Corina, 34 & Roy, 36

Calistoga, CA

Wedding Date: May 14, 2011

Number of Guests: 13 adults, 1 baby and two dogs.

Wedding Cost: $6,700

Wedding Ceremony Location: Bellisimo Vineyard, Calistoga, CA

Wedding Reception Location: Bellisimo Vineyard, Calistoga, CA

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

I never wanted a big wedding; I didn’t want all that attention.  We also wanted the wedding to be affordable.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

The hardest thing we had to do was to tell friends they would not be invited.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

It was the hardest thing!

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

My grandma wanted to invite everyone she knew and it was really hard to tell her no. We explained to her that we simply could not invite a lot of people. She had to get used to this idea, but she did not like it.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

Saying the vows we wrote for each other.

What were the highlights of the reception?

The food and speeches.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The best thing about the wedding was probably the personal interaction with each guest. We rented the house at the Bellisimo Vineyard for three nights. It was so wonderful to spend three wonderful days with our guests.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

If you can do it (i.e. if you can tell people that they are not invited), we highly recommend it! It was so wonderful and memorable and we are thankful that we have some amazingly beautiful pictures to remember it by.

Vendors:

Photographer: Kim Martin

Wedding Venue: Bellisimo Vineyard, Calistoga, CA

Filed Under: Budget Weddings ($10,000 or less), Real Weddings, Vineyard Weddings  |  3 Comments

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