown away by the flowers from Valley Flora, the floral arrangements were all so beautiful and were the cherry on top of our perfect day.
We had some DIY touches as well. Cole and I built all of the signs and table numbers and I hand lettered them. We also built the table assignment display using wood and chicken wire. Many trips to home depot were made, and we could not have done it all without the help of our parents. Cole infused the bourbon for his signature cocktail with thirty fresh peaches, which ended up being a guest favorite. One of the highlights of the day was our first dance, which took place in the opening of the barn on the hill above the dinner tables. We had a vision of dancing up in the barn while our family and friends were seated below, and our vendors were able to make it happen. There is nothing better in life than experiencing and sharing the love you have for your new spouse with those who mean the world to you. The entire day was so full of joy and love, and was the best day of our lives together so far!
Photography: Jen Philips Photography | Cinematography: EdgeFog Films | Floral Design: Valley Flora | Wedding Dress: Christos | Cake: Whole Foods | Invitations: Minted | Wedding Bands: J. August Jewelry | Catering: The Girl & The Fig | Hair & Makeup: Bella Bridal Hair & Makeup | Ties: Stafford | Groom's Attire: J Crew | Officiant: The Bride's Step-Father | Transportation: Rosie the Trolley | Transportation: First Student Charter | Wedding Venue: Running Rabbit Ranch | Bride's Shoes & Accessories: BHLDN | DJ & Musician: Ivy Hill Entertainment | Groom's Shoes: Cole Haan | Rentals: Bright Event Rentals