Keely & Dave - A Timeless Napa Valley Wedding in Unprecedented Times

Keely and Dave were one of our many couples who had their wedding plans altered due to the pandemic. The majority of our couples just postponed their date and kept the same wedding plans in tact for their new date, but Keely and Dave were not as fortunate to have that option. We had a gorgeous wedding planning at a spectacular private estate in Sonoma, but when we were forced to move their wedding from 2020 to 2021, we learned that the estate was for sale and no longer would be a venue option for them in 2021. So back to the drawing board we went! Keely really wanted to make sure that her wedding would be timeless and looking back on it in 10, 20, 30 years, that it would still be beautiful and not look dated. As we toured many venue options for her “new” wedding, she fell in love with Solage in Napa and knew that the venue’s neutral palette would be the perfect backdrop for her classically beautiful wedding that she had been dreaming of. Keely and Dave have been together for 11+ years, so it wasn’t a matter of IF they would get married, more of when they would get married. And while Covid delayed the when to another year out, it was clear that this crowd was ready to celebrate the love of Keely and Dave. The bride and groom wanted to be sure they were able to spend a lot of time with their friends and family (many who they had not seen in a long time due to the pandemic), so they decided to host multiple events, so guests could come visit Napa for the weekend and really enjoy everything that wine country has to offer.

First up was the rehearsal dinner at Hall Rutherford. This rehearsal dinner was more gorgeous than some weddings I have seen!! They were lucky enough to have a 3-course dinner served by Elaine Bell in Hall’s stunning chandelier wine cave. Until you see this chandelier room in person, it’s hard to capture the beauty of it in photos. This is truly one of the most beautiful spaces I have ever had the pleasure of designing in. Given how stunning the wine cave is, I wanted to highlight the room by firing up LOTS of candles. Our florist, Vanda Floral Design, double checked to see if we had too many candles on the order, which I knew I wanted to use every single one of them, and the results were stunning. Keely cried the second she saw the room all set and ready for her dinner. That’s the exact reaction I was hoping for and couldn’t have been happier to see her so happy. Here are some photos from photographer, Russ Levi, to see how their rehearsal dinner turned out. Just stunning!!

After their rehearsal dinner, we were on to the grand affair! Keely had 11 bridesmaids, so the day started bright and early with IV drips and a large team of stylists to start on hair and makeup. We were sure to schedule lots of extra getting ready time, because we know how it can go with so many ladies getting ready together in one place! We wanted to be sure we didn’t start the day behind schedule so everything could be cool, calm and enjoyable for all involved. Keely and Dave’s ceremony was so touching and I’m pretty sure I shed a tear being so happy that they were finally able to get married….a goal we had been working towards for almost 2 years. With Nancy Liu Chin and her team on flowers, I knew the results would be gorgeous. She really took Keely’s vision and knocked it out of the ballpark! It was so fun seeing everything come together. The other detail that was super important to Keely and Dave was the entertainment. Planning this wedding in the middle of the pandemic meant that they were not able to scout bands in person and had to trust me to find them exactly what they were looking for. Knowing how important this was to them, I was really hoping my suggestion of the band, Hip Service, would be the perfect fit. I was relieved when she gave the band a 5 star review at the end of the wedding. Seeing Keely and Dave celebrate with their friends and family truly was magical. The pandemic was a rough time for everyone and seeing their love and happiness shine through truly made my heart sing. Congrats Keely and Dave! You are finally MARRIED!