Auberge du Soleil was such a natural choice for Janine and Josh's wedding venue that the couple chose not to even tour other locations. The picturesque Napa locale is dear to the couple and was a perfect fit for their classic and inviting wedding. We're loving Janine's Vera Wang gown-so perfect for the classic bride-and the florals by Fleurs de France are forever elegant. The touches of gold and candlelit details are timeless and the couple made sure to incorporate special people and meaningful objects throughout the ceremony and reception. We're especially loving the way that Sonya Yruel Photography 's style captures the love of the couple with a classic wedding feel!

How would you describe your wedding?

C lassic, unique, warm, fun, and inviting.

Something Old Borrowed, & Blue?

My handkerchief was originally my baptism bonnet, the garter was the one my mom wore on her wedding day and came with the penny!

Tell us about the mirror seating chart!

The antique mirror belonged to my grandmother who had passed a few months prior, just shy of 103 years old. That mirror hung in her San Francisco flat since 1930 and we found a local artist there (through Etsy) there who wrote our seating chart on it.

Napa and Auberge have always had special meaning to us. I grew up visiting my grandparents and going to Napa, frequently eating at Auberge. Josh did a stage at the French Laundry one summer at the beginning of our relationship. I visited him often, and we so enjoyed exploring and tasting our way through the city. It was the obvious choice for us to get married at Auberge as we did not even tour any other sites!

About officiant Fran Adams.

Fran was/is the bartender at the restaurant at the Ritz Carlton where we worked and first met, so she has known us since the beginning of our relationship. We told her we were open to any style of ceremony since we are not particularly religious but more spiritual. Fran offered to include traditions from other cultural weddings she has officiated such as the "warming of the rings" where everyone offers positive thoughts and energy to them as they are passed around. She also suggested that incorporating more people into our ceremony would be meaningful as everyone was marrying us and not just her. We had no idea who she asked to speak and offer a few words regarding marriage and love. I loved our friends' and family's creativity with writing poems, creating art, and offering genuine words. The 'tasting' was a complete surprise and was her amazingly, creative way to tell our story through a food tasting, given that we originally met as server and chef in a restaurant. The ceremony could have not been more 'us'.

Any great engagement stories that you'd like to share?

Josh's gift to me was a slide show he put together documenting our 8 year relationship! The most special pictures were from our engagement, as I had no idea it was ever photographed! He held that secret for 2.5 years! Josh proposed to me on the beach in Playa Del Rey (where we used to live), one weekend when he was visiting me from Chicago.

Advice for couples planning a wedding?

Start early and do as much as you can ahead of time; there are so many details! Pinterest helps one to get ideas and get organized and I found a lot of decor on Etsy. The "look" of our wedding really came together in the last two months. If you can afford to hire a planner, do! We hired "day of" planning and wish we had selected a larger package to give her more responsibilities. This would have eased our stress a bit, however my mom and I had a wonderful time planning and bonding over the entire experience.

Photographer: Sonya Yruel Photography // Coordinator: A Savvy Event // Florist: Fleurs de France // Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas // Getting Ready Venue: Calistoga Ranch // Venue, Catering and Desserts: Auberge du Soleil // Videographer: Weddings on Film // Cake: Perfect Endings // Ceremony Musicians: Eloquence Strings // DJ: Vaughn Wooster of Boutique DJs // Dress: Ethel by Vera Wang // Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo // Earrings & Ring: David Yurman // Tux: Hugo Boss // Groom's Shoes: Ferragamo // Groom's Accessories: Ralph Lauren // Cuff Links: Alexander McQueen // Hair & Make Up: Bella Bridal // Bridesmaid Robes: BHLDN // Rentals: Rion Designs // Rentals: Encore Events Rentals // Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen // Officiant: Fran Adams // Transportation: California Wine Tours