When we started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted three things: great food, great music, and nothing too formal. We wanted our celebration to feel organic with rustic touches but still sophisticated and romantic.

The Venue: The Villa at Sunstone Winery

We looked at every hotel with a gorgeous outdoor area, and we looked at quite a few beautiful barns. But, it wasn’t until we found The Villa at Sunstone Winery that we one hundred percent knew that we could have the wedding we truly envisioned.

We wanted our special day to be as intimate as possible, so we kept our invitation count to one hundred and thirty guests. Thirty family members between the two of us and fifty friends from each side were invited for a weekend getaway in a small town called Solvang.

The Flowers

When it came to flowers, we wanted to focus on that romantic-rustic mix. So we had our florist combine softer hues of pale pinks and pale purples with deep reds and burgundies. We also used romantic florals like roses and joined them with eucalyptus, dried purple artichokes, and olive tree branches.

The Ceremony

I put a lot of thought into how I wanted to walk down the aisle. Having my step-father and my grandfather walk me down the aisle was important because I wanted to pay homage to the two men who showed up for me in my life, but I also wanted to modernize this old tradition.

Down the first portion of the aisle, I walked alone to symbolize all that I had done in life on my own. Midway, my step-father met and escorted me down a little further to my grandfather. My grandfather then presented me to my soon-to-be husband.

Cocktail Hour

The town of Solvang is so small that our friends started getting to know each other as soon as they arrived, and by the end of our rehearsal party, both sides were beautifully mixed. 

On the morning of our wedding, thanks to Instagram and our wedding hashtag #vasimandlermerge, Anthony and I were able to watch each side of our lives come together to form one large circle of friends. By the time cocktail hour rolled around, everyone felt super familiar with each other. 

This was precisely why we wanted to do a weekend getaway wedding. We dreamed about our friends coming together and forging their own friendships.

During our dinner reception, my mother and my father-in-law shared their loving advice and words of support with us. It was my best friend of twenty years’ speech, however, that stole the show.

Our wedding was unforgettable. Not only did I marry my very best friend, but that night, together, we built a family. A family that would go on to support us through all the ups and downs of marriage, and for that, I am eternally grateful.