In July I had the pleasure of planning 2 destination weddings, one with all the guests flying in from Texas, and the other with all the guests coming from the Washington, DC area. In both cases, it was the first time for many of the guests to visit Northern California, so the entire weekend became a chance to introduce new visitors to the amazing San Francisco Bay Area. The rehearsal dinner is the event that "kicks off" the weekend, so the location was of prime importance, as was the food and atmosphere.
Mary and Taylor welcomed their guests from Texas with a lavish dinner at Fogarty Winery, catered by Componere Fine Catering.
Appetizers were served on the deck, along with an informal tasting of the delicious Fogarty wines; when the guests were invited into the Hill House for dinner, they were entertained by a 4 piece jazz ensemble, from Beat Street Jam, and more of Componere's amazing food!
What could say 'California' more than a summer evening, sipping wine, surrounded by the very grape vines which produced the fruit for the wine! In July the grapes are young, but within 2 months, they will be full grown and ready for harvest. Mary and Taylor spent some time in the vineyards with Lisa Leigh, their photographer for the weekend, and the results will provide happy memories for years to come!
All photos of Mary and Taylor's Rehearsal dinner are by Lisa Leigh (www.lisaleigh.com)
In my next entry, I will tell you about Beth and Beau's "Welcome to California" wedding weekend, as they introduced family and friends to the City Life of Berkeley/San Francisco, their newly adopted home.
This Fall, Beth entered Architecture Graduate School at Berkeley, and Beau began his creative work with a thriving internet start-up company in downtown San Francisco.
The more they grew to love the Bay Area, the more they wanted to share it with their closest friends and family; I was able to help them craft a weekend of activities and celebrations, which left the guests planning their next trip back to visit Beth and Beau!
