May 03, 2011

Ravi & Chee: April 16, Napa Valley, CA


When my good friend Ravi told me he was getting married in Napa, I could hardly wait to be there to help celebrate the big day. Ravi and Chee took time planning the perfect weekend with an intimate group of family and friends. We all stayed at the quaint La Residence in Napa where wine and cheese were served promptly at six each day. They started the weekend off right with an all-day wine tour Friday where we explored 4 famous Napa vineyards as well as some of their best wines before having an amazing dinner at Don Giovanni's. A highlight for me in addition to the wine and Italian food was seeing Ravi's parents for the first time in ages and having his dad inform me that "you broke my house" in reference to a an errant chair leg that caused damage while helping Ravi move 7 years earlier!

The wedding day was glorious and my girlfriend Kristin and I took advantage of the locale by heading out early for a few more wine tastings before returning to the Inn after lunch to get ready. We piled in the coach to take us to Brix Restaurant just down the road where the wine flowed as we waited for the other guests to arrive. The bride came last and all were wowed by her beautiful dress as she walked from the restaurant to the private garden ceremony by the vineyard in the back. All guests helped create Chee's bouquet by handing her individual flowers as her father walked her down the aisle.

The ceremony was short but definitely sweet and then we enjoyed more wine and amazing appetizers (another spring roll please) by the vineyard before heading inside for more great food and wine. Ravi and Chee found each married couple's wedding song and played it so they could enjoy their dance again while I performed a lip synch routine for the guests to Harry Connick's "In Love". Fortunately for me, I was the one behind the camera all weekend so no evidence of this exists!

Other highlights at Brix was the amazing individual cakes at each table that I could hardly wait all meal to eat and chance meetings with NFL star QB Carson Palmer and designer Michael Kors, who called the groom "dapper".

From there it was back to the couple's villa where a post-party commenced and the song you will hear on the recap was played no less than 25 times.....Enjoy!

Ravi & Chee from TimAlanSmith on Vimeo.

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