When Amy & Nick were looking for the perfect setting for their wedding, they struck gold when they looked at Ponte Winery in Temecula. Amy and Nick met at their local church and after attending their small group every week, their friendship evolved over dining out together. With Amy’s back ground attending two culinary schools as well as her passion for food, Ponte Winery was the ideal location for their nuptials. As they started the planning process, Amy & Nick were all about being green and using eco friendly products throughout every aspect of their wedding. Ponte Winery has a quaint setting…big barn, pretty orange trees, and of course the vineyards. It was a beautiful setting for an outside wedding, yet it provided an exciting switch in atmosphere as the reception took place in the winery’s barrel room. The winery uses sustainable farming techniques and is an advocate of farm to table cuisine that bridges the gap between farming, food, health and local economies.

Amy was quite the fashionista wearing a beautiful eco couture custom dress made out of natural shantung hemp silk, a statement hair accessory and classic pearls. Very “Sex in the City”….Not too many people could pull off this look, but Amy looked like a million bucks. The wedding décor had a lot of influence from Amy’s love for gardens and Suzanne, Suzanne M. Smith Floral Design, was the perfect fit as their floral designer. She works with only local, organic, sustainable flower growers and her business practices are focused on low carbon footprint from biodegradable ribbons to non-toxic sealant sprays. Shades of purples and greens were the color palette their garden décor. From organic grapes, to artichokes, apples and a variety of different fruits, Suzanne created unique table centerpieces which not only added color but added a variety of textures which simply reflected their lifestyle. Steve Hoffmann, Hoffmann Photographer, captured all these fabulous details and of course, Amy selected Hoffmann based on his style and his partnership with an eco-friendly wedding album company. All of their letter press paper goods were custom designed and made of hand crafted tree-free paper with vegetable-based inks. Guests enjoyed the surroundings and fun was had by a surprise dove release during the ceremony, the artistry of a balloon twisting for our cocktail reception, a personalized magic show during dinner and the finishing touch of a candy station for late night snacks. A great way to end the Easter weekend!

Photos courtesy of Hoffmann Photographer: