Heidi and James met when James and his younger brother moved into a rental property Heidi owned. They hit it off and dated for two and a half months before getting engaged at Grace Patriot Wines in Camino, where James proposed at an outside table surrounded by Heidi’s favorite treats: desserts and wine. They stopped by his mom’s house to announce the news, and, to Heidi’s surprise, James had arranged an engagement party. “It was an absolute shock and so much fun,” she says. “There were a lot of happy tears and excitement.”
Nearly six months later, they married in an outside ceremony at Strawberry Lodge in Kyburz. They chose a rustic yet contemporary theme featuring white, cream and pops of wine red and cobalt blue. The décor featured white chairs, rustic lanterns and a wood gazebo. A pastor officiated the small and intimate ceremony where Heidi and James added their own vows.
The outdoor reception at Strawberry Lodge included dinner, drinks, dancing, string lights and a late-night snack. The fun continued all weekend long. “We enjoyed hanging out with family on Friday night and Saturday morning to set up,” says Heidi. “The wedding Saturday went all through the night. And then breakfast with everyone on Sunday morning! It was amazing getting to know everyone better and bond as a family but mainly to not be rushed to set up and take down within the same day.”
Heidi loved the photo wall James made out of rustic wood. “It was amazing to see it brought to life and it was so fun to see everyone taking photos in front of it for us and to post on their social media,” says Heidi, explaining they plan to display it at their home, outside the dining room window so they can be reminded of their wedding day.
The couple enjoyed shooting photos, especially by an old barn. “We were having so much fun being goofy and I got to put Heidi over my shoulder,” James says. “It was just a surreal feeling being with my bride in her wedding dress knowing this day had finally come for us both.”
Heidi was surprised and happy that everything came together as planned. “Once we saw it all come together and everyone enjoying themselves, it was an incredible feeling and was amazing to see my Pinterest board brought to life,” she says. “Everything we did, and everything James built, was exactly what we envisioned.”
—Kristen Castillo
