My hometown steals my heart; vineyard wedding edition

My town is a place where people talk in line at the grocery store and they give directions using “the” stoplight as a reference point (because there’s only one). I was born and raised in the tiny agricultural town of Lakeport, population 5,000 when everyone is home. All the towns in Lake County are independently so small, we often identify with the whole County for a little more impact.

When I graduated high school and left for college, I couldn’t wait to get out of my tiny, sleepy town. I craved new experiences, diverse cultures, and tall buildings. Ok, being perfectly honest, I was also very motivated to be anyplace that had more than five restaurants. So, I did. For 13 years, I ate amazing food, traveled all over the world, met people from all walks of life, and got pretty savvy at riding the subway.

Then suddenly in my early thirties, I missed home. I missed the smell of the walnut leaves after the first rain. I missed waiting for flocks of wild turkeys to cross the road. I missed having coffee on the porch with my parents. My husband Jake and I decided to move home. (Another day I’ll explain how I managed to bag my ridiculously hot and smart high school bestie who happens to share my love for our hometown.)

This summer, I decided to style my own wedding shoot. (That’s photographer speak for design my own fake wedding and take pictures of it for funzies.) I reached out to my community for help pulling together the details and I was overwhelmed by the love and support I received. EVERYTHING you see in these beautiful photos was a gift from my amazing community. Because that’s just how people are in Lake County; they will help a neighbor without a second thought. Not only is my hometown straight-up stunning, but the people you will find here are full of love, generosity, and a rich simplicity that’s rare in the world today.

I no longer sit in silent subways on the way to big tall buildings. Nowadays I stand in line at the grocery store and chat with my neighbors. I also spend a fair amount of time waiting for turkeys to cross the road. But I’ll take that any day over city traffic.

From the bottom of my grateful heart, I thank these vendors for bringing this beautiful wedding concept to life:

Laujor Vineyards and Estate- the location of our stunning shoot

Flowers by Jackie- bouquet and boutonnière 

JG Fine Jewelry- all the bling!!

Marin Alexander, TAC Studios- hair and makeup 

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