wedding weekend top ten

1. oxbow public market in napa

the next time you go to napa, you have to stop by this market. it's amazing.

there is a shop for just about anything you would ever want.

wine, cheese, cupcakes, mexican, olive oil, coffee, ice cream, etc.

we stopped on the way in from oakland and our way back home.

the perfect way to start and end the weekend :)

2. family dinner & s'more dessert bar

the night before the real festivities started, my dad threw a family dinner party.

it was a genuis idea. just sort of a time for close family (i think there were 12 of us)

to connect and hang out before everyone came into town.

my dad throws amazing parties :)

the evening was held at the solage, and started with cocktail hour on a reserved back patio.

lights were strung, the evening was warm, and drinks and appetizers were served.

about an hour later, we moved inside for a two course meal.

it was obviously delicious.

finally, we went back outside to enjoy an ice cream sundae bar as well as s'mores over the bonfire.

it was an evening seen only in the movies :)

(dad giving a toast)

 

(mom & step-dad)

3. ladies brunch & spa day with the girls

friday morning started with a ladies brunch.

all moms, sisters, grandmas and aunts were invited to the hydro grill for breakfast.

we also doubled this day as christina's bachlorette party.

so, naturally, the silly costume was necessary :)

from there, the girls (christina, alison, kinsey & i) went to indian springs for a spa day.

it was a bit chilly at first, but we ended up having an amazing time.

we toured the grounds, got massages, facials & mudbaths, soaked in their warm pool,

popped bottles of champagne, opened presents, etc.

sisters are the best :)

4. rehearsal dinner

after rehearsing over at the property, we had rehersal dinner at the calistoga inn.

we had the whole back patio, which had a classy backyard BBQ feel.

there was a horseshoe pit, great music, a slideshow, wine, and toasts!

5. sunday brunch & farmer's market

sunday morning was the only time i had free time all weekend.

i decided to grab brunch at serafornia and then walk

through main street and enjoy the farmers market.

by now, our family and friends had pretty much taken over calistoga.

so we stopped for about 20 minutes on every street corner talking to people we knew.

6. getting ready with the girls

about noon, we started getting our hair and make-up done.

it was such a low-key afternoon, just watching everything get set up,

listening to music and relaxing.

(definitely the most low key wedding day i've ever been a part of!)

7. the wedding!!!

the wedding was amazing.

the ceremony happened over by the pond and was pretty short and sweet.

(christina looked gorgeous)

it was followed by cocktail hour at the pool as the sun set over the vineyards

and champagne and appetizers were being enjoyed.

dinner and dancing followed down in front of the ruins,

and dessert was set up inside the ruins with chandeliers glowing in all the trees.

8. raleigh & grandma virginia's dance moves

if i had to pick my three favorite people in life, they'd probably be:

1. my 6 year old brother raleigh

2. my grandma virginia

both raleigh and grandma's dance moves took me by surprise!

first of all, leading up to the wedding, i kept asking raleigh if he had any good dance moves.

he kept saying 'no, i don't dance' LOL!

he had the most out of control dance moves i had ever seen.

i guess i shouldn't be surprised.

when i had asked him what his favorite song was he said 'sexy and i know it'

when i finally found him falling asleep at the head table,

i told him how impressed i was with his dance moves,

he responded by saying, 'oh yeah, i almost ran out'

gotta love that kid :)

second, and maybe even more surprising was my grandma's showing :)

let me just preface this story by saying my grandma

is the sweetest most classy lady you will ever meet.

she quietly sat on the side of the dance floor for most of the evening,

until uncle neil pulled her on to the dance floor to participate in a conga line

that included every single person at the wedding.

let's just say that she stayed on the dance floor for the rest of the night.

i was so impressed!

9. farewell brunch & champagne tasting at schramsberg winery

sunday morning we had a farewell brunch at the house.

it was a perfect time for friends and family to stop by and say goodbye

as everyone headed their seperate ways.

we spent the afternoon touring schramsberg winery and cellars.

i would highly recommend the tour! i learned so much about sparkling wine.

(brad is pictured below with the 9 liter schramsberg champagne

bottle they popped at the wedding and had all the guests sign)

10. amazing times with my favorite people...

i feel like i was so spoiled this weekend.

all my favorite people were in one place and it wasn't even my wedding!

it was so great to see family from both near and far,

and it truly was one of the most magical weddings i've ever been to.

great people. great memories.

congratulations bradley & christina!!

(more official wedding pics soon)