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It’s always an extra pleasure when I get to do a friend’s wedding but to do a friend’s wedding when I was kind of there from the beginning of their relationship was even cooler! Getting to know them even better throughout the planning process was such a treat. Kristina and Aaron were torn between two venues in the beautiful wine country of Temecula. Lorimar Winery finally won out, but I couldn’t imagine this wedding being in a more perfect setting. The view from the ceremony was breathtaking, the lawn behind the Barrel Room where they did their reception was picture perfect, and the staff and service was top notch! As an added bonus, their wedding coordinator was also one of our friends. Jessie from Every Night’s A Ball split her duties as event planner then bridesmaid that evening, passing the day-of duties to her delightful assistant Lisa. The wedding ceremony took place in the vineyards overlooking what seemed to be the entire Temecula Valley. Their friend Karina Torres played her guitar as the bridesmaids and groomsmen (and Kristina and Aaron as well) walked down the aisle. During the ceremony, the couple tied a fisherman’s knot in a rope to symbolize the strength of their union. (As the fisherman’s knot is known to be the strongest knot you can tie…thus…tying the knot!)

 

The guests had to hike a ways down to the Barrel Room, but the walk was worth it when the festivities began. They were treated to an amazing buffet, s’mores to cook over the fire pits, and of course…wine! (And lots of it!) It wasn’t long before we brought all of the guests out to the dance floor to heat up the chilly spring evening.

 

Kristina and Aaron wanted to do most of the typical wedding traditions in order to get the most out of their wedding experience; however, they wanted to put their own twist on them. For example, after the cake was cut, they presented their mothers with bouquets of flowers. In lieu of a bouquet toss, Kristina did a “girls dance” with all of her friends. Aaron didn’t like the idea of removing the garter from his bride’s leg, so we snuck a garter wrapped football under Kristina’s chair for him to pull out and toss to the guys. In a post I made a while back, I talked about doing a “Selfie Dance” instead of a Money Dance, and they loved and adopted that idea. It was cool seeing so many wedding traditions tweaked to fit their own personalities.

 

 

When it was finally time to say goodnight and wrap this party up, even I was surprised at how many people were there for the last dance. Considering it was a Sunday night, 100+ miles from most of the guests’ homes, and a cool evening, the guests had such a fantastic time that hardly anyone left early. That’s how you know you are loved!!! (And how you know you threw an outstanding party!) My friends…you know I love you just as much.

 

 

Dave’s recommended vendors from this wedding included:

• Every Night’s A Ball Events – www.everynightsaball.com
• Lorimar Winery – www.lorimarwinery.com