• Real Weddings

Honestly, what could be more beautiful than a California vineyard in the late summer? It's certainly hard to top! That is exactly what Karen and Ryan were thinking when they planned their rustic country wedding outdoors at the picturesque BoaVentura de Caires Winery in Livermore, CA. Burlap, lace and a color palette of coral and cream dominated the decorations throughout the day while colorful florals from Livermore Valley Florist and the lush vineyard backdrop radiated the feeling of summer.
Continue reading to hear more from Karen about their special day, including their full budget breakdown! You can view so many more of the amazing details Meg Sexton Photography captured of this colorful country wedding in the full gallery here.

From the Bride:I was never the type of girl who dreamed of her wedding day or had the exact image in my mind of how I wanted my big day to go. When Ryan and I first got engaged, all we were sure of was that we wanted a wedding that was outside and not too far from home. BoaVentura Vineyards was recommended to us by a close friend who knew us well and thought it would be just our style. It was the first venue we visited and it was perfect. 

As we went through the photos of our wedding day one by one, we fell in love with the vibrant colors that our photographer captured of our amazing day. The bright flowers, bridesmaid dresses and surrounding vineyards set the perfect tone for the day that we promised to be there for one another through all life has to offer. The outdoor property created a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere for our guests but was transformed into the setting for a beautiful ceremony and reception.

The big red barn on the property surrounded by vineyards was the start of what we deemed our “wine”-“country” wedding and all of our wedding details stemmed from there. Burlap runners, cocktails served in mason jars, pixie stix and growlers full of beer on each table were just a few of the details that tied our theme together.

On the Venue:
Imagine your wedding or special event taking place in the elegant surroundings of a gorgeous winery with a breathtaking backdrop of Livermore Valley’s rolling green hills, dreamy pastoral landscape, and beautiful blue skies. Why not make it a reality? While BoaVentura de Caires Winery can only accommodate outdoor weddings and events, their stunning five-acre property includes a century-old farm house, beautiful outdoor lawn and garden and a rustic barn that will surely enchant all your guests. Located only one hour from downtown San Francisco, BoaVentura de Caires Winery is also an ideal location for a rustic destination wedding!

What the Bride would have done differently:I know that every bride says the day went by too fast which mine did, but I truly think I would have started pictures even earlier than I did. Our ceremony started at 4:00, so our plan was to take pictures from 2:00 until 3:30. But of course, as always, things took longer than expected. By the time we all got up there, organized our “first look” and actually snapped the first photo, it was 2:30. Our first guests arrived on the property an hour early! So we had to stop pictures at 3:00. It would have been nice to have time to do more pictures early so that we could have enjoyed cocktail hour with our guests. Other than that, I wouldn’t have done anything differently.

On a side note, I considered not spending the extra money to have a videographer there in addition to my photographer but I’m so glad that I did!! Every bride I talked to said they either were so happy that they had one or if they didn’t have one, they regretted it. Thank goodness I took their advice!

Check out the wedding film created by The Sunday Saloon below to get a closer look at this colorful country wedding!

https://vimeo.com/78963339

Venue: $5,000
Caterer & Crew: $13,000
Beverages: $4,000
Rentals: $1,200
Cake & Cake Topper: $1,100
Flowers: $1,300
Bands: $800
Photographer: $3,300
Cinematographer: $3,200
Photo Booth: $500
Officiant: $500
Stationery: (save the dates, invites, table numbers, menus, thank yous) $600
Dress & Veil: $2,200
Hair & Makeup: $285
Favors & Decor (milk bottle favors, flip flops, card box, flower pail, ring bearer box, shepherds hooks, burlap table runner and aisle runner, frames, mason jar centerpieces, pixie stix, etc): $1,500
This of course doesn’t include the cost of wedding party gifts, parents gifts, the limo, the rehearsal dinner, the honeymoon, dresses shoes and jewelry for bridal shower and rehearsal…it never ends, but it was worth every penny!

• Cakes & Catering: Cake Delight
• Caterer: Double Barrel Wine Bar
• Ceremony Musician: Joey T. & Friends
• Cinematography: The Sunday Saloon
• Flowers: Livermore Valley Florist
• Officiant: Life Architect Coaching
• Photographer: Meg Sexton Photography
• Reception Band: Andy Joe Stewart
• Stationery: Natalia Maria Designs
• Venue: BoaVentura de Caires Winery
• Wedding Dresses: Essense of Australia