OLD WORLD CHARM IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

OCTOBER 13TH 2018

There are few things more romantic than a wedding on a vineyard.  And that’s exactly how Emily and Brian chose to tie the knot on their special day!  Their wedding took place at the Close LaChance Winery, in San Martin, CA.  This family-owned-and-operated winery is nestled in the valley of Northern California, with spectacular views as far as the eyes can see!
 

This particular venue was new to me, and so I was both curious and excited to set foot on the property, and explore the grounds.  I always like to allow plenty of time to get familiar with a new venue.  Upon my arrival, set-up was already in full swing, with teams of vendors busily transforming the space for the days festivities.  I met up with Amazae Events, who showed me around the property and briefed me on the event flow, and before you know it, I was whisked away to connect with the audio team to begin sound checking.
*Spags Note:  Set-up and sound-check can range anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours, depending on the specific details of your wedding.  We like to make sure that everything is sounding perfect!* 
As guests arrived, they congregated in an ivy adorned courtyard, where I was floating around the space, performing my signature “Classical Twist” music.  For those who aren’t familiar, “Classical Twist” refers to my classical renditions of pop tunes, which are perfectly suited for welcoming guests and adding a touch of elegance to the start of your day.  Guests sipped on pre-ceremony cocktails, while catching up with family and friends.  When it was time, they were escorted out to the main lawn to be seated for the ceremony.  Here, they were greeted by a harpist, performing beautiful, classical music.
 
While the ceremony was taking place, I swiftly relocated to the cocktail area, so that I could be set and ready to perform as soon as the ceremony ended!  The cocktail hour was taking pace in a lower lawn just below the ceremony site.
*Spags Note: it’s important for your musicians to complete all sound checks, in all areas, prior to guest arrival. Often the spaces are adjacent to one another, as they were in this instance, and sound checks can carry between those spaces!* 
After the ceremony, guests made their way down a wide staircase, built into the side of the grassy hill, and into the cocktail area.  The cocktail space embodied that old world charm, with a big stone fountain in the center and wine barrels, used for cocktail rounds, positioned all throughout the area.  Flowers, twinkle lights, and fun backyard games all created a festive environment, in which I strolled around playing my signature “Instrumental Hits”.  These are my upbeat, lively renditions of pop tunes!  Anything from Sinatra, to Zeppelin, to Bruno Mars was pouring out of my violin as guests played corn hole and sipped on wine!
After the cocktails, guests settled into an outside dining area for a delicious meal and a colorful sunset, all before heading inside to dance the night away!
It was both a festive and romantic wedding to remember!
*All photos were beautifully captured by  Ashley Maxwell Photo
 
Until next time… Spags