Steph and Nick's Wedding in Wine Country

OMG...I can't believe the day is finally here!  Our good friends Steph and Nick from Arizona are finally tying the knot!!! Both Steph and Michelle were in my wedding which was an incredible experience...just wish the marriage had lasted longer!!!  I had not seen Steph or Nick since I moved to Sacramento which was almost 1 1/2 years ago!!  Steph decided they wanted an "elopement ceremony" in wine country - huh? You send out invites to an elopement ceremony...is it truly an elopement then?!?! LOL. 

Anyways, I had been looking forward to this for quite some time.....I never thought they'd get married (translation: I never thought Nick would get off his butt and ask her)!!  I was not going to miss this ceremony for anything! Unfortunately, I was dealing with some health issues that did almost prevent us from making it but we trudged on, through my tears and almost complete anxiety attack because traffic was so bad and we were late.

..about 15 minutes late.  Steph had left me only one request for Michelle and I, "DON'T BE LATE!" OMG and here we were, perhaps missing the entire ceremony itself!!  I was pushing back going to the ER for myself just to make sure I didn't miss their day. 

Finally we made it and ran in the winery, only to hear the minister say "get the bride a glass of champagne" as he walked upstairs to the brides' dressing area.  Talk about breathe a sigh of relief....they had not got married yet!!!!! We ran inside and saw Nick and met the family members and few friends who were there - I believe there were 12 of us total there.   Since my heart was still racing outside my chest, I saw red wine being poured.....full glass here please!!! :D

Ok, time for us to go down to the garden (what perfect timing)  as the ceremony is about to begin.

  Grab my wine glass, camera, and we are off!  Funny moments with Nick as he's beyond nervous and a few good pics and next thing you know, Steph's on her way down.  OMG..she made such a beautiful bride - so simple and so elegant.  She looked like a barbie doll......(cursing under my breath at that point - ha ha). 

The ceremony was great - the minister was very non conventional and filled the ceremony with quite a bit of humor.  It was one of the best ceremonies I've seen as it was personalized and the formality aspect was softened by the humorous comments the minister made.  I was surprised I didn't cry but given the state of anxiety I was still in from getting there and not feeling well, I think perhaps I was still in shock!! HA HA.

  Of course, the glasses of wine I consumed likely helped!!! Right after the ceremony, the minister called Nick's Dad and Eric, their close friend up to chug wine with him.  Oh yes, they chugged wine!!!! Then the minister saw I had a wine glass and called me up as well - I have never chugged red wine before so this was quite a first!!! WOW!

After the ceremony, it was time for great pics and cake.  OMG, cake!!! The cake was included as part of the ceremony package and it was the darn best cake I've had....it was heavenly!!!  Nick and Steph did their first dance and we all sat and chatted for awhile until it was time to head out for our dinner reservations in downtown Calistoga.   Dinner was going to be at a restaurant in downtown Calistoga called, Flatiron Grille.

  Somehow Michelle and I were the first two to arrive on the scene and talked with the Manager for a bit.  Steph had done assigned seating and we had cute little notepads with our names....awwwwwww!

She had seated Eric and his partner Matt right across from us...YEAH!!! I haven't seen Eric in a couple years since he was out in Vegas with them - he's such a doll.  I missed hanging out with him and it was great to see him and Matt all afternoon and evening!!!  Putting us at the corner was probably dangerous since we were likely to get rowdy but everyone ended up being on their best behavior...well sorta!!! HA HA HA. 

The reception dinner was fun - Nick's Dad Willie had a bit too much to drink and by the end of the night, he signed their wedding frame "DRUNK" 09/18/08.

  HA HA.  And poor Nick wasn't allowed to get drunk...Steph banned him from all alcohol until the entree was served so that she ensured he would be uh, well, ya know.....ready for their first night as a married couple!!! :D 

The food was delicious, the wine was fantastic, and the company was incredible!!  We had such a great time and I am so glad we didn't miss it!!!!  We got back to Sacramento a little before midnight and the plan was to meet up with them for their wine tasting adventures Friday afternoon! :-)