Wine Country Wedding

Every spring holds the promise of three things for single ladies:

1) Deluge of wedding/baby invitations from friends who want you to share in their “blessings.”

2) Diet & workout plans to fit into every form/color of taffeta known to man

3) A Ben & Jerry’s pig-out session to help deal with items 1 & 2.

Every year I trounce around the country attending weddings of family, friends and people I sort of remember from college.  Each wedding has subtle differences, colors, flowers, location, but most have the same hallmark of a good, Catholic Midwestern wedding – cold beer in small plastic cups, buffet lines that always include rolls, corn, ham and potatoes two ways and that creepy uncle who eyes you from the dance floor.

I have often thought that getting married in Sonoma Wine Country would be the perfect dream wedding all my Midwestern friends compete for.  Let’s face it.  A summer wedding facing the vineyards in full bloom under an old oak tree beats any wedding I have ever attended.  I could stroll down the aisle filled with my closest (and most envious) friends & family as they get to experience a truly unique wedding.

Alas, my finger remains bling-less and my mother’s nagging on how my younger brother is happily married is still ringing in my ear.

Since I am clearly incapable of living my dream of a wine country wedding, I as the “always a bridesmaid never a bride” am here to reason with you.  Every bridesmaid is honored to be part of your happy day, but the least you can do is hold your wedding somewhere people actually WANT to go.

Just think of all the possibilities – a bachelorette party filled with wine tasting, champagne and limos.  A spa day where all the products are sourced locally including the bubbly in each glass we down.  We could go to  Las Vegas, but face it – I don’t want to spend $20 on some water-downed cocktail and listen to some Italian guy in pink pants try and seduce me.

And if you have your wedding here, instead of some far-off Caribbean Island where the humidity makes my hair turn into steel wool, I promise to come a week early to help in the ahhh set-up.  I solemnly swear that the other bridesmaids and I will help taste through the wine and will graciously volunteer to assist in location scouting for all your photos.  Seeing as those locations are in, near or beside a winery.

Think of the possibilities.  The envy in everyone’s eyes as you stroll down a vineyard lined ceremony site and serve fresh produce from the on-site culinary garden.  Remember all the weddings we attended together?  You know, the ones that served almost cold beer in plastic cups?  The ones with the baked ham and mashed potato buffet line?  Let this be your opportunity to WOW your friends.  After all, I love you and I want nothing but the best for you.  And seeing as I have to wear a pink taffeta dress with bows and buttons, having your wedding here is the least you can do for me.

So know that we have the whole wedding location settled, fill out this form for free information on wedding venues, planners, florists, musicians, etc.  Then read this article from BiteClub and take me cake tasting.   If you are like every other bride I have ever known, you won’t be eating the cake as you measure forkfulls of cake by number  of sit-ups.  I can happily assist you in your decision making process.

Now that I can enjoy myself at your wedding (or at least during my vacation AFTER your wedding) I will gladly don that fabric you so lovingly chose for me.

For more information about holding a wine country wedding, see page 84 of the Official Visitors Guide.  Don’t have the guide?  Order a free one here.  Better yet, come and visit.  You will see why thousands of brides choose Sonoma County as their wedding destination.