I shot a truly classy wedding with Lisa Leigh of Lisa Leigh Photography earlier this month for Martha and Fletcher at Meadowwood in Napa valley. Lisa had told me how kind Martha was and how much I’d enjoy their wedding and boy was she right!
Here of some of the details from the event… The setup was beautiful and the couple couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. Nothing was overdone but there was just a refined sense about the whole thing. Everything went so smoothly and everything was in it’s place without being extravagant, even down to the flowers on the backs of Martha’s and Fletcher’s chairs. I absolutely loved the cake. Something about it was just beautifully simple. The groomsmen were fun, especially Fletcher’s older brother who led a hilarious toast later in the evening. There were three “flowerboys”, Fletcher’s nephews, who were quite the handful but look how cute they are! And on the bottom right is Martha’s father with a little grin as he puts the finishing touches on his speech.
The bridesmaids wore simple brown tea-length dresses. Martha’s pregnant maid of honor (also named Lindsay) looked especially great in the dress. The flowerboys needed some coaxing to get out the door and, in the end, only two out of three went down the aisle but they were very cute nonetheless. When the youngest reached the end and still had petals in his basket, what else is there to do but turn it upside down and get to his seat! Guests had white paper parasols to keep cool while they waited for the stunning bride. And she really was beautiful. She wore white orchids in her hair and a cathedral length veil that looked great on her.
The kiss!
The toasts… Both funny and touching. Martha’s father’s toast had her shedding a few tears and explaining the etymology behind her nickname of “Buds”. Lindsay, Martha’s maid of honor, explained how they had been friends for years and how their friendship seemed almost to have been written in the stars. Fletcher’s brother got in plenty of jabs at Fletcher for getting him in trouble when they were kids and his lack of hair. Fletcher and Martha were gracious when it came time for their speeches upon cutting the cake and, no, there was no cake smashing.
I never would have guessed it but this group was made up of party animals! The band, Pure Ecstasy, was fantastic and had everyone up on their feet in no time. I have never seen so much movement at a wedding. The place was jumping! If you ever need to hire a band for you event and you want people out on the dance floor, this is the group for you. They sing a collection of classics from oldies Motown to Prince to a capella. I really cannot say enough about these guys.
I had a hard time pulling myself away for the drive back to San Francisco since everyone was having so much fun on the dance floor. If the rest of their lives are half as wonderful as their wedding day, Martha and Fletcher will be a very happy couple. Congrats, guys!
I close my eyes at night,
wondering where would I be without you in my life
Everything I did was just a bore,
everywhere I went it seems I’d been there before
But you brightened up for me all of my days
With a love so sweet in so many ways
I want to stop and thank you baby
How sweet it is to be loved by you
How sweet it is to be loved by you
– Jr. Walker and the All Stars “How Sweet It Is”
