Oh Monday. You get a rough rep. You signal the start of the weekly grind, as well as announcing the end of the carefree weekend. People curse you. There are bad memes about you. If I didn’t dislike you so much myself, I might even feel sorry for you.
And yet, on occasion, you totally surprise me.
Like when Alexis contacted me in fall of 2015 to let me know that she and her fiance Josh were looking to celebrate their wedding in a destination style in the heart of the Northern California wine country- on a Monday.
Alexis and Josh wanted to create an authentic and intimate wine country wedding experience for their immediate family. It was important to them to be able to show their families the world-famous beauty that the region holds as well as treat them to a culinary experience that the the area is known for.
After several venue tours, we unanimously agreed that a Kunde Winery wedding was the best fit. With its diverse event sites, top notch wines, and high-quality catering partnerships we were able to craft the exact type of event that Alexis and Josh were looking for- with one little hitch.
The Ceremony
It was important to Alexis and Josh to have their ceremony in a church. Luckily, we found a great option with Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Sonoma. Their charming yet impressive interior was the perfect setting for Alexis and Josh’s sentimental exchange of vows, lead by Trinity’s very own Father James Thomas.
Cocktail Hour
Once the ceremony was completed, guests were shuttled by the always professional Beau Wine Tours 40 minutes north to the Kunde property, bringing them to the top of their Boot Hill site for a sunset basked cocktail hour. Guests enjoyed themselves with signature champagne cocktails and mocktails while playing lawn games and gazing out over Kunde’s sprawling vineyards.
Alexis and Josh took advantage of this time to take some ridiculously gorgeous photos all over the Kunde Winery property.
The Bride
I would be remiss not to dedicate an entire paragraph to how utterly AMAZING Alexis looked on her wedding day. Josh, you are great but Alexis was clearly the star of the show on that day. With flawless hair and make-up by the powerhouse Moderne Beauty, she rocked a modernized modest lace detailed gown with the utmost of grace. Her portraits (and really all of the day’s photos) captured by the insanely talented Anne-Claire Brun, are utter per.fec.tion!
The Dinner
While the guests were enjoying the scenic views above catering and planning staff members were working quickly on finishing touches for the candlelit dinner inside of Kunde’s Aging Caves. Using Kunde’s existing farm tables, we created a romantic and earthy-luxe tablescape with the help of Napa Valley linens, and the amazing Katie with Petals Flowers by Katie. Guests wined and dined in the intimate setting on a fantastic feast prepared by Kunde Winery preferred caterer The Girl & The Fig.
The sound of great conversation and sweet love drifted throughout the caves all night long until guests had their fill of wine and cake provided by Jen’s Cakes. At last, Alexis and Josh departed from their dream wedding at Kunde Winery hand-in-hand, as they will be for life.
Vendor Team
Venue: Kunde Family Winery
Church: Trinity Episcopal Church
Caterer: The Girl & The Fig
Rentals: Encore Event Rentals
Linens: Napa Valley Linens
Coordination + Design: MIRA Events + Design
Photography: Anne-Claire Brun Photography
Videography:
Florist: Petals. Flowers by Katie
Baker: Jen’s Cakes
Hair and Make-Up: Moderne Beauty
Transportation: Beau Wine Tours