Susan and Conor Bell moved to Napa about a year before their wedding and immediately fell in love with the area. With Susan hailing from the East Coast and Conor originally from California, the couple wanted to create a wedding day experience that could show their guests from across the United States their new home. Charles Krug Winery paired Napa's sprawling natural beauty with an elegant winery setting, which was perfect for Susan who works as a Corporate Communications Manager for a global wine company. A romantic and timeless wedding design took form for the summertime nuptials featuring muted neutrals and soft pastels.
An undeniable thread through Susan and Conor's wedding was their incorporation of family throughout the day. Susan was adorned in an engagement ring featuring a gem from Conor's grandmother; the melted gold remains of his grandmother's ring were fashioned into Conor's wedding band. Susan's veil also was marked by family history, with her being in the third generation to wear it down the aisle after her grandmother and mother. In a passed-down tradition, the couple cut their wedding cake with a sword from Susan's lineage going back generations. Perhaps the most touching addition was a nod to the "Bell" family that Susan and Conor are hoping to start with their wedding and pass down to the next generations: the couple fastened bells onto the chairs of the ceremony for guests to cheer with.
The reception paired a rustic wine country ambiance with sleek and romantic neutral décor with pink accents. Hand-drawn signage added a luxuriously homespun feel to the tablescapes, and gold flatware added a hint of glam. Florals and wine were paired elegantly in a seating chart that utilized wine bottles to house pink blooms. Blush florals were a softer theme during the ceremony, but the couple opted to go bolder for their reception with peonies, roses, hydrangea, mums and Italian ruscus on display among other gorgeous blooms. The couple initially met in Truckee, and details at their reception paid homage to their love of the mountains and shared affinity for Tahoe. A wedding cake shaped as an Aspen tree was a surprise from bride to groom that nodded to the roots of their relationship in style.
