Romantic Fall Durham Ranch Wedding

For a girl who always thought she’d one day elope, this bride managed to find the ultimate happy medium. Think an intimate celebration in the Napa countryside with long, family-style tables that made every guest feel right at home. Of course, the day couldn’t have gone off so beautifully without the talents of Bustle Events, Lavender & Mint, Paula LeDuc and Twigss, and the captures from Sylvie Gil completely speak for themselves. More in the gallery!

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From The Bride…Firstly, I will say I never thought I would be a bride. I assumed that if I did find my life partner (I can be picky) that we’d sneak away to a beach in Bali and elope. That being said, as soon as I had that ring on my finger and Ryan and I started day dreaming about a small intimate ceremony in the Napa countryside, we never looked back. We are both from Texas but we recently moved to San Francisco with our company and we love taking drives up to Sonoma and Napa on the weekend to enjoy the beauty and majesty of all the nooks and crannies of the small towns and hiking trails. When we decided on Napa I found Erin at Bustle Events through the SMP blog and she suggested we look at Durham Ranch, as soon as I saw the stately drive lined by Cypress trees I knew that was the place I would marry my best friend. Ken Fulk and his team have created an effortlessly chic Napa hideaway that begs you never to leave, although I am not sure he would prefer not to have us as permanent house guests.

Erin and her amazing team helped me put personal touches throughout the wedding, but I truly think our wedding was the perfect mix of delicate beauty and rock n’roll. Two highlights were the band and the gorgeous floral chandelier Twiggs designed for over the dance floor. Ryan and I are both avid music fans, he actually self-published a book of music poetry (A Circus Mind) and one of our all-time favorite bands is the Talking Heads. We looked all over the place for a Talking Heads cover band and finally Erin found the Naïve Melodies and they were perfect! My favorite part of the reception was dancing to This Must Be The Place under the gorgeous chandelier of lilies and garden roses. Also I loved the leather touches throughout the event, especially the strips of leather that acted like place cards and the fact that I was able to wear my leather jacket over my dress for a couple of the pictures.

The most memorable part was exchanging our vows. Ryan and I decided to write our own vows and one of our very best friends officiated the ceremony and it was truly magical. The sun was setting right as we walked down the aisle together as husband and wife was a moment to be remembered. I am filled with gratitude for the beauty of the day and for the amazing staff with Paula Le Duc and of course Team Bustle. Ryan and I met at work about 4 years ago and we were instant friends. Ryan has a truly dynamic personality, he’s the funniest person I’ve ever met, and I knew immediately that I wanted to be around anyone that could make me laugh like he did. I had a boyfriend when Ryan and I first met, but I fell in love with him at a music festival in 2011 and it was in Gulf Shores Alabama listening to Paul Simon that I think we both realized that we were supposed to be together and so we were. Ryan proposed in Paris in October of 2013. Ryan is not much of a planner, but October 21st, 2013 was a day for the record books. We woke up and had breakfast at Café de Flore, walked to Musee D’orsay, secured a lock on Pont des Arts and eventually ended up relaxing around the pool in the Luxembourg Garden. I eventually fell asleep on Ryan’s shoulder and he woke me up and walked me to a bench where he had a friend sneakily waiting to take pictures and he proposed. To say I was stunned would be an understatement, but it was one of the most amazing days of my life.

I found my dress at Marina Morrison in San Francisco. My best friend and maid of honor, Lauren, actually picked out my wedding dress. We walked in to the Marina Morrison showroom and the Austin Scarlett ball gown I wore was on the center mannequin and she said “YOU HAVE TO TRY THAT ON”. As soon as I slipped on the dress and came out of the fitting room, Lauren started crying and she is not typically one for tears. Austin Scarlett definitely knows how to flatter a woman’s figure but still make her feel classically chic. As soon as I saw myself in the main showroom mirrors that was my dress. I actually had the opportunity to meet Austin the week before my wedding and he was the one who suggested I wear my hair half up and down, that was my celebrity moment!

All my vendors were beyond amazing- from the invitations featuring a sketch of Durham Ranch, the brain child of Lily Lasuzzo, owner of Lavender and Mint stationary in Houston, TX to the stunning photos produced by Sylvie Gil. Sylvie and her team actually became our wedding guests and I am pretty sure my friends would have preferred she stay until midnight with the rest of us dancing the night away! I also can’t say enough about Twiggs and the beautiful floral arrangements they created, the chandelier was an epic display of beauty and their creativity. Paula De Luc of course produced an amazing experience and even better food, those PB&J macaroons are truly sinful they are so good. Tom Foolery and their photo booth were also a hit, I think I took easily 100 snaps that night! It has to be said nothing would have come to fruition without Erin Taylor and Team Bustle. Erin is beyond amazing and her creativity, organization and responsiveness are all a bride could ever hope for. I am in awe of Erin and she will be a friend for life!

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Post tags: Bouquets, Desserts, Outdoor Ceremony
Post categories: Real Weddings, Rustic, The Blog