Di and Peter’s wedding at Calistoga Ranch was a celebration of two cultures coming together so naturally the two made a few nods to their heritage throughout the celebration. Di incorporated the color red to honor her Chinese heritage, and even brought in a tea leaf fortune reader! As a nod to Peter’s heritage, the pair incorporated a tequila tasting into the big day, which was a fun surprise for guests as well! We absolutely adore all the gorgeous details designed by Lindsey l’Relyea Events and seriously, our hearts hurt…that bouquet? Stop it. Valley Flora is too good! Okay, are you ready for these gorgeous town photos by Sylvie Gil Photography? Seriously, we’re so in love!
Tell us about the dress and how you found it.
It was the second dress i tried on ever while I was dress shopping in Hong Kong! I knew I loved Oscar De la Renta for his style which I define as classic, bold and modern, which is the type of girl I think I am. So it was no surprise that I gravitated toward his collection.I also fell in love with the trumpet bottom with the bow. The dress was the perfect mix of comfort, class and sultriness that I was looking for. The search was basically over after that point, I went to look at two other places that day but kept referring back to that ONE dress. So at the end of the day I went back to the Trinity boutique and never looked back. I couldn’t have been happier with my choice
What made the wedding special and unique?
The fact that all of our guests traveled from far distances to be there with us at a place we fell in love with. I think that just added that touch of energy and enthusiasm. Everyone felt like they were on vacation, enjoying life, and that type of calm and energy elevated the mood of the wedding beyond just one day, it was an experience. It was also just amazing to be able to share with our friends the elements of Napa that we loved, being outdoors, enjoying great food and wine among good company. It was perfect.
Peter is a hopeless romantic too, he incorporated little touches throughout the wedding. He got little love notes and tucked them everywhere when I wasn’t looking. So when I was unpacking my wedding outfit I would find a little envelope here and there which just made me excited for our day and for our lives together.
Tell us about your wedding vendors!
Lindsey l’Relyea Events was super helpful in quite a few ways but I think she excelled at giving us stylish suggestions and choices for vendors and was of course instrumental in pulling the entire weekend together seamlessly!
Outside of that, I think choosing the venue (Calistoga Ranch) and our photographer, Sylvie Gil, were the biggest decisions we had to make for the wedding, and luckily both decisions were no brainers.
Planning a wedding in Napa does come with some limitations, most wineries have a noise violation policy so the wedding needed to end by a certain time, wineries sometimes don’t allow alcohol besides wine. So for us, finding a venue that is elegant, captured the rustic beauty of wine country, but also gave you the flexibility to accommodate a later night or a tequila tasting was important. Calistoga Ranch was able to accommodate every aspect of our needs from sourcing specialized tequila to staying late to serve the dance party to allowing us to have the dinner outside but the reception in a wine cave…they were incredible!
Of course in choosing a photographer, knowing what style you gravitate towards is incredibly important. I’ve always been a lover of all things Parisian.. the muted soft colors, the natural light, the stylishness of the culture. Sylvie Gil definitely brought those elements out at our wedding in a way that I couldn’t have imagined myself. Besides that she was incredibly professional.. most of the time you didn’t even know her and her assistants were there. She allowed the wedding to progress naturally but was skilled at capturing those moments. I think that’s very important. Not to mention she was incredibly quick to turn the pictures around so you got to see the images for yourself and relive those moments!
I would say same for our videographer, Kling Creative. Style is very important when it comes to digital media. I think half the art is in editing alone. We loved both our photos and our film.
Lastly my makeup artist Betten Chaston! She’s just got a way about her, professional, understanding, accommodating. I think most people are particular when it comes to getting their makeup done, especially me. Not a lot of people can do asian makeup well and I think Betten not only did a wonderful job, but she listened to what I wanted and she adjusted her technique based upon my feedback. it’s clear that her client’s satisfaction is most important and she worked hard to ensure that for our clients. I was a very happy customer, I felt like I looked like me on my wedding, but maybe just a more glam me!
What were some touches added to make it personal?
Peter and I gravitated towards simplistic elegance in a natural and outdoor setting for our wedding design. So when it came to picking out a location it was no surprise that we fell in love with Calistoga Ranch. The venue had everything we were looking for, the beautiful lavender surrounded by the woods in an amazing chic, luxurious resort. I also happen to love caves so it was pretty much a slam dunk. We wanted to maximize the outdoors and play up the special touches of the resort by using the lavender and grey color motif throughout the ceremony and dinner settings. Dinner was held in a long king’s table under the twinkling strings of market lights. It was as romantic, fresh, and captivating as I had imagined.
Also given my Chinese heritage, I wanted to make sure that there were elements of the wedding that reflected Asian traditions. Red is an auspicious color for Chinese weddings, so we were able to incorporate red elements into the reception space in using red lanterns, candles, tapestries, a lanyard of red paper cranes adorned the wedding cake. We also found a tea reader to come in and do fun fortune readings for our guests which added more entertainment for our guests. I think the best part of the Asian inspiration was when two of our friends dressed up in a traditional lion dancer’s costume and led the guests onto the dance floor. It was a surprise to everyone and got the party going!
We tried to incorporate other influences as well, whether it was Peter’s love of tequila from the days he lived in Mexico via the tequila tasting, or our love for macaroons in our party favors from Bouchon Bakery.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
In terms of special moments, I remember saying to everyone that I wouldn’t cry during the wedding, and I was true to my word! But I did have an emotional teary moment when opening Peter’s wedding gift to me before the ceremony, and actually it was more reading Peter’s letter to me that got me! It was a wonderful love note, but more than that it just reminded me of how thoughtful, caring and wonderful man he is and I just truly felt so overwhelmed by the love he has for me and me for him–it was a special moment.
Also right after the ceremony, we were greeted with champagne and whisked off by a golf cart so that we could have a moment to ourselves. And we excitedly recounted our day but what I remember most was us practicing our first dance for the very last time in the barn at CR…and actually that moment with just the two of us dancing with no one else around was more memorable and intimate than maybe the real thing. It felt like this is what marriage is all about, just you and the other person in a quiet setting just being you.
Lastly we loved the speeches at the wedding – EVEN the impromptu speech my boss made at the end. Though it wasn’t planned, it showed that he cares about both Peter and I and wanted to express it!
Tell us how you met and became engaged!
Since Di and I are both such travel bugs, it made perfect sense to propose to her while we were exploring Asia, which is exactly what I did. I planned a trip to Sri Lanka in April 2013, and conveniently tacked on a few days in the Maldives, which could be the most romantic place on earth.
Having not visited either place I gave myself a few options in finding the right moment to propose. There were a couple of mishaps while I was planning the proposal moment, ie arranging for a “private treehouse meal” at our hotel in Sigiriya, only to have Di call it a “murder shack”, or planning a hot air balloon ride the next day which ended up being around 100 degrees next to a combustible engine.
So when we touched down at the Maldives, I knew this was the perfect spot.
On our second night at the Huvafen Fushi resort, I planned a quiet dinner over the water. With the assistance of our waiter; I found a coconut to hide the ring box inside so that it would be delivered to the table as dessert without being noticed.
When she opened the top of the coconut and saw the ring box inside, she immediately started to tear up. I got on a knee and asked her to be my wife (the only part she recalls from my proposal!). In one of the most beautiful and happy looks I have ever seen from her she said yes. I don’t think the news sunk in right away as when we got back to the room she jumped on the bed up happily exclaiming “We’re engaged! We’re engaged!”
Di & Peter : Wedding day Highlights : Calistoga Ranch from Kling Creative on Vimeo.
Vendors: Photographer: Sylvie Gil Photography // Planner/Designer: Lindsey l’Relyea Events // Venue: Calistoga Ranch // Ceremony Officiant: Michael LeBlanc // Video: Edge Fog films // Florist: Valley Flora // Wedding Cake: Perfect Endings // Hair & Makeup: Betten Chaston // Rentals & Lighting: Classic Party Rentals // Cinema: Edge Fog Films // Stationary: Minted {Invitations} | Vellum & Vogue {Day Of Materials} // Rehearsal Dinner: French Blue // Welcome Party: Grgich Hills // Welcome Party Catering: Hog Island Oysters // Food Truck: La Esperanza Taco Truck // Ceremony/Reception Music: Harpist Jessica Schaffer // Transportation: Napa Valley Tours & Transportation