Archive for the ‘Napa’ Category

The Couple:  Crystal Golightly and Noel Figueroa

Wedding Date:  May 19, 2011

Photography by White Daisy Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Noel is a native New Yorker born and raised in Brooklyn. I (Crystal) am a Bay Area girl who moved to NYC in 2004 shortly after graduating college.We met in 2005 at a local bar/restaurant in Williamsburg Brooklyn where we almost instantly knew that we’d just stumbled upon one that we’d share the rest of our lives with. After few months of dating, we very quickly moved in together and have been together ever since!

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Having all of our family and friends together in one place since we are all scattered across the country!

What else would you like to share about your big day?  One of my girls from the Bay Area and the best man found love at our wedding! They may actually have some wedding bells in their future as well.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue & Caterer:  Estate Restaurant

Photographer:  White Daisy Photography

Wedding Planner:  Kellie Whelan, who was just amazing!

Cake:  Sweetie Pies Bakery

Flowers:  The maid-of-honor, Elizabeth Fletcher, who did some amazing things with flowers that we purchased at Trader Joes, Whole Foods and a local florist. (she is also a great blogger evasaidit.com very cheeky, urban and hip!)

Favors:  DIY. An eclectic mixed “tape” CD of salsa, pop, r&b and reggae finished off with a photo of us.

Wedding Dress:  Mihca Cho, a local NYC designer

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Mori Lee (purchased from various bridal boutiques throughout the country)

Hair & Makeup:  Knotty Hair Salon

Invitations:  Wedding Paper Divas and Paper Source. I did a LOT of DIY.

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  Raquel and Bolero y Más

Photo Booth:  No photo booth, but we bought some pretty disposable cameras and let everyone go wild! It was a great to develop the photos and see what every one did when we weren’t hanging out with them!

Honeymoon location:  Planning to go to the Dominican Republic this year, we’ve had a bit of a crazy year with new jobs and a puppy!

First Dance Song:  “At Last” by Etta James

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Have fun and don’t stress out. If you are true to yourself, your likes and your taste, you will have a great time. For us it was really important to keep it simple since we live in NYC and were planning this day from 3,000 miles away. I knew that I wanted a low-key intimate, yet beautiful, day so what better place then Sonoma?

When I came across The Estate and read the history of this 100-year old Victorian house I was mesmerized! I actually didn’t see the property until about three months before the wedding. Not only was the location gorgeous, but it was very convenient because we were able to buy out the restaurant which included coordination, cocktail hour, dinner and wine, and even a dessert course.

A few years back I went to a wedding where they served Champagne as the guests were entering the garden ceremony and I knew that I NEEDED that. So we served Prosecco as our guests waited for us to arrive. It turned out great because not only were we late (I forgot my veil), but also because we knew our friends were getting a little tipsy so if we happened to trip or giggle it would be okay.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  I would have liked to slow the whole thing down and enjoy every single moment. Everyone told me to take a moment look around and absorb it all — that was probably the best advice and I wish I would have done that more.

Photos courtesy of White Daisy Photography.

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Napa is equally enchanting in early spring as it is in the prime of autumn’s harvest. Instead of ripened grape vines in glorious shades of red, flame and golden yellow, the trees blossom with delicate pink and white buds, back dropped by lush hills at their greenest. One of the loveliest places to witness this season of renewal is Meadowood. This private enclave with an esteemed reputation for service, scenery and serenity proves that Napa is more than just wine… it’s a feast for all the senses.

Recommended Resort:  Meadowood Napa Valley. Located just off the wine trail at downtown St. Helena, Meadowood enjoys a tucked away seclusion in the hills. After entering a private gate, guests are whisked away to a cozy lobby where hot cider and cookies await at your check in.

Thanks to golf carts, it’s easy to get around the expansive property, and the staff is happy to oblige with a lift. Accommodations are scattered around the resort, each private suits with their own entrance and patio. A warm fireplace made for a welcome entrance to the charming room. Bathrooms are spacious with a deep tub, his and her sinks and plenty of Molton Brown amenities.

The spa and two large pools are located at the entrance of the resort. Comfortable and accessible, the spa makes for a wonderful morning escape. Bring a little Napa to your treatment with a Harvest Seed Harvest Wrap, a mix of vitamin rich grape seeds, a Cabernet Passion Fruit scrub and a hydrating mud masque. Delightful, refreshing and reinvigorating.

Spring also brings in a momentous occasion for the resort other than the blossoms and green. The celebrated Restaurant will reopen its doors on March 22 after a renovation. A dining experience by Chef Christopher Kostow that is not to be missed.

Check In:  900 Meadowood Lane in St. Helena. 800-458-8080, meadowood.com

Check Out:  Croquet. Yes, you heard it…croquet! The resort is famous for it, making it one of the few in the US with a tournament lawn. Don’t know how to play? Not to worry. Resident Croquet Pro, Mike McDonnell, will show you the ropes. He inherited the role from his father who once taught Hollywood’s elite at their former home in Los Angeles. Now Mike has the pleasure of sharing his father’s legacy and his passion with guests of Meadowood. The game is fairly simple to learn and is all about strategy. Just be sure to wear your croquet white and grab a cool glass of wine to enjoy between each hit.

Don’t Miss:  Romance at Meadowood. The resort’s natural setting and inherent intimacy makes it the perfect place to rekindle your love. In addition to romantic dining and wonderful wines, Meadowood offers special perks to couples like fresh flowers and chocolate dipped strawberries on a silver platter. A bubble bath with votive candles will await your arrival home with a little advance planning, or create a special itinerary for your loved one via a scripted note packed in a perfectly wrapped box. Want to slip a ring in that box too? Meadowood’s planning pros will schedule anything from an intimate wedding to a renewal of vows tailored to your needs. We say, “I do.”

Blog post by Always a Bridesmaid Contributor Darren Elms.

Photos courtesy of Meadowood Napa Valley.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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The Couple:  Jessaca and Billy Downing

Wedding Date:  June 11, 2011

Photography by Shoop’s Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  Jessaca and Billy meet in Sacramento in 2005 through mutual friends. Despite Jessaca’s work taking her to San Jose, and then to Los Angeles, they maintained a long distance relationship for two years until Jessaca was able to relocate to Sacramento for good.

Jessaca graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in Social Work, and Billy graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a degree in Sociology. We enjoy traveling to London to watch Arsenal Football Club play at Emirates Stadium, visiting the Napa Valley and having lunch at Solage where we were married, or just relaxing at home watching Harry Potter movies.

Jessaca works for The Association of California School Administrators helping to organize educational seminars across the state, while Billy is the Managing Director of The ESM Group, an educational services firm that works with students across the world on how to navigate the college admissions process.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  We both agree that our most favorite part of the day was our first dance. It was a song that we love and it was the absolute perfect choice. When we danced it just seemed like the world disappeared and that we were the only two people in the room. I sang in his ear and he held me so close it was as if nothing could ever separate us. The moment was so intimate and so magical that we will never forget the feelings we shared on the dance floor: utter joy, absolute faith, indescribable love and such incredible friendship. When we were finished dancing our guests were enamored. Many were crying and all night we heard them say that they could not take their eyes off of us during our dance, they could feel our love for each other and it had moved them just as it had moved us.

What else would you like to share about your big day?  We chose Solage because of the amazing cuisine that they serve. Often times wedding food is just so-so, but having a meal that people would remember (in a good way) was really important to us. Solage came through 100 percent. I have never seen so many empty plates and our friends and family are still saying that it was the best lamb they have ever had.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue & Caterer:  Solage Calistoga

Photographer:  Shoop’s Photography

Videographer:  Razor Byrne

Wedding Planner:  MAP Events

Cake:  Perfect Ending

Flowers:  Cherries Flowers

Favors:  All the materials were sent in from Greece.

Wedding Dress:  Priscilla of Boston

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Nordstrom

Hair:  Tobias from Sugar Salon

Makeup:  Jessica Palmer

Invitations:  Laura Hooper Calligraphy

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  DJ Chris Fox

Photo Booth:  I assembled the photo booth with various items I had and I found a large frame and painted it gold at this awesome vintage shop is Sacramento called Summer Porch. Luckily the florist had two amazing vintage chairs and shepherd hooks to hang the frame from. I created a photo album for guests to stick Polaroids in and I also purchased props from MustacheGlass and a guest book banner from 2PerfectionDecor.

Honeymoon location:  London and Mykonos

First Dance Song:  “Magic” (itunes session) by Colbie Caillat

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Just enjoy every moment because it truly flies by. One thing that we did that we were so happy about doing was taking pictures before the ceremony. Our photographer set up a private moment for Billy and I to meet in a secluded location. She called it our “first glance.” This gave us an opportunity to exchange gifts that we had for each other and to just be alone together for a few moments. It was the only time we had alone for the entire day. After the ceremony we did take a few pictures with family and the bridal party, but we were able to attend the cocktail hour and say our hellos and thank yous to our guests, which meant we were actually able to enjoy the incredible dinner prepared by Solage.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  Nothing! It was perfection!

Photos courtesy of Shoop’s Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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The Couple:  Jessica Maike and Vincent Mann

Wedding Date:  May 15th, 2011

Photography by The Goodness Photo & Design

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  We met in elementary school on the playground and started dating senior year of high school. We knew we were ready to get married five years later after I finished college at U.C. Davis, and Vincent was two years into his Air Force career.

What was the most amazing part of your day?  We were supposed to have an outdoor ceremony/reception but the day before, we decided to move it indoors due to an upcoming freak thunderstorm. I was so apprehensive to see what the venue would look like now that we didn’t have nature’s natural beauty and almost no decorations. But when I walked through those double doors and saw how amazing the space looked with the pink Chinese lanterns and how handsome Vincent looked at the end of the aisle, I knew this was going to be the most magical day of my life. And thanks to the storm, we were able to get a picture with a double rainbow in the background.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue & Caterer:  The Silverado Resort & Spa

Photographer:  The Goodness Photo & Design

Cake:  Wine Wedding Cakes

Flowers:  Bride’s Aunt, Rosamond Salazar

Favors:  Filipino Abaca fans. I brought home with me while on vacation in the Philippines. We attached them to a small bag filled with our favorite girl scout cookies.

Wedding Dress:  Priscilla of Boston

Bridesmaid Dresses:  David’s Bridal

Hair:  Pure Beauty

Makeup:  DIY

Invitations:  The Goodness Photo & Design

DJ/Entertainment/Band:  The Brian Cline Band

Violin, Cello, Viola:  Garden Strings

Photo Booth:  Perfect Day Events

Honeymoon location:  Ka’anapali Villas in Maui, HI

Dance floor & Draping:  Classic Party Rentals

Table linens:  Tableaux

First Dance Song:  ”Can’t Help Falling in Love” by UB40

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  Stay organized. Everything that the Silverado did not provide was a separate vendor. Working with 15 different vendors who all have different needs like paid in full, half deposit down, remainder a week before, or the day of, PLUS all of the details about what time they are setting up/taking down and arriving/leaving paying for extra hours, was a lot of important information that needed to be remembered. So I used an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of how much I owed, contact info, and other details for each vendor. This made wedding life extremely easy, accessible and organized since everything I needed to know was on one piece of paper.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  There isn’t anything I would have done different. Thankfully I had a full year to plan my wedding which allowed me to thoroughly research places and vendors without getting stressed out about time.

Photos courtesy of The Goodness Photo & Design.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

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The Couple:  Erika Tungland and Ryan Taylor

Wedding Date:  October 16, 2010

Photography by 555 Photography

Tell us a little about you and your beloved:  We met working at Borders Bookstore. Years later, we are still happily together, with two dogs and a cat!

What was the most amazing part of your day?  Everything was so perfect. But I would have to say the food was my favorite.

Ceremony Site & Reception Venue:  V. Sattui Winery

Photographer:  555 Photography

Wedding Planner:  Little Blue Box Weddings

Caterer:  Alex’s Catering

Cake:  Inticing Creations

Flowers:  Valley Flora

Favors:  Etsy

Wedding Dress & Bridesmaid Dresses:  Miosa Bride

Hair & Makeup:  Sweetie Face Makeup

Invitations:  Fine Stationery

DJ/Entertainment:  Denon and Doyle

Band:  Terrence Brewer Trio

Honeymoon location:  Maui

Any other of your wedding vendor(s) you’d like to call out?  Rev. Blane Ellsworth was an amazing officiant.

Any advice you’d give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?  If someone tells you no, find someone who will work with you to create what is perfect for you.

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?  No.

Photos courtesy of 555 Photography.

Check out the Real Weddings Contest Page! Great bridal loot for real Sacramento-area brides!

Subscribe to the Real Weddings Magazine Blog!