Ashley and Blake hosted their family and friends at the ever so lovely Hammersky Vineyards in Paso Robles, California. Family and friends to traveled from all over California to the centrally located venue in order to celebrate the pair, who come from from San Francisco and Los Angeles. We are suckers for the perfect black tie wedding, and this one has all the elegance that we love about a wine country wedding in California. Of course it helps tremendously that these images were taken by JL Photographers, who captured the event so beautifully. This classic wedding is one for the books, friends!
What made the wedding special and unique?
Our wedding was truly ours, together we planned every detail for our wonderful guests. We had several things we knew were important to us and we made sure that they became a reality; the most critical being the setting. Because I went to college in the San Francisco Bay area (University of California, Berkeley) and Blake went to college in Los Angeles (University of Southern California) we would often meet in between the two cities. When we were ready to choose a wedding venue, it felt appropriate to select a site that mirrored this meet-me-half-way idiom that we had come to live by. We had never visited Paso Robles until searching for venues for the most important day of our lives, but when we arrived at Hammersky Vineyards and saw all of the natural charm and beauty, we instantly knew this serene place was the perfect setting to share with our closest friends and family for our wedding day!
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
Finding the perfect dress was very difficult for me. Not because I didn’t like any of the dresses, I liked them all! I had dreamt about my own wedding dress since I was a little girl and my mom altered her own gown to fit me so I could play “wedding”. There’s a beautiful wedding gown boutique in Corona Del Mar, The White Dress, that I’d passed by growing up that always had the most beautiful gowns displayed in the window. My future mother-in-law, Alice urged me to stop in with her and my mom to try on dresses at the boutique. As fate would have it, The White Dress had my perfect white dress, as soon as I put it on my mom cried. The dress had to be soft and romantic to be in line with our vineyard wedding and I wanted it to have lace like my mom’s wedding dress had. The Pronovias gown featured layers of lace on tulle that created the most beautiful depth of the dress. We had it altered to a sweetheart top at The Velvet Hanger in Newport Beach.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
The most personal part of the day was a surprise to everyone, including our bridal party. Because of our history together with music we decided to take the stage with our band to perform an acoustic version of Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” for our guests. Our brilliant band, Stir Father, who later kept the dance floor filled to capacity, played along with us for a special surprise for all of our guests. We wanted to share something really personal and intimate with our family and friends that day that was critical to our past, present and future together.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of the day was the ceremony. On the lawn underneath Hammersky Vineyards’ three hundred year old oak tree, Blake and I saw each other for the first time that day. We spent countless hours writing the ceremony together and to see it come to life in front of our loved ones as the sun shined brightly and a soft breeze blew was the most incredible moment of our lives. We started our marriage with a wine blending ceremony and signing of a bible past down from my grand-parents to my parents and now on to us.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Blake and I have always been drawn to each other. First as friends, then as a couple and now as husband and wife. We lived only streets apart during our childhood but it wasn’t until we were away at separate colleges that our love began. One winter vacation home from college I wanted to learn how to play the acoustic guitar, I knew Blake would be my perfect teacher. Over our month vacation we spent almost every day together while he patiently tried to teach me his talent. After five years together, Blake surprised me on my birthday. He popped the question at sunset on the roof of his Los Angeles apartment building with friends waiting downstairs to celebrate with us, it was the happiest day of our lives until our wedding the following June!
Blake And Ashley – Full Feature from Cory Williams on Vimeo.
Vendors: Photography: JL Photographers // Coordinator: Amanda Landon – Robert’s Restaurant // Location: Hammersky Vineyards in Paso Robles // Florals: Laurel White – Adornments Flowers // Catering: Robert’s Restaurant & Wine Bar // Videography: Swing Tilt Films // Music: JSH Music Productions – Stir Father // Lighting: Kramer Entertainment // Officiant: Mike Metcalf // Brides Dress: Pronovias from The White Dress, Corona Del Mar // Groom’s Tux: Hugo Boss // Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale from The White Dress, Corona Del Mar // Invitations: Francis Orr, Corona Del Mar // Programs: DIY Bride & Groom