Harvest-Inspired Vineyard Wedding in California

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So I know it’s still August, but where I come from (Ireland), that means it’s officially autumn, and here in London, there’s certainly something of a fall feel in the air already.

So today’s beautiful harvest-inspired wedding has come right in time for fall couples looking for ideas to add an elegantly autumnal vibe to your wedding day.

Alex & Rob are Memphis-based highschool sweethearts, who reconnected as adults and fell head over heels in love all over again. Their vineyard wedding in California was a gorgeous outdoor celebration, taking in the about-to-burst vines, rich hues of the turning leaves, and luxurious rustic styling.

Photographed by Brady Puryear, with florals by Garden District, this day is laden down with an abundance of styling ideas and clever details (a wine reception before the ceremony – love it!). So whether you’re marrying in fall, love a lace sleeve wedding dress (our fave) or simply have a penchant for beautiful blooms – I think you’re going to find this wedding pretty stunning indeed.

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Our Love Story

We were high school sweethearts. Our first real memorable meeting was at a pool party for a friend’s fifteenth birthday at my house.

Rob still remembers exactly what I was wearing at that party (jean skirt and Abercrombie t-shirt, naturally). We dated through college and then we took a much needed hiatus; we needed to gather some experiences apart from each other. I moved to Spain and Rob got a job in Memphis.

We didn’t keep up with each other until one day, Rob randomly reached out when I was living in California. He had gotten these art prints framed that I had gifted him in college. It made me feel good that he was cherishing them after the years passed.

I told him I was living in California, and it just so happened he would be on a business trip and would be driving through San Luis Obispo the following week. So we had lunch, and about a month later I moved back to Memphis.

I knew we were going to get married immediately.

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Our Favourite Moments

I loved everything about being engaged and planning our wedding. I wore my veil around the house!

It was really fun to be getting ready at the vineyard with our bridesmaids and groomsmen while everything was being set up. It felt like the calm before the storm, and the rest of the night moved so fast so it was great to have that moment.

And it was fun to watch our vision come to life. I loved watching how carefree and happy Rob was the whole weekend. It was also incredible to see how many people traveled to be at our wedding.

When we decided we would say our vows in San Luis Obispo, we made ourselves be comfortable with the idea that not a lot of people would be able to come.

We were shocked at the response and so grateful that all of our friends and family came!

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The Atmosphere

We really wanted the whole evening to feel really laid-back, and we didn’t want anything to feel forced so we offered a wine tasting before the ceremony, right after everyone stepped out of the bus.

It offered everyone some time to soak in the vineyard, take pictures and enjoy the wine.

Even though I was in the house hiding, it was so fun seeing everyone’s faces as the got off the bus and could explore a little bit with a drink in hand.

We wanted it to feel like an intimate and elegant backyard cocktail party and not feel too orchestrated like weddings can sometimes be. We wanted everything to flow naturally for the guests and I really think it did!

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The Unique Details

I loved our band! We flew the Preston Shannon Band in from our hometown, Memphis, to play in our California vineyard.

They are a Memphis soul band that usually plays at BB Kings, so it really felt like worlds colliding; our favorite places, favorite things and even all of our favorite people in one place!

The band played jazz and blues during dinner and soul music for dancing later in the night…it set the perfect mood!

I also loved our invitations, programs and menus! I work at a stationer so I’m into paper, and our paper was all handmade and letter-pressed.

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The Decor & Florals

My flowers were all different shades of harvest orange, my favorite accent color. I am really into neutrals and warm colors. We knew we needed some warmth and color because all of the bridal party was to wear white.

My florist, Garden District from Memphis, is also a friend of our family and beyond talented. My inspiration was a kumquat, and I kept the rest of it really loose.

I wanted Greg at Garden District to feel inspired by the vineyard and the beautiful flowers out there. I gave him total artistic license so the flowers were kind of a surprise to us and I loved that!

Such a great surprise! I couldn’t have been happier with them, just like I knew I would be!

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Harvest Winery Wedding by Brady Puryear 61

Advice for Other Couples

Focus on your husband and not on planning details!

It’s easy to go into planning mode the day of your wedding, but let all of that fall on your wedding planners and keep your focus on your hubby because things will go wrong and it will all happen so fast!

It can be such a production and so much going on at one time that it can fly by in front of your eyes, but your husband isn’t looking at the bar running out of ice or thinking when the next course is coming.

Rob was at the most fun party of his entire life, and his joy reminded me to sit back, enjoy and be grateful for this wedding and our marriage!