Friends and family traveled from afar to celebrate the marriage of McKenzie and Nick, which took place at a relative’s beautiful private estate in the St. Helena wine country.
McKenzie and Nick met in high school – both were runners on the cross country team. It wasn’t until eight years later, however, that Nick fell for the darling Starbucks barista (where she worked at the time) and the two started dating. As McKenzie’s nursing school graduation neared, Nick surprised his kitten-loving gal with an unforgettable marriage proposal and engagement ring, which was tied around the collar of their Ragdoll kitten!
When Nick’s Aunt and Uncle offered their beautiful home in St. Helena as a wedding venue, the couple jumped at the chance. California’s wine country was their first vacation together, and has been a place filled with warm memories of family, food, and of course, wine. So many special elements came together to make the wedding a personal, emotional celebration, and friends traveled from as far as South Korea (the groom’s life-long friend and their officiant!) to celebrate the marriage of McKenzie and Nick.
Perhaps one of my favorite elements of this real wedding is McKenzie’s gown, which was designed and hand-sewn by the bride and her mother. They also handmade McKenzie’s gorgeous veil and the paper roses made of old atlases that accented the bridal bouquet. Though these details made for a beautiful event, what made it so very special for Nick and McKenzie were the family and friends who traveled so far to be a part of the celebration, and who toasted their marriage and new life together.
GET THEIR REAL WEDDING LOOK:
1. Photography: Holly Ireland Photography
2. Venue: Private Family Estate at Boeschen Vineyards
3. Caterer: Alex’s Catering, Vallejo CA
4. Flowers: Napa Valley Farmer’s Market (tabletops), Paper flowers by the bride and Safeway Floral
5. Gown: Custom designed and constructed by the bride and her mother
6. Cake: Julie Ponzini, Sugarcastles
7. Ceremony and Reception Music: Ed Combong, Denon & Doyle
8. Wedding Consultant: Jackie Jones Wilson, Enchanted Weddings
9. Officiant: Dok Sang Sunim (Groom’s lifetime friend)
10. Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
11. Hair: Arlette Coppock (family friend), The Fourth Lock (Washington DC)
