April and Dex, who met at work, dated for four years before getting engaged at Auberge Du Soleil during brunch. Dex had “Will You Marry Me?” written on the plate of their last dessert course.
The couple actually had three weddings: a ceremony in Taiwan where the bride has family, a ceremony in Philippines where the groom has family, and their main celebration: a ceremony and reception in Northern California. Having multiple weddings was a memorable period for April and Dex. “It allowed both sides of our family to bond,” says April. “Having them and our close friends travelling with us and sharing the different cultures was very special.”
Their ceremony at Vezer Family Vineyard was simple and personalized. They exchanged vows outdoors in the vineyard, where a pianist and guitarist played. Dex’s best friend officiated the wedding, and the bride and groom wrote their own vows. Dex’s favorite memory was seeing his bride when she appeared from behind the barn doors to walk down the aisle. April loved when Dex read his vows. The couple did not have a wedding party and wanted a “short and sweet” ceremony since the day was going to be very hot and they didn’t want their 140 guests to stay under the sun for too long.
The reception was also held at the vineyard. The couple, both engineers, chose a light color scheme of white and gold, with bits of blush to complement the barrel room’s light blue shade on the outside as well as the lush greenery in the backdrop. They had a traditional Filipino money dance during the reception.
Sticking to a budget and keeping the guest list low were challenging for the couple. “Filipino weddings are typically in the 200 to 300 guest range because of the young adults and kids,” says Dex. “It was difficult for me to break the news to my family and friends that our wedding was an adult-only affair.”
They highly recommend having a wedding planner—they booked Danielle Vargas of Camellia Lane Events. “Some of the details that I sweated about did not even cross my mind the day of, either because I knew my awesome planner was going to take care of it or just having my friends and family by my side to share our special day was significantly more important than the little things,” says April.
The day was a wonderful celebration and the couple savored the quality time and special moments. “At the end of the night, when all the ‘formalities’ were done and over with, we were able to just really have a great time with the friends and family,” says April.
—Kristen Castillo
