A Wine Country Wedding

Growing up, I was the oldest of two. Having a younger brother, I never knew what it was like to have a sister. But when I got married, I gained two: Sidney and Kara. Now I'm lucky to call these two beautiful, genuine, and wonderful people my family.

This past weekend, the Piepmeyer clan grew again! Kara married Tim, her longtime beau, in a quiet ceremony at Thatcher Winery near Paso Robles. And Zach and I couldn't be happier!

Our adventure started on Thursday morning with a road trip from LA to Cambria. Once there, we met up with Sidney and her son Jordan (in my new hat above) who we were sharing a room with. (Seriously, want to feel like part of the family? Share a room with your in-laws. You'll get really close, really quickly... in a good way, I promise.)

Cambria is right on the coast of Central California. It's a quaint little beach town, with breathtaking scenery. The wedding guests all stayed at The Fogcatcher Inn and every morning, I could literally walk out of the hotel room and see the ocean (which is quite refreshing, don't you think?)

Inland from Cambria is Paso Robles, which is known for its wineries. So, we got our fair share of wine tasting in (try Tablas Creek, Adelaida, and Tobin James). I loved that we could be at the beach in the morning, and tasting Rhone varieties (yea, that just happened) in the afternoon.

On the day of the wedding, Kara was stunning. Dang, those Piepmeyers pump out beautiful people!

I couldn't get over her necklace (thank you, BHLDN.) I also loved that Tim surprised Kara while she was getting ready with a matching shawl (also, BHLDN. They just don't disappoint.)

So much happiness. :)

The ceremony was sweet and simple. There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen, just Kara, Tim, and the minster to officiate. I liked it this way. It brought more attention to the couple and their love. 

At this point in the evening, my DSLR camera started freaking out... So I don't have pictures of the reception. I know the photographer took many more, so maybe I'll make some additions to this post once Kara and Tim get their proofs.

In the mean time, you'll have to accept my limited description.

Inside the barn (where the reception was held), were two long tables filling the expanse. On each table, there were vases of tall greenery. Chandeliers and twinkle lights were suspended from the ceiling. And, in the back of the barn, there was a large screen playing black and white movies.

Then, Tim and Kara are foodies, so they brought in an incredible chef to cater the meal. As you can see from the menu below, this was no ordinary wedding meal. All night, everyone at our table was "oohing and awing" as the caterers brought out course after course after course.

To top it off, they hired a folk band to serenade the guests throughout the night.

(Are you imagining all of this? It was even better in person.)

All in all, the weekend was a smashing hit! When we drove home on Sunday evening, Zach and I couldn't stop talking about how blessed we are to now call Tim our brother.

Welcome to the family! :)

PS - Have you entered our Angelique, Ink giveaway yet? You still have a chance! Click here for instructions.