Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Wedding Bells!

Our dear friends, Valerie and Chris, had an AMAZING wedding a few weeks ago up in Napa. We were fortunate enough to be one of the 44 guests sharing this incredible weekend with them and we had SUCH a fantastic time! Here is the beautiful bride...(I would say "blushing bride" but we all know Valerie hasn't blushed since she has left the womb)



The weekend began on Wednesday with a rehearsal dinner at Don Giovanni in Napa. We got to (finally) meet Valerie's brother Jeff and Chris' best man Brian! This kickstarted the week-long drunkfest that would ensue....


Dave with Chris and Best Man, Brian

The next morning, Valerie and I ran and then I spent the rest of the day lounging by the pool and soaking up the rays along with Jen and Alex, Paul and Ralph and other wedding guests as they arrived. It was perfect!

The wedding itself was breathtaking. They were married at a fantastic resort called Auberge du Soleil which is along the lines of a Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton.


Fountain View from Auberge Wedding Site...yes, those are rose petals...LOTS of them!


I never realized we looked like such "small people" compared to Alex...view from wedding site

The wedding and reception went off without a hitch. Our crew has been obsessed with a drink called the Greyhound for the last 6 months (vodka + grapefruit juice) and Valerie & Chris made that their "signature drink" for the night at the wedding. We thought ours was good, but now we realize the PROFESSIONALS at Auberge put us to shame! We did eventually find out their secret - they use Grapefruit Vodka (instead of regular) and also add club soda to even out the tartness of the grapefruit. Delicious and refreshing!!

After the cocktail hour (where we practically tackled each waitstaff that walked by because the passed hors d'oeuvres were so delicious), we enjoyed an amazing wine pairing dinner, then hit the dance floor!

The next day, we did a wine tasting at Honig (one of our faves) and enjoyed the outdoor sunshine.







We spent the night in Napa (3 nights!) and finally went back to SF on Saturday where the party continued on and on. More photos here!

Thank you, Valerie, Chris, Linda, Phil and Annie for such a FANTASTIC week of memories! We are off this Friday to meet up with Valerie & Chris in ITALY where we rented a house in Umbria for the week! Not to worry, our apartment is not going to waste - Mom and her friend Dona are flying up to stay here for the week we are away!

2 comments:

Eric said...

We have spent some time in Italy. What I found works best for me when trying to talk to someone who doesn't speak English...try a pizzaria/Soprano/Corleone accent, speak loudly and slower. Works everytime.

Not once, but it didn't prevent me from trying it EVERYtime to the dismay and dissappointment of my wife.

Have fun.

Heidi K. Isern said...

Everyone looks so beautiful and glamorous and I cannot wait to see everyone again soon! (give or take a few italian gained lbs!) XOXO

-Heidi