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Love at First Bite

Jane Smothers & David Biel

It was love at first sight when San Diegan Jane Victoria Smothers (Janie) met the general manager of a restaurant in Santa Monica. “I left the interview, called my mom and my best friends, and told them I had just met the man I was going to marry. I didn’t even know his last name,” she laughs.

Janie got the job, of course, but then had to work hard at getting her boss, David Biel, to take the next step. She asked him out five times before he finally agreed to meet her for coffee. They drove far off to Malibu so as not to bump into anyone from work, and they ended up having a romantic three-hour lunch at Geoffrey’s overlooking the Pacific. Determined to maintain professionalism, they dated under the radar for a short time, but as their affection grew, Janie decided to move to another restaurant.

Seven months after meeting David, she found herself tearing up on the cliffs of Point Dume, happily accepting David’s on-the-knee proposal. They greeted their families with the big news that very night at their farewell fête as the couple was moving to Denver for David’s new job. On the long drive to Colorado they had plenty of time to plan the wedding. Without hesitation, they agreed to marry at the Biel’s vineyard and residence in Napa Valley in September 2009.

David’s family hosted a glorious rehearsal dinner for 50 in the dramatic cask room at Merryvale Vineyard, where giant century-old wooden barrels surrounded an elegant long table punctuated with candelabras bearing ruby candles and deep red roses. Before dining, the guests took a tour of the winery then sipped the award-winning wine with haute cuisine.

For the nuptials, 150 people gathered at the lovely Biel estate and vineyard for a ceremony in the garden. Rain speckled the grounds that morning but, to the bride’s relief, the sun broke midday. Janie wore a custom-tailored gown she found at a local Yountville bridal shop.

“I happened to find my dress on the first stop,” she says. “We walked into Vianett and, after trying on two, I put on a strapless Cinderella-style gown and just loved it.”

The bridesmaids wore striking stem-green BCBG layered dresses and carried artistic bouquets of hydrangeas and belladonnas. David and his groomsmen looked dashing in their tan suits and green paisley ties, which played nicely off the verdant setting and bridesmaids’ attire.

With barn doors as his backdrop, David waited for his bride by a wooden arch bedecked in hydrangeas. The magic of the ceremony itself greatly affected him.

“As the groom you’re the first person out there and I remember standing by myself, waiting in the long silence,” he says. “To see her walk down the aisle after that long buildup was surreal. It really felt like we were the only two people there.”

The couple exchanged vows under the guidance of ordained minister Dean Phillips, Pepperdine’s vice chancellor and School of Law dean emeritus, whom Janie worked for after she attended college there.

“Dean Phillips is like a grandfather to me, and since we had a personal relationship with him, it was very special for us,” she says. As the bride and groom kissed, a flurry of Painted Lady and Monarch butterflies were released, fluttering in the sunlight above the newlyweds.
After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails by the pool, while drinking in the sweeping views of the vineyards of Napa Valley. The tennis court served as a perfect reception area with a myriad of tables and a dance floor. The bride and groom wanted the whole event to have a warm, family friendly feel, so big platters of food were shared by guests at each table. Guests nibbled on heirloom tomatoes with mozzarella, New York Strip steak and cedar plank salmon, grilled polenta and roasted asparagus.

When asked about his most memorable moment, David fondly responds, “Certainly not my dancing.

“It’s like being a celebrity for the day,” he adds, “but it can get overwhelming with all the people. I loved the moments that we got to steal away so it was just the two of us for photos. It was great to sneak off and then return to the party.”

Ceremony and reception: Biel Family Estate, Napa Valley. Planner: Traci Steuteville of Napa Valley Celebrations. Catering: Elaine Bell Catering. Flowers: Paul Stokey of Tesoro. Party rentals: Classic Party Rental and Wine Country Party. Photography: Aaron Feldman, True Photography. Lighting: Twilight Design. Videographer: Weddings on Film. Music: Lawrence Strings and DJ Dukes. Officiant: Dean Ronald Phillips. Parking: CPA Valet. Photo booth: Foto Cabina. Golf car: Nick’s Custom Golf Cars. Cake: Perfect Endings.

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