On September 14, my son and his beautiful bride were married in Alameda, California, in a Winery Wedding. It was a lovely ceremony in a stunning location and everything went absolutely right. It was a very personal wedding that perfectly reflected the bride and groom and it was the special day we all hoped it would be.

The venue for the wedding was Rock Wall Winery, which is located on the grounds of the decommissioned Alameda Naval Air Station. The winery itself is in an old hangar, and the grounds include a geodesic dome and a tasting room. It was an eclectic place to hold the wedding — and totally cool.

When we arrived at the winery, we were greeted by a lovely welcome table. The bride’s mother found many of the ideas for the decorations online — she became a close personal friend of Pinterest — and the result was perfect for our kids.

Inside the tasting room, there were more decorations and lots of Rock Wall wine.

The “table assignments” were hung on a clothesline with a display of special photos.

The table assignments were actually times to visit — you guessed it! — the food truck for our dinner. (But I’m ahead of myself here.)

After a short cocktail hour, we moved to the area for the ceremony. Rock Wall’s staff sets up a circle of wine casks on racks with chairs inside of the circle. The platform is in the exact right place so that the San Francisco skyline can be seen behind the wine casks.

The bride and groom were serenaded by the East Bay Brass Band as they left the wedding enclosure. It was a joyous experience!

The bride and groom met the guests in an informal receiving line — this is me and Music Man getting our hugs.

The geodesic dome was set with tables and chairs and guests also congregated outside on the deck and in the tasting room.

The bride’s family went to the San Francisco Flower Mart to find the perfect flowers for the informal arrangements. They were stunning and were exactly right for the venue. The dinosaur at each table setting is a reminder of a special story from the couple’s courtship.

The vases, votives, and cake stands were collected from the bride’s family home and from vintage shops.

As the sun set in the west over San Francisco, we went to the food truck to pick up our meal. There were four options, including a gourmet burger, a vegetarian burger, a seafood po’boy, and a crab cake. The meal was served in recyclable containers and there were no dishes to wash — just a LOT of wine glasses!

With nightfall, the dome took on a new life — and the dancing began.

The bride and groom completed the ritual of the cupcake…

… and they lived happily ever after.

Fast forward a couple of weeks, and suddenly it was our thirty-first wedding anniversary. Music Man brought home gorgeous flowers and I decided to build our own version of the Winery Wedding centerpiece.

Any flower arrangement for a sentimental occasion in our house starts with alstroemeria — “our wedding flower.” The hydrangeas and roses are reminiscent of Tim and Mallory’s flowers, and the fragrant stargazer lilies are my favorite.

I put the arrangement in the crystal punch bowl from my next door neighbor’s estate; once again, I don’t know why anyone would give up this vintage beauty.

I added mercury glass votives and a souvenir Rock Wall champagne flute, plus a bottle of lovely rosé  that I brought home from California with me.

The whole vignette is sitting on a sheer napkin and my favorite thrifted silver tray and creates a beautiful reminder of two weddings.

The Bottom Line

I am obviously enamored of the event that Tim and Mallory created, but I also share it today to encourage other brides and grooms to think outside of the box when making plans for their perfect day. Although this wedding had many disparate pieces, with good planning and organizing the day was exactly what they had envisioned. I’m still basking in the glow of their special day and their obvious love for one another.

Tim and Mallory used Paperless Post for their invitations, and created a gift registry using Honeyfund. They plan to honeymoon on at least three continents (or until the money runs out) and are thankful that friends and family honored them with gifts of travel rather than toasters. The digital options available through these services made their communication with friends and family timely as well as eco-friendly and relatively frugal.

I am grateful to my brother Steve and my friend Steve for taking most of these photos during the wedding. Our photographer, Kathryn Rummel, also has an extraordinary eye, and Tim and Mallory’s wedding photos can be viewed on her KReate Photography Facebook page if you want more Winery Wedding!

I’m linking up this week at Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life, We Call It Olde at We Call It Junkin’, Let’s Dish with Cuisine Kathleen,  Open House Party with No Minimalist Here,  and Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to visit these creative bloggers for lovely photos and inspiration.

Got my bags, got my reservations,
Spent each dime I could afford.
Like a child in wild anticipation,
I long to hear that, “All aboard!”

Music and lyrics by Bud Green, Les Brown and Ben Homer (1944)