by Beth Henry & Melissa Leonard
Last December, my fiancé proposed to me on the Town Green in Windsor, in the middle of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove, with a stunning engagement ring designed by Mark Shimizu of Mark Shimizu Design right here in Windsor. My fiancé even went the extra mile with this amazing proposal: he used the services of House of Windsor Weddings and Events to help him design and execute the perfect proposal!
www.markshimizudesign.com
@markshimizudesign
Houseofwindsorevents.com
@house_of_windsor_weddings
So now on to the next exciting step! We are planning the Sonoma County wedding of our dreams in Windsor for the Fall of 2024! I invite you to come along on this journey with me as I plan everything from the rehearsal dinner to the honeymoon, while keeping it all local to Windsor. Think it can’t be done? Think again! We have it all, right in our amazing little town.
First thing’s first — the wedding date and venue come first when planning a wedding. Since I know I would like to get married in Windsor, I head over windsorchamber.com and search their directory for suitable wedding locations in and around Windsor. I am pleased to find so many! We choose Notre Vue Estate Winery & Vineyards for our ceremony and reception. They offer beautiful views of Windsor, wonderful wines, and they even help provide vendors for the big day.
www.notrevueestate.com
@notrevueestate
Our wedding will be small, but we will still need to block out several hotel rooms for our out-of-town guests. The newly renovated Hampton Inn seems like a beautiful choice. Our guests will enjoy the state-of-the-art fitness room and the outdoor pool. Speaking of out-of-town guests, we will take advantage of the Visitors Center in Windsor, as they provide a free service of putting together activity bags for visitors, giving them recommendations of things to do in Sonoma County. Whew! That’s great, since my family and I will be so busy in those final days before the ceremony. We make sure to book a wine tour for my uncles and aunts who have never visited Wine Country. They will be thrilled with the personalized attention from Ian of Windsor Wine Tours, who knows all the great places to go and will make sure they have a good time. Maybe we will even book limo for us and the wedding party on our special day!
www.windsorchamber.com/visitors/
www.windsorwinetours.net
@windsorwinetours
@windsorvisitorscenter
Cake and flowers are the next thing to plan! I have always loved Atrellis Flower & Gift Shop. They will put together my bridal bouquet, our wedding reception centerpieces and our wedding party bouquets. I remember they have some pretty great gifts in there, so I will be sure to check those out as well. Maybe a nice gift for my maid of honor? I have decided to go the nontraditional route and not offer a cake at the wedding. I am enamored by Chef Robert Nieto’s creations at Fleur Sauvage Chocolates. He is a food network competitor, and his creations are simply amazing! I am so excited to have a dessert table of bonbons masterfully created by him.
www.fleursauvagechocolates.com
@fleursauvagechocolates
The most important decision is yet to come. Doesn’t every bride dream of shopping for their wedding dress? That’s when I remember that Starlet Bridal’s new location is right here in Windsor! I book my appointment immediately on their website. My bridesmaids and flower girl will also come with us so that we can purchase their dresses on the same day.
www.glamstarlet.com
@starlet_bridal
My fiancé will need a wedding ring. We both like the look of a simple gold band. We decide to check out Vintage Jewelers and Gifts in the Lakewood Shopping Center, Windsor’s first full-service jewelry store. They have so many great options for men’s gold bands, and also some really great gifts! I will definitely need to purchase something nice for my new mother-in-law!
My fiancé and I have discussed for years about going to Mexico for our honeymoon. We would like to stay at an all-inclusive resort. Amazing Adventure Travel Design is located in Windsor and they specialize in luxury, all-inclusive vacation planning! How perfect! We give Jeannine Pendleton a call, and she is so great to work with. Our dream vacation is planned in no time and we couldn’t be happier.
www.vintagejewelersandgifts.com
www.amazingadventuretraveldesign.com
We are so lucky to live in a Town that has everything to offer even the pickiest wedding planner, and can be a one stop shop for all of our wedding needs!
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