Real Wedding Q&A

How did you meet your Fiance? 

Davis and I met in New York City at a small sports bar in the West Village in March of 2012- a mutual friend introduced us, just as friends, and as soon as we learned that we were both from TEXAS and even smaller of a world, both growing up in Dallas/ Fort Worth - it was just too good to be true, and still is :)

Tell us about the proposal! 

The proposal was the surprise of a lifetime... We were skiing in Vail, Colorado over the New Year Holiday and let me remind you, we had been dating about 9 months, so marriage wasn't on the mind. On the morning of December 29th - Davis had decided that we should skip skiing for the day and walk around Vail Village and relax - we woke up, put on our robes, started a fire and ordered breakfast...that morning room service came with a diamond!! When it arrived, we sat down and I opened up the service plate dome and there was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! And before I could even say anything, Davis was down on one knee - I was shocked and had no idea how to react, I just kept crying and saying "is this for real??" and obviously, "yes!" 

How did you choose the location for your wedding? 

When Davis and I had both met in NYC, we were both leaving the city- I was moving back to Texas and he was moving to Palo Alto to get his MBA at Stanford. Once we were engaged, I moved out to California to join him! So we chose our location to be in California, we had both loved the idea of a destination wedding and Napa, was the perfect choice! 

What type of venue were you looking for? 

Romantic, Traditional, and whimsical - which Meadowood in St. Helena is without a doubt one of the most magical places I have ever been to! 

How did you decide on your bridesmaids dresses? Tell us about your experience at Bella!

This was my favorite part! I actually decided on my bridesmaids dresses before I picked my dress!! I loved this new line Monique Lhuillier had come out with! I knew I wanted my maids to have a unique look, not have all of them feel so uniformed, I think every maid should look and feel just as beautiful as the bride! With the wedding being black-tie and my background in fashion, I wanted my girls to have red carpet ready looks! As you can see, I did two different styles and three different colors, which I was SO nervous about but I love how amazing they turned out... always listen to your gut!  Working with  Bella was wonderful! The store in Dallas, was so helpful and so encouraging - when I was nervous about having such a variety in the line-up, they reassured me they would look great...and it did! 

Who designed your bridal gown? Where did you get it?

The fabulous, Oscar de la Renta designed my gown and we had a great experience at the Neiman Marcus Bridal Salon in Dallas.

What was your favorite part of the day? 

Walking down the isle. I had never felt anything like that. Since Davis and I got married outside, we had decided to do a "first look" since we wouldn't have the church effect, where the doors open and WOW! there she is! ...so since I saw him before the ceremony, I didn't think much of walking down the isle, especially since it was close to a 5 minute walk-in...But having a few minutes with my father, seeing all our friends and family with smiling faces and then Davis with a tear or two in his eyes, I was totally smitten. 

What inspired you when you were planning your big day?  

"Formal and Fabulous", that was my motto and became quite the joke with my family "...but is it formal and fabulous enough?!" and Honestly, Meadowood was just an inspiration in itself! Also, Davis and I had gone to a beautiful wedding in Gstaad, Switzerland the year before, and she had impeccable taste. You just have to take bits and pieces of everything you love and glam it all together for one fabulous evening.

 

What advise do you have for other brides?  

Do not overly stress yourself out, everything is perfect in the end- you married your best friend! Do not be afraid to ask for help, but in a nice way, bridezilla doesn't get you very far. And everyone says this, stop and take a moment, take it all in, the week before, the night before, the day and evening of  - it all goes by so fast! ....oh! one last little thing, write down everything or as much as you can during the engagement and week of the wedding, you'll want to look back and read all about it again, I promise!

Other details for girls planning a wedding in Napa:

Venue: Meadowood St. Helena, CA

Photographer: Damion Hamilton

Florist: Tesoro 
Bridesmaids Dresses: Monique Lhuillier, from Bella Bridesmaid Dallas
Bridal Gown: Oscar de la Renta, Neiman Marcus Bridal Salon in Dallas

Wedding Planner: Mellysa Levy from Sasha Souza Events

Make up: Bianca Rubi (Alex Chases Salon, Menlo Park)
Hair Stylist: Jessica Brown