Coordinate the Look of Your Vineyard Wedding with Stationery!

Guest Post By Lori Yeghiayan Friedman of Wine Country Occasions.

Few of us have endless resources to spend when planning a wedding. This means having to choose where we want to really splurge.

Our advice: You can’t go wrong investing in a great venue, delicious wine (of course!) and beautiful stationery.

Why stationery? Because it’s a simply, but elegant way to coordinate the look of your wedding without spending a fortune.

If you are planning a vineyard or wine-themed wedding, choose one motif – or several – that you love, such as vines, grapes, a monogram of your initials or another symbol that is a match for your theme, style and taste. For our example, we’ve chosen an oak tree: an unexpected and romantic symbol that is a great match for a vineyard ceremony and reception.

It all starts with the invitation. Many couples choose to invest a fair amount of their wedding budget into their invitations – and with good reason. The invitation is your guests’ first inkling into the kind of celebration to expect and sets the tone for the event. Spending money does not necessarily mean adding a whole lot of bells and whistles. It can simply mean choosing an elegant design, such as our Oak Tree Letterpress Wedding Invitations (see photo) and choosing a presentation style, such as letterpress, which adds a level of sophistication and elegance.

Next: Carry your theme in small details through your wedding ceremony and reception. For example, you can use your chosen theme to customize favors. What better favor for a wine-themed wedding than a mini bottle of a favorite vintage chosen by the bride and groom? Personalized wine labels make the gift an extra special keepsake for your loved ones.

There are many additional opportunities to pull together the look of your wedding using customized stationery. Table signs, place cards, menus – even signs that help your guests navigate the ceremony (like at the guest book signing table) and the reception (like at the dessert table) are subtle ways to carry your theme.

We love the idea of personalized fans that do double duty as programs, especially for a summer wedding outdoors. What a thoughtful way to keep your guests comfortable while adding to a gorgeously coordinated look for your wedding!

Lori Yeghiayan Friedman, Wine Country Occasions

Lori is a writer and communications professional. She brings to the wedding industry a love of beautiful things, a passion for the finer things in life - food, wine, travel - as well as an admiration for the ways people incorporate personal touches into weddings, birthdays and other milestone events. She is the Director of Public Relations & Content Strategy for Wine Country Occasions.

How to Plan a Fabulous Vineyard Wedding

This post begins a monthly feature about winery and wine themed weddings by  Lori Yeghiayan Friedman of Wine Country Occasions. She will bring her knowledge and ideas on planning your wonderful day in that fabulous winery.  Along with planning for the day, she will also contribute ideas on those wine themed gifts, party favors and more.  

I give you Lori and her first post "How to Plan a Fabulous Vineyard Wedding" 
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Congratulations! You’ve made the great decision to host your wedding at a vineyard -  a setting unmatched in elegance, romance and natural beauty. Heed these words of of advice and you’re sure to have a vineyard wedding as fabulous as you dream it to be:

-  Match your venue to your vision: Vineyard spaces vary widely. Some feature great swaths of greenery, majestic rows of vines and epic vistas. Others offer a smaller, woodsier or more intimate outdoor setting. Of course, the size of your guest list will be a factor in choosing a venue, but so will your wedding style. Whether you are envisioning a grand, elegant affair or something a little quainter, be sure the venue is a match.

- Love the wine, as much as the winery: Most venues will require you to exclusively serve their wines at your event - which is great, if you love the wine as much as the winery. In fact, a full bar may be prohibited. But, as long as the wine is good and flowing abundantly, your guests won’t miss it! 

- Choose your color palette wisely: Work with the colors of the setting. Why not highlight the natural beauty of the place you chose? This doesn’t mean you are limited to purples and greens. For a fall wedding, incorporate autumnal hues, like red and orange. Earth tones and neutrals are a great match for a vineyard wedding. Gold - whether matched with blush and champagne or a more classic companion like black - gorgeously echoes the glow of afternoon light on the vines.

- Address outdoor challenges early in your planning: A vineyard wedding has all the advantages of other outdoor venues, and similar challenges. For a night-time reception, consider uplighting the vineyards, or it may be too dark for your guests to even see it. Hilly terrain usually means a robust evening breeze, so warn guests to dress accordingly and plan ways to tether stationery items, like menus and place cards. If needed, splurge for fancier outdoor trailer-style toilets, instead of standard port-a-potties. Lastly, be sure to check if the venue has back up indoor space in case of inclement weather.

- Have fun with the wine theme: I’m not suggesting an egregious overuse of cascading plastic grapes here. But I do recommend incorporating thoughtful and charming wine-themed details throughout your decor, such as cork-shaped place card holders, bottle opener favors and wine bottle centerpieces. A no-brainer wine wedding favor your guests will love: mini wine bottles with personalized vineyard-themed labels.

- Don’t forget transportation: For the safety and comfort of your guests, arrange for shuttles between hotels and the venue. Some wineries require it. It also allows your guests to enjoy your event worry-free.

Prioritize the safety and comfort of your guest and be true to your style and you are sure to create an unforgettable vineyard wedding experience that will live on in the hearts and minds of you and your loved ones for years to come.

By Lori Yeghiayan Friedman, Wine Country Occasions

Lori is a writer and communications professional. She brings to the wedding industry a love of beautiful things, a passion for the finer things in life - food, wine, travel - as well as an admiration for the ways people incorporate personal touches into weddings, birthdays and other milestone events. She is the Director of Public Relations & Content Strategy for Wine Country Occasions.