Jade was almost late to her own wedding! She and her wedding party were getting ready for the ceremony in rental homes but the party bus didn’t fit down the driveway. Bridesmaids shuttled to the bus using an SUV but the driver forgot to come back for the mother of the groom, the mother of the bride, the junior bridesmaid and the bride.

“We walked to the highway and had to hitch a ride,” says Jade, who credits her hairstylist for picking them up. But then traffic got in the way and they were almost two hours behind schedule.

“My mother got out of the car and was having to ask all the cars in front of us to please move over a bit so we could get to the wedding in time,” says Jade, explaining that they made it to the wedding on time!

Jade and Chad, who met online and dated a year before getting engaged, married at Jade’s family estate, Lynch Family Vineyard in Calistoga. Jade’s father had been planning that venue for her wedding since she was in high school. (Both Jade’s parents and grandparents got married in that same backyard.)

During the sneak peek photo session, Chad says he realized, “I couldn’t have asked to be with a more perfect woman.”

The ceremony “was magical,” says the bride, noting 300 guests attended the nuptials. “I know it was stunning but really all I remember was walking toward my husband. He was all I saw. I couldn’t believe I was marrying the man of my dreams and my best friend.”

The wedding, which had a Great Gatsby theme, featured a color scheme of black, ivory and gold. Jade borrowed her great grandmother’s wedding ring from her mother.

Jade’s mother was her matron of honor. “She is my best friend, always has been and always will be,” she says.

The on-site pool was covered and made into the aisle for the ceremony. It was transformed into a dance floor for the reception.

A classic touch came from Jade’s father, a car guy. He surprised the couple with three cars from the 1920s in the olive tree orchard where everyone had dinner. The family’s 1928 Franklin became the backdrop for the couple’s photo booth.

The wedding day was packed with fun including the Zipper band, a cigar bar and a pizza truck “to make sure no one went hungry while drinking and dancing,” says Jade.  

— Kristen Castillo