I feel like Helen Madden, played by Molly Shannon, from SNL."I love it, I love it, IloveitIloveit!!!!!"
I read some where (?) that if you spend more than 10% of your budget on a site fee, including rentals, that you will be over budget. My site fee, including rentals, is estimated to be 23%. Eek. But let's think about what I'm getting/why frugal ol' me might be ok with that.
To say that Mr. SB & I love wine country would be an under-under-way-understatement. We really like it here, like have been taking every opportunity to explore it for the past 3 1/2 years love it here. And exactly 6 family members have ever visited. I can't *wait* to showcase my new home to my family. And hopefully give them a glimpse of why I decided to move 2000 miles away and spend 4x as much for the cost of living to be in Northern California.
Our wine glass collection. Every single one is a free glass from a wine tasting.
So, of course, one of the main attractions up here is the wineries. We've seen some GORgeous ones. Big ones, small ones, unique ones, dramatic ones, wine so amazing that makes you forget you're in an ugly little warehouse... but one always stuck out. Mr. SB digs Spanish style architecture, I dig views (as in, from a hill or tower). On the 12 mile highway between Napa & Sonoma there are few wineries, except for one gorgeous little Spanish villa on a hill. By a lake. And grape vines. With an overlook balcony. And a dining room to die for. Swoon. We stopped there on our very first trip to Napa (before we even really knew Sonoma existed, rookies). And have stopped there on nearly every trip since to have a glass of wine and take in the serenity, the beauty, and the view.
When it worked out (!!) financially that we could have our wedding there and we saw that the private areas were even more beautiful than we expected and it was the perfect size and the owner is amazing to work with and on and on with things seeming to fall into place... I knew that it would be worth it. Since we will have to walk through the production part of the winery to reach the caves for the cocktail hour, I've got the opportunity to explain wine making/wine country via a page in the program so even people who are in town for only a day get a mini-tour & explanation. ("As you head downstairs, notice the blah blah blah that does blah blah. Also, the wine caves are used to yadda yadda.")
It's a more beautiful venue than I could have ever imagined and I'm glad that my friends and family will be traveling to something other than another church/reception hall wedding. I hope I can do the place (and the region) justice in showcasing it's beauty. I sure am excited to try. Even if it causes my budget to swell just a tad.
Do you have a love affair with your site? Or any other aspect of your wedding?
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