Emma & Shannon ~ A Music Lovers Dream at V. Sattui Winery

Emma and Shannon are two extremely cool, super intelligent, wildly hilarious music aficionados and I was beyond thrilled when they chose me to help plan their Napa wedding at V. Sattui Winery. It was a day that was full of laughter, happy tears, delicious food, thoughtful details and some of the best music I’ve ever heard!

When I asked Emma and Shannon to rank what element was most important to them they answered in unison “MUSIC!”. These two LOVE live music (it’s one of the things that cemented their love for each other) so finding musicians that would keep their guests dancing all night and reminiscing for years to come was an absolute must. The reception was somewhat easy to figure out. I have been working with Jay Siegen Presents for years and they always send amazing bands and sound engineers (the latter being as important as the band!) and once E&S saw their videos and we confirmed “The Cheeseballs” availability it was a lock. One thing that was a little different was our decision to have The Cheeseballs play one extended party set after dinner inside V. Sattui’s barrel room, which gave it more of a concert feel. This may not be the right move for every wine country wedding, but it definitely was for this group and showcased the best of what this high energy party band has to offer. The other equally important music element was for the front half of the wedding – including guest arrival, ceremony and cocktail hour. E&S (being the music lovers they are) love all things New Orleans and decided very early on that they wanted a Cajun style wedding ceremony complete with a Brass Band to greet their guests, get them seated and lead them in a “2nd Line” parade to the cocktail hour in the gardens. The folks at Wine Country Entertainment set me up with “Honor Brass Band” who absolutely knocked it out of the park. They are super fun & talented musicians that play all the New Orleans classics but also mixed in contemporary sound for cocktail and included hits from artists like Meghan Trainor, The Beatles, Beyonce, Prince and many more. It perfectly set the tone (pun intended) for the music filled night to follow.

After some carefully paired wine and appetizers in the V. Sattui garden, guests had a pit stop back at the transformed ceremony site where Emma and Shannon sabered and poured a champagne tower. Again, not right for every setting & crowd but my oh my did this group love (carefully) grabbing a glass from the tower so they could have something sparkly to sit down with – so fun! Once inside the barrel room, one couldn’t help but ooh and aah the floral design created by Wine Country Flowers. Ethereal floral canopies were atop their perfectly selected tabletop elements. It somehow felt luxurious & accessible and was a wonderful way to enjoy the Italian feast that V. Sattui’s Chef Stefano cooked up. Homemade Pasta, In-house Gelato, Amazing Live Music – who could ask for anything more? It was the perfect Napa wedding.

Please enjoy the fabulous pictures by one of our favorite photographers, Russ Levi, and know that they only scratch the surface of what was an incredible day. As for Emma & Shannon – gosh I miss you two! Much love as you begin what I know will be a life full of fabulous wine, amazing travel and (of course) non-stop music!