Flowers- I was SO specific on what I wanted for my flowers that we went through flower rolodexes (literally!) until we handpicked every single flower that went into each bouquet. There was nothing I wanted less than that typical, "round" bridal bouquet. I wanted a beautiful feel as if we had walked through the world's prettiest garden and picked each flower by hand. Natural, natural natural. From the dusty miller to the tabasco roses to the ivory bridesmaids bouquets, my florist dealt with numerous, in-depth meetings about every single flower and she was so wonderful. She truly saw my vision better than I did and I couldn't be happier. Stems Florist in Vacaville, CA.
I decided to have a neutral toned wedding with the only color being my bouquet, Matt's boutonnière, and the flowers on our cake, and it was my favorite decision I made along the way. The standout color was originally going to be a dusty rose, but three weeks before I wedding I felt something was off and I searched high and low for the right shade of orange roses with just enough pink at the tips and my florist found it. SPOT ON.
I used both round and rectangular tables for the reception, and it gave for a very romantic vibe. We did ivory centerpieces with just enough winding twig for a rustic touch. We did a "trial" run with a 50% mark-up around Christmas time last year. Then we tweaked what we didn't like, added more of what we did, and came up with a beautiful centerpiece. Plus we found out that the boxes they were in weren't waterproofed and would have stained the table cloth had we waited until the wedding to see them! Problem solved. It kills me that we only got to enjoy them for one day- but the photos will last forever. My mom was a great help with the flowers- she knows so many species and styles and what's in season when. Flowers were likely the priciest detail of the day, but also my favorite part and I thank her so much for that gift.
Tablecloths and all rental items came from Classic Party Rentals in Napa. After numerous visits, a changing headcount and so many alterations to our order, it all arrived smoothly and in full. The table drapes are called Essence Onyx, in a heavy, good quality fabric. This, of all my wedding details, was the one thing I fought hardest for. I think my mom and I had 49275 fights about these tablecloths alone. I have never felt so strongly about such a "small detail" in my life, but I hate plain white tablecloths, so I wanted to choose something that represented me as a person and my style. I LOVE patterns, and these tablecloths are not exactly understated. But I knew that seeing all 14 tables in this amazing print would give me the perfect look for my dream wedding. I don't regret a single argument on behalf of those damn tablecloths, and my mom agreed we made the right decision :)
Tobasco rose petals and wrought-iron candelabras down the center of the rectangular tables. We worked together to select the right china, and my mom nixed all ideas of mason jars, stemless glasses, and flowers around the base of the candelabras- and she was right! Everything looked so elegant!
Little details- matches for our sparkler send-off.
What's a Boughtin Wedding without a Boughtin Bar?
We opted for greenery rather than flowers at the end of the aisles- it definitely gave the natural touch we needed. I kept thinking maybe baby's breath on the insides of the aisle chairs, but my mom felt plants would be a better touch- she was totally right. We didn't want to go overkill with any detail, and with all of the green grass and vines, it was just understated enough. My mom hand painted and decorated the gold pots and purchased the plants at a local garden shop like Lowe's or Home Depot.
Our sweetheart table, which now sits in our dining room. Table by Pottery Barn and via my mom (thank you!). Monogrammed wine glasses, decals via Etsy.
We put flowers in the restrooms as well to spice up the "portables." Why not?!
I knew I wanted to design my own wedding cake, and Sweetie Pie's in Napa did better job than I could have asked for. I brought in photos similar to what I wanted to both the florist and the bakery, and then coordinated the florist to decorate the cake once it arrived. When it came time to cut the cake, Matt and I did so begrudgingly- neither of us wanted to ruin how beautiful it was! My father-in-law, who purchased the cake for us, came running over saying "Don't cut it! It's too pretty!"
It was a strawberry shortcake flavor with fondant ruffles and thick layers of strawberry through the center. Yesterday we had some guys over for football and my mom showed up with the top layer of our cake to put in our freezer. Little did she know, our bakery gives a free anniversary cake (a replica!) so we ate our wedding cake with lunch yesterday!
Our beautiful venue all lit up at night. Not pictured: the gorgeous surrounding vineyards.
Gordon Valley, California.
These are my favorite details of the evening, but there were so many more. I am so incredibly proud of my choices, and more importantly, the hard work of our vendors. It's not easy to take an empty property, not even a wedding venue!, and stick to your vision with every outside vendor. I find this wedding to be one of my proudest moment and greatest accomplishments.
