Rustic Chic Winery Wedding Inspiration
Oh, y'all. There is so much lovely and heart in this wedding celebration today! When Kari sent me photos of her wedding day, I literally could not stop smiling at all the sweet moments that were captured behind the lens. And on top of that, they didn't leave a single detail out of this gorgeous day! So get ready to swoon and be inspired through Kari and Chandler's sweet love story and heartfelt rustic chic winery wedding celebration!
The Basics
Wedding Date: November 16, 2014
Wedding Location: Longshadow Ranch Winery • Temecula, California
All the Fun Details
How did you and your significant other meet?
We met at a restaurant, actually. He was there with some co-workers and I was there with some friends watching football.
How did your proposal happen?
When we were in the process of buying our second home I would say, "The only thing that is missing inside is a ring!" The day we got the keys to our new home my fiancé asked my best friend, and later maid-of-honor, to tell me she wanted to go out to dinner to celebrate and take pictures of us in the home with our new keys. So that evening we arrived at the house and started taking pictures. In the front of our house we have these beautiful French doors that open up to our front porch. My fiancé said he really wanted to take a photo with those open. So we did. When I thought we were done taking pictures, I was mistaken. As I started to walk back into the home, he grabbed me back and said he had something for me as he reached in his pocket.
In “Kari” fashion I told him don’t mess with me, since I thought he was kidding. But then he got down on his knee and he really did have something for me. My ring! I had so many emotions running through me that I couldn’t even say yes right away! I just started bawling my eyes out. I’m a very hard person to surprise and I’m very lucky to have a husband and best friend to make my dreams come true.
What tradition(s) were important for you to include in your wedding ceremony? Why?
I wouldn’t necessarily say we had any traditions during our ceremony besides the fact that we did not see each other until I walked down the aisle.
I also had my great-great-grandfather, my papa, walk me halfway down the aisle and then my dad the rest of the way. And instead of doing a sand ceremony or candle lighting we did a first fight box. We wrote our own vows so we wanted to put them into the box along with our favorite bottle of wine and nail the box shut. When we get into out first major fight as a married couple we want to open the box and be able to remember why we got married in the first place.
Did you include any family heirlooms or heritage in your wedding celebration?
We did do a longest married dance. All the couples that were married at our wedding got up and danced and slowly got booted off as they announced certain number of years of marriage. The couple with the longest marriage won and had to give us, the newlyweds, marriage advice.
What was the inspiration for your wedding style?
I really wanted to capture our personal style. We both love rustic, vintage and antique designs. You could say our home is eclectic but chic.
What were the top 3 most important aspects of your wedding?
I would have to say the décor, the music and all of our various stations. We wanted our guests to feel like it was a family party while still being classy.
What was your color palette?
Love me some neutrals! We had whites, creams, beiges, tans and champagne colors with subtle hints of blushes and gold.
What was your favorite part of the planning process?
My favorite part was seeing it all come together. I bought and did most of the wedding décor myself. There were a lot of times that I doubted my planning skills and worried things would not flow. But when they did, I was so proud and happy that we were going to have our dream wedding that was totally us.
What is the best memory you have from your wedding day?
The best memory is when we got to finally see each other. As soon as I started down the aisle, we did not take our eyes off of one another. Even with tears in our eyes, that moment was amazing!
What was your favorite piece of advice you received about marriage?
Never go to bed angry. And I completely agree. It seems so minor compared to other things, but we have found that this is very important.
Anything else you'd like to share?
I would say that when the planning is all done and the wedding day is happening, don’t sweat the small stuff. At the end of the day the wedding will be beautiful and it’s the start to a new life. Embrace it!
