Southern Inspired Wedding
We just couldn’t help ourselves from falling in love with this Napa wedding inspired by the relaxed elegance of the South. Matt Edge Wedding Photography and Mary Ellen Murphy of Off The Beaten Path Weddings are two consummate professionals who make pure magic when they work together, as you can see in the case of Steph and Jeremy’s wedding. Can you imagine a more blissfully romantic ceremony site than this one?
From the bride, Steph: Our relationship was a friendship-turned-romance which in hindsight was ideal for us because now we truly are best friends. Originally we were colleagues, totally wrapped up in our own personal lives but enjoyed hanging out with our mutual group of “orphan” friends (friends that, like us, didn’t have family in town). On one particular evening, at a baseball game, we connected on a deeper level which we now realize was officially the point of no return. Apprehensive to mess up a great friendship and to be sensitive to Jeremy’s (then) 3 year-old daughter, we both proceeded cautiously but it was an undeniable perfect match and inevitably headed for “forever.” Three years later, Jeremy proposed and the planning began…
Bouquet recipe: Ranunculus, mums, white anemones, succulents, roses, dusty miller, green hypericum berries, etc.
Every detail of our wedding was a reflection of who we are as individuals and as a couple. We love wine country so when Jeremy proposed in the middle of a vineyard in Napa, it was obvious where we wanted to be married. So, our hunt began for the ideal location. I am confident that we looked at every possible location throughout Napa & Sonoma until we received a recommendation to check out Off The Beaten Path Weddings (by Mary Ellen Murphy). We immediately knew Mary Ellen and her team were the perfect fit for us. Everything from her rustic elegance styling to her philosophy on how weddings “should be” was exactly “us.” Steph’s priorities were excellent photography and having details galore and Jeremy’s were plenty of libations and just making sure everyone had a good time – our wedding was certainly not short on either. It was an event to remember but a word of caution to other brides – it goes by QUICK! One of the best pieces of advice I received was to from time to time intentionally force yourself to stop and take in the moment. It’s the only way to ensure you live in the moment and you’ll be glad you did!
Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? The magnitude of everything you need to do can be overwhelming so find a good check list, add your own “to-do’s” based on your individual preferences and just trust the timeline it provides to keep you on track. Pick your battles and let the little things go. Something inevitably won’t go as planned – the secret – nobody else will really notice so don’t stress it. 🙂 Oh, and… hire a wedding coordinator! If nothing else, at least a “day-of” person. Worth every penny. I was lucky enough to be able to hire Mary Ellen Murphy from Off The Beaten Path Weddings who truly made the entire wedding planning experience enjoyable!
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Music:
Parents’ and Grandparents’ Processional: “Marry Me,” Train
Bridal Party Processional: “Hey Pretty Girl,” Kip Moore (acoustic version) and “Angel,” Jack Johnson
Bride’s Processional: “Forever,” Ben Harper
Recessional: “I’m Yours,” Jason Mraz
First Dance: “This Kind of Love,” Sister Hazel
Father/Daughter Dance: “Father Daughter,” Paul Simon
Mother/Son Dance: “Days Like This,” Van Morrison
Wedding Location: Healdsburg, CA / Photographer: Matt Edge Wedding Photography / Floral and Event Design: Mary Ellen Murphy of Off The Beaten Path Weddings / Venue: Private Estate / Wedding Dress: Pronovias La Sposa / Shoes: Adrianna Papell / Veil: handmade by bride’s mother and grandmother / Jewelry: Banana Republic and Stella & Dot / Hair and Makeup: Veronica Passalacqua / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Flower Girl Dresses: J. Crew / Groom’s Suit: Indochino / Groomsmen Ties: The Tie Bar / Caterer and Wedding Cake: Off The Beaten Path Weddings / DJ: Walt Vega of Off The Beaten Path Weddings / Table and Chair Rentals: Wine Country Party And Events / Videographer: Dave Waldorf / Stationery: Rachel Thornton
The team at Off the Beaten Path Weddings enjoyed every moment of this celebration with Stephanie and Jeremy – they were such a joy in every way.
Thank you to Matt Edge for capturing the days passions with such beauty. And thank you to Ruffled for featuring this awesome day. We are truly honored.
Cheers!
Gorgeous outdoor pics 🙂 oxox