Kayleigh and James wanted to celebrate their nuptials with on a “vacation with a fancy dinner party where two people just happened to get married.” Their destination wedding at Viansa Sonoma was just that—and totally gorgeous to boot! The pops of bold pink florals by Wine Country Flowers are stunning against the lush wine country scenery at Viansa Sonoma and the cake dripping in flowers by Perfect Endings is a show stopper. Lucky for us, the incredible Heather Rowland was on hand to capture all the details of the day in these beautiful images.
What made the wedding special and unique?
From the beginning, we envisioned a very small, intimate ceremony and reception. We both have very hectic careers and wanted to make our wedding all about reconnecting and spending quality time with our closest friends and family. We also knew we wanted to be married in our favorite vacation spot, Napa/Sonoma Valley. We described our wedding as a vacation with a fancy dinner party where two people just happened to get married, and it was exactly that! We planned most of the wedding from Texas, so to see everything come together so beautifully in a place we adore with the people we love most, it was truly the most magical day.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
I found my dress at Bella Bridal in Fort Worth, Texas. I knew two things going in: that I wanted lace sleeves and a dress that could easily be worn at our vineyard venue. The minute my mom saw me in THE dress she started crying and I knew it was the one.
What were some touches added to make the wedding personal?
We were also fortunate to have a close friend of the groom’s family officiate our wedding. Having someone that knows us so well made the ceremony extra special and personal. I also carried a 100+ year old handkerchief that was handmade for my great-grandmother’s wedding day by her sister. Finally, we created a lounge in the wine cellar where we invited our guests to dance, eat dessert, and have intimate conversations throughout the night.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
Gosh there are so many moments to choose from! My personal favorite was our first look. I walked up to James and tapped his shoulder, he turned around, and the first thing I noticed were crumbs on his face! He sheepishly admitted he had “gotten into some cheese and crackers.” At first I was totally exasperated–this was supposed to be our romantic first look!–but then I realized there was never a dull moment with this man and soon he would be mine forever. All of my wedding jitters floated away and from then on, I didn’t stop smiling or laughing the rest of the day!
The other moment that all of the guests commented on was truly the working of my late grandmother. After a day of mostly grey skies and rain, the clouds parted and the sun emerged just in time for me to walk down the aisle. My dad turned to me as we walked arm in arm, and whispered that he had been praying to grandma all day. She definitely pulled through!
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
James was in New Orleans for spring break and I was there for a bachelorette party. We locked eyes at the Bourbon Cowboy and struck up a conversation. James actually left the bar with his friends, but ended up coming back to find me. Luckily, I was still there! We basically became inseparable from there on. He had originally planned to ask me to marry him on a Friday evening before going to dinner at our first date spot, Grace in Fort Worth. When I noticed on our shared OpenTable account that the dinner reservation was for 6 people, I asked what was going on and quickly grew suspicious that a proposal was coming. James had to get creative, and instead caught me off guard by proposing minutes after I woke up that same Friday. I was still pretty sleepy (with toothpaste on a zit) when I walked into our kitchen and saw James down on one knee. He told me he loved me more than breakfast food and asked me to marry him. I did not look cute at all, so I knew he meant it! My beautiful ring was there on a plate next to a pile of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. We still ended up going to dinner to celebrate (the reservation was now for 2 people), but when we walked into the bar at Grace, my best friends were there waiting with bubbly in hand! It was perfect!
Viansa Winery Wedding Film / Kayleigh + James from Baby Blue Film on Vimeo.
Photographer: Heather Rowland // Wedding Coordinator: Kristen Hardy // Floral: Wine Country Flowers // Paper Goods: Paper Planet and Minted // Venue: Viansa Sonoma // Videographer: Baby Blue Films // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Rentals: Encore Events Rentals // DJ: Dennis Anderson Entertainment // Catering: Sage Catering // Cake: Perfect Endings // Hair and Makeup: Bella Bridal Napa Valley // Airbrush Tan: Let’s Glow Spray Tan // Favors: Bouchon Bakery // Gown Boutique: Bliss Bridal Salon // Day-of Gown and Suit Press: The Wedding Detailor // Transportation: Napa Valley Tours & Transportation