Vineyards are one of my favorite wedding locations. They are always such a beautiful setting for love! Today’s vineyard wedding was a real family affair with loads of DIY touches. How gorgeous are the bridesmaid dresses? I just love the rich burgundy hues!
We had pretty different ideas about what we wanted to do for our wedding – Nate was interested in a big church event and I was more inclined to make a trip to San Francisco City Hall (or Mexico!) but we managed to combine our shared interests and compromise with a winery wedding in the Willamette Valley, near my parents’ home. My sister and parents were very helpful in scouting out locations, because we were in San Francisco and couldn’t be there to tour them all. They chose Zenith Vineyards in Salem – and we all agreed that it was the perfect spot. Nate and I both love wine and especially Pinot Noirs, so this location was ideal.
My dress was from a shop in the Bay Area, selected after one short afternoon of trying on similar lace, column-style dresses. I went with flats and a short veil that could be pulled back for a simple, classic look; Nate kept things traditional with a dark-gray suit, glen plaid wedding tie and argyle socks. The wedding party – eight of our friends and siblings – wore wine-colored dresses of their choosing and dark-gray suits with wine accents. We wanted to give them some flexibility in their outfits, so we let them decide on shoes and accessories as well.
We were originally going for a spin on a “vintage Gatsby” theme, but it ended up being an amalgamation of a lot of things we liked — the flowers, decorations, clothing and overall tone of the night all came together in a hodgepodge that somehow made sense. Decorations, table settings and lighting were all provided and assembled by my mom and sister – simple candles and hydrangeas, many of which my mom grew in her yard. Nate insisted on a full bar (“Nobody dances without a full bar!”), and we went with Zenith’s chosen caterer, Vibrant Table, who provided an amazing spread to go with our vineyard theme.
We chose a day late in September when the weather would still be good (before the Oregon rains started) and hoped for a clear night, which we got – there was even a full moon out, to the delight of our 120 guests. We loved working with Ali and Matt Murray of Murray Photography in Newberg as well – Ali and Matt had been friends of my sister and her fiance, and we were delighted to ask them to photograph our special night. As a team they have the process down to a science and were able to capture some amazing shots of the evening.
Photography | Murray Photography | Venue | Zenith Vineyard | Catering | Vibrant Table Catering and Events | Cake | Wrightberry’s Cakes & Cupcakes | Musicians | Liquid Assets
