the blog

Liz and Robert’s Stryker Sonoma Winery wedding was gorgeous. We started out at the modern Hotel Healdsburg while getting ready and headed to the stunning winery grounds following the first look. The ceremony was held on the lower lawn framed into mid-century modernist-inspired architecture with views out to the vineyards beyond. Their guests enjoyed cocktail hour in the tasting room while we took a few portraits around the property and were welcomed into the wine cellar for a dinner reception beautifully set up with a couple rows of king’s tables along the length of the space. Toasts are among my favorite moments at weddings, where friends and family openly share their feelings, anecdotes and love for one another. People find words to describe feelings they have regularly, but never make the time to express. It’s a beautiful thing that leads to beautiful moments–case in point, Liz’s mother was so filled with emotion she had a hard time delivering her toast. But her back-up plan worked out splendidly: a family friend was on deck to take over and read the speech while Liz’s mother stood warmly beside her. Following dinner, more toasts, tears, and cheers, Liz and Robert’s guests came back up to the upper lawn to see them kick off the first dance as the sun sank beneath the horizon. The party continued into the night with some pretty intense dancing beneath the tea lights (particularly when a certain groom heard the opening riffs of a certain Bon Jovi song). In any case, if a photo is worth a thousand words, here’s a short novel for you: