A Napa Fairytale: Arriving at V. Sattui Winery

When we arrived, V. Sattui was still open for tasting and it was nice to see smiles on all the patrons' faces as our bridal party made a beeline for my bridal nook. I stayed put and tried to relax until I got the okay that Luke was ready for our first look.

The anticipation of seeing my groom, mixed with all of the wedding energy in the air, was such a fun feeling-- I wanted to bottle it up and sprinkle it in my normal days!

Best Man rolled the bike into place, where it would stay until our getaway.

Lisa was dispatched to make sure the groomsmen had their boutonnieres, since they were delivered to me at the hotel.

Mike made sure that self-tie bow tie was straight...

...as John affixed my gardenia hair accent.

The men posed for a quick photo while I bumped up my blush and headed downstairs to meet my groom.

I caught a quick glimpse of the courtyard before anyone was there, taking in a moment before I revealed myself to my handsome groom and our loving families.

(photos by Luke Snyder Studio)

As I got the okay to turn around and start walking down the ramp, the butterflies started fluttering in my stomach and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world!

A Napa Fairytale: Rehearsal Morning

We woke up before the sun. I'm positive I wouldn't have even been able to sleep without the previous night's Cabernet nightcap. Once again the weather was shaping up to be amazing and the news stations began their segments on the 10-10-10 wedding rush-- it was so fun to be in on it!

Mr. Barrettes prepared for his gentlemen's golf day and I scurried around packing our overstuffed suitcases in order to check out of that hotel and into our room at Avia. We had an early breakfast date at Marie Callenders.* I love going out for breakfast when its still dark outside-- you just know the day ahead of you is going to be long and fun. At 7:30 we headed to the golf course and pulled onto the road to this familiar Napa sighting:

Being in the heightened, emotional omigod-this-is-our-wedding-weekend state I was in, I cried! Over balloons! I cried because the morning was so beautiful and I felt so lucky to be in love, in Napa, just... in everything. I felt like I needed someone to pinch me-- it was too good to be true. Right then and there, in the car, Mr. Barrettes proclaimed that we would come to Napa every year to celebrate our anniversary and next year we would do a hot air balloon. No arguments here! Then I cried a little harder because the thought of us being old people and celebrating our 75th wedding anniversary in Napa was just too much. I was just plain overwhelmed with wedding joy-- it was indescribable and I hope each of you feel/felt that way the day before your wedding too.

I said goodbye to my groom at the golf course, knowing the next time I'd see him would be at our 3pm rehearsal. I high-tailed it back to our hotel so I could get moving. Those menus and wine lists weren't going to print themselves. I pulled out my Mac and threw together the simplest looking design ever. As long as the food and wine were good I didn't think anyone would care. Trust me, if your guests are thinking, "Oh my, this paper menu looks like it was slapped together the day before the wedding", you're doing something else wrong.

I bought 32 frames from the dollar store (16 tables, one framed menu and one framed wine list each) and zipped over to Kinkos. I left 20 minutes later with printed, cut, and ready-to-be-framed menus and wine lists. Easy peasy. Next!

I had to check out of our hotel and into Avia, but our room wasn't ready yet. On my way out I heard a familiar booming voice. Our reverend, Dr. Houtz was in the lobby checking-in! Omigod this is real! It was a pleasure to see him and his wife before the craziness of the afternoon and I started to get the feeling that I would have alot more run-ins with guests as everyone descended on Napa. I could feel the energy getting closer and closer.

With nowhere to be and no hotel to check into I did what any girl would do-- head straight to her gay boyfriend's hotel to see what merriment awaited there! The Will to my Grace always keeps me amused!

---

*Ever bite the inside of your lip by accident? Then because you did it once, it's so much easier to do it again and again and before you know it you have a super sore. That's me. The week before our wedding. By the wedding weekend I had a canker sore. Worst timing ever. Any time I tried to eat or drink I winced in pain. By the time I found the numbing gel my mom had bought, the weekend was over. Fail. I drank hot coffee through a plastic straw that morning. (How's that for weirdness, Mrs. Octopus?)

By the time we landed in Guam, my mouth was as good as new. The pain kept me in the moment during the weekend and I'm going to chalk it up to the universe keeping me grounded during a weekend I could have been a reckless and drunk mess :)

A Napa Fairytale: Arriving in Napa

  

  Mr. Barrettes and I arrived in Napa on October 8th to the most gorgeous weather (which everyone commented on throughout the weekend, as if I specially planned it). We quickly checked into our first hotel and scurried up Rt. 29 to meet my parents, godparents, and MOH and partner at V. Sattui to whet our appetite for the weekend and jump into some tastings.

We took a seat around the corner and received a complimentary tasting because when people find out you're getting married over the weekend, they just throw free wine at you! We were in full-on wedding mode and just tasted our favorite wines, which we would be presenting at the wedding. Getting the thumbs up from our other party members on our wine selection, we were feeling pretty satisfied with our palettes and couldn't wait to share our tastes with our guests.

mmm...Gamay Rouge...

While most of the wineries end their tastings at 5pm, we have a favorite spot that keeps pouring until 6pm, Peju. Four of us headed over there for some good ol' fashion fun, courtesy of our favorite wine pourer, Richie. He pours generously in the back room and always keeps the joint hoppin'. You may have to wait a tick, but if you are there, ask for him specifically!

At Peju is my favorite sign, which I make nearly everyone pose with. It is a plank of french oak from a barrel painted with the words "In Vino Veritas - In Wine Is Truth". This quickly became my mantra for the weekend. There was almost a tattoo, but much to my mom's relief we just didn't have time for that-- there will be one in the future.

Towards the end of the tasting, things got a little saucy. A handful of British couples were in our group and once they found out we were to be married, all hell broke loose. There was storytelling, unsolicited advice, and I'm pretty sure Mr. Barrettes got his butt pinched by some old ladies.

For dinner we headed to Villa Romano, a cozy italian restaurant with just. perfect. food. We were joined by my parents and godparents for a lovely before-the-storm feast.

With full bellies, we all headed to our hotels to rest up for the big rehearsal day. Mr. Barrettes had a 8:30am tee time and while I thought I was in for a relaxing morning, I quickly realized that I had NO menus or wine lists for our wedding. What?! How does that even happen with a 2 year engagement? That needed to be taken care of pronto in the a.m.

As I drifted off into a cabernet slumber, I had no idea what whirlwind I was in for when I awoke.

A Napa Fairytale: Introduction

Greetings, Hive! I'm back and I'm armed with winery wedding goodness for you, straight from the heart of Napa Valley. Our 10/10/10 wedding went off beautifully and I'm so excited to tell you our story!

Mr. Barrettes and I tied the knot at V. Sattui Winery, surrounded by 120 of our nearest and dearest. Crush season in Napa is easily one of the most beautiful times of the year to visit wine country and the energy of the region was simply buzzing. Plump grapes still hung on some vines and others were freshly harvested. The smell of crush tickled your nose-- it was simply magical.

photos by Luke Snyder Studio

Our rehearsal and dinner were on October 9th, with most of our guests arriving that morning. We drove down from Mr. Barrettes' mom's house in Ukiah (where we had spent a week preparing) on the 8th to ease ourselves into the weekend with a few close friends.  I look forward to sharing our wedding adventure with you-- grab a glass of your favorite vino as I do the same. The story is always better with wine!

The Morning After

The morning after the wedding, we both we're feeling awesome besides the slight hangovers, the adrenaline rush of the wedding still pumping through our veins. We met family at a local breakfast spot, stopped by John's hotel to trade stories, and checked-out of our hotel, and into a time-share resort.

Our vehicle was packed with suitcases, boxes, presents, clothes, wedding crafts, cases of wine, our top layer of wedding cake, and various other goodies that needed to be sorted. I had anxiety about tackling all of it, but tried to push it to the back of my memory and just soak in every little new-married-moment. It does feel different after you are married. Maybe it's just me, but Mr. B just looked all sparkly and new. Maybe I was all sparkly and new. There was definitely something.

When we couldn't check-in at the resort right away, we swung by In-N-Out burger. I'm an East Coast girl and had never had the pleasure before. I was told it was a must. So with our burgers in tow, we looked for a grassy spot to sit down around the area.

When we got out of the car, Mr. B rifled through the back and came out with this:

An awesome picnic basket set with our new initial hand-painted on it!

Fun treats!

My *husband* set it all up...

...but we still ate the In-N-Out...

...and of course drank the wine. =)

We still didn't know who it was from until we opened the card. I was so happy to see Bridesmaid Lisa's handwriting! That clever woman!

Mr. B fielded "day after" phone calls...

...while I attended to Baby Barrettes. Seriously, how cute is he?

It was so peaceful to lay there and just look up at the leaves and enjoy a moment after the insanity of the weekend.

I was happy, tired, thankful, and married.

Laying down felt so good =)

With our batteries refreshed, we headed back to The Meritage and indulged in opening our gifts, sleeping without alarm clocks, spa treatments, and a romantic dinner for 2. It was the perfect Day After.

How did you and your spouse unwind the Day After?

Ten Ten Ten or In Vino Veritas

Well hive, I think this may be my last post as a Miss! With the whirlwind that's about to hit my life I don't know if I'll see ya until the middle of next week!

The weather in Napa is perfect for this weekend and I couldn't be more lucky. Marrying my love amongst our favorite people, nestled in wine country-- I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. =)

I have a plethora of details to still share, but it's hard because they're all coming together at the last minute. For example, I glued and bow-d over 200 corks for our escort cards, but the actual paper cards are with Mom Barrettes at her hotel and Mr. B constructed an amazing photobooth idea for me 2 days ago, but it won't be ready to use until later tonight. Oh, and mom's dress made mine! The final product is a hit.

Looks like I'll have plenty to blog about while we wait for our pro photos!

Here's a sneak peak--

 Mr. Barrettes making my photobooth dreams a reality...

 Our wine bag wedding favors, tagged with the personalized wine charms and filled with purple hugs, kisses and bliss!

Our favorite wine pourer in the Peju tasting room, Richie, said we are perfect together-- he called Mr. B a "Roman warrior, re-incarnated over and over" and me a "spicy butterfly". We always have the best time at our last tasting of the day.

Signing off as a Miss! In Vino Veritas-- In wine is truth!

Yours Truly,

Miss Barrettes

A Walk-Through of Our Wedding at V. Sattui

OMG, I thought I was in love with our venue before--- now I'm head over feet! We are in Napa, meeting with our vendors and making sure all of our details are buttoned up. Today we met with our Day-of-Coordinator, chose our wines for the cocktail hour and reception, and finalized our catering menu. V. Sattui rocks my world!

We saw V. Sattui Winery from the road and my heart started racing!!!

We met with our DOC and went through every possible detail of the big day. I love that we are all on the same page and that she is providing all the major players with timelines. Organization is something that I will not have to worry about. Priceless.

Hi! I'm a ham-- have had this fountain as my desktop wallpaper for months. The weather was beautiful and I'm living for how beautiful this day is!

Ok, so we walked through the 'plan'-- the fountain will be the staging area for the wedding party once the guests and groom are in place. Guests will enter from either staircase leading to the courtyard.

I will enter from one of the rooms on the top floor. I will walk around that upper level, down to the fountain, and down the stairs to my dad. He will walk me down the remaining level, down the main aisle, to the groom.

The string trio will be on the mezzanine, just above where the guests are seated. I love this detail. They were the last minute addition to our ceremony and I'm obsessed with them.

...and we marry here. I needed just to stand here together to feel it out... it's perfect :)

♥

This is the VIP tasting room, where we will be having our cocktail hour, immediately following the ceremony. Three wines we chose will be available, as well as cheese and fruit. It's rather large and is perfect for mingling before entering the barrel room.

Omigod. I die. Walking into the barrel room is awesome. So much larger than the last time we were here. They had done a small renovation on the room and it totally opens up the space.

Our sweetheart table will be against the left wall, facing out towards our 12ish round tables.

Dancing will take place in between the lit beams. The DJ will be set up to the left, near the dining tables, and the cake will be set up to the right. The signage and posters will be removed.

The courtyard will be broken down from the ceremony and will hold small bistro tables for guests to congregate outside. We will also have a cool 'photobooth' stand that Mr. Barrettes is constructing for me. (Post on that at a later date!) The rest of the grounds are also open for our guests, but we imagine everyone will stay around the party.

V. Sattui is more than a dream come true and we can't wait to see it through the rose-colored glasses of our wedding day! Taking a walk-through with our coordinator was perfect, and gave us a good idea of how the day is going to proceed. We even hashed out our 'getaway' details and I can't wait until you see the final trick we have up our sleeve!

Did you do a walk-through of your wedding timeline? Did it help ease your nerves for the big day?