An Especially Personal Three Day Wedding Weekend in Napa

Nadine + Dan

Napa Valley, CA

“I’ll go everywhere with you.” 

Those are the words that Dan sent to Nadine at a pivotal point in their relationship. And from that moment on, it seems he has…

From New York to California and beyond the U.S., their relationship—and who they are—spans the globe.

And so, for their wedding, Nadine and Dan conceived of three distinct, celebratory events honoring their cultural heritage and backgrounds. With the help of Two Roads Event Co., they pulled off a three-day wedding weekend in Napa Valley of international proportions.

Family and friends traveled in from all over the world for the wedding at Meadowood resort. Nadine’s grandmother, the only grandparent able to attend, traveled in from Pakistan. Other guests came from Spain, Qatar, England and the United Arab Emirates. It was an international celebration in the heart of Napa Valley.

A Mehendi Welcome

One of the cultural aspects I found most captivating was incorporated in the welcome party. A couple of days before the wedding, the couple hosted a “Welcome Mehendi“at Calistoga Ranch. It was a Pakistani-inspired welcome party, featuring traditional Pakistani and Indian clothing, garlands and accessories. 

Some of the family members and bridesmaids wore beautiful saris, lehengas, and kaftans in rich, dazzling colors. And Nadine donned a custom-made lehenga choli by Élan with the most gorgeous silver beading. I loved the diverse fashion this event brought to the weekend. It was so special to photograph the different looks.

A Napa Valley Rehearsal Dinner

The next night offered a more traditional wine country experience. The Napa Valley rehearsal dinner was held at a private estate in St. Helena, overlooking vineyards below. 

The “Napa chic” dress code, a term coined by Nadine, called for a casual but elegant evening of enjoying their close friends and family (and the wine) before the big day.

Guests were treated to a display of photos from Nadine and Dan’s lives, artfully arranged on boxwood hedges. For dinner, gourmet pizzas, salads, braised short ribs and butternut squash ravioli were complimented by a burrata station and a gelato bar. Shall we say… yum?

Inspired by a recent trip to Tuscany, Nadine and Dan chose a citrus theme—in color and form—for the decor. Dining al fresco with vineyard views and crackling fire pits was a perfect representation of Dan’s parents, as they love spending time in the outdoors. The relaxing evening perfectly set the stage for the next day’s big celebration.

An English Garden Ceremony

For grand finale of their wedding weekend in Napa, Nadine and Dan imagined an English garden-themed ceremony near the Croquet Glen at Meadowood. Nadine’s floral appliqués Oscar de la Renta gown repeated the spring flowers bursting from each pretty arrangement of jasmine and tulips. 

The bridesmaids donned subtle pastel hues in chiffon, accented by the bright peonies, dusty roses and butterfly ranunculus of their bouquets. At our personal recommendation, Dan had a custom midnight-blue tuxedo made by Monsieur Brunold in NYC that perfectly complimented his bride.

The ceremony was officiated by Nadine’s aunt Manizeh, and incorporated Nadine’s Muslim faith, Dan’s Christian background and Nadine’s Jewish family traditions. The couple exchanged their hand-written and very moving vows as their guests looked on.

As an iconic resort in Napa Valley, Meadowood holds a lot of dear memories for many couples we have photographed, including Nadine and Dan:

“Napa holds a very special place in our heart and despite the destruction it has seen recently, we know it will recover and we can’t wait to be there to support it every step of the way.”

Personal Touches at the Meadowood Reception

One of my favorite design elements of this wedding weekend in Napa were the personalized cocktails. A Bourbon Buck for Dan and a Paloma for Nadine, as well as three other “twists” on the classics. A Pimm’s Cup was called ‘From London with Love’ and the cucumber Collins was aptly named the ‘Cucumber Kallas.’

And to ‘top it off,’  the “Manhattan Meets Meadowood” Manhattan featured orange peels stamped with the couple’s initials. These touches, highlighting Nadine and Dan’s story, made the evening so fun and meaningful for everyone.

The spring floral theme made a final appearance on the soft pink cake, echoing the invitation motif and Nadine’s wedding gown. In a complete surprise to Dan, Nadine had a secret groom’s cake made. Much to his delight and amusement, it featured the Arsenal soccer team logo.

So many elements made this three day wedding a personal celebration of Nadine and Dan’s story. You could feel the sincerity of each event from start to finish.

“Even to this day, we look back on our wedding weekend and know it couldn’t have been more special and perfect for the two of us and as a symbol of our marriage. It truly was the best weekend of our lives and we only wish we could rewind a few years and relive it all over again!”
— Nadine

For a final farewell favor, guests took home custom sugar cookies that further embodied the couple’s love story. The cookies were decorated with vintage maps of New York and California. Each location signifies where their relationship began and blossomed and where they got married. 

Nadine and Dan’s journey has spanned many miles, both literally and figuratively. They have been many places together. And no doubt, there are still many more to come. 

But who better to take that journey with than the one who will go everywhere with you?

See more of the photos from their wedding weekend in Napa below.
And then scroll to the bottom to see the feature in Martha Stewart Weddings.

“Working with KT and Chad was fantastic.They made everyone in our families feel comfortable, even some of our camera-shy family members which was no easy task! We frequently re-live the weekend through our wedding album and it’s amazing how well our photos capture the mood, details, and people across the weekend. KT and Chad really are a dream duo to work with!”

—Nadine & Dan

See this wedding weekend in Napa on Martha Stewart Weddings here: