A Boho-Chic Wine Country Wedding in Napa Valley

Shortly after moving to San Francisco in the fall of 2016, Sarah Montgomery made a day trip to Napa Valley. "I was sitting by the pool, scrolling through Instagram, and spotted a gorgeous post from a friend of mine who happened to be at a friend's house in the area," she recalls. "I messaged him, and he invited me to stop by for a glass of wine before heading back into the city." She headed over—and as she got out of the car, Conor Tuttle walked out of the house wearing a Hawaiian shirt and holding two glasses of sauvignon blanc. "It really was love at first sight," recalls Sarah, who ended up spending the entire weekend at Conor's family's home. (She even met his parents!)

In January of 2018, the couple made another weekend trip to Big Sur, California, to go glamping at Ventana Big Sur for Sarah's 30th birthday. Conor popped the question in the rain outside of their tent. "We'd already planned a big birthday dinner for when we got back, and it turned into an impromptu engagement party," adds the bride.

When it came time to plan their October 20, 2018, wedding, Conor and Sarah knew exactly where to tie the knot: in the same place where they first met! "Conor's family home in St. Helena has been special to us since day one, and his parents were so thrilled that we wanted to get married there," Sarah describes. They hired Bash Please to create a boho-chic wine country wedding, using a natural palette (think dusty green and ochre) accented with navy, mauve, and peach.

Keep scrolling to see Mike Larson's photographs, below!

Conor's parents' property is covered in olive trees, so the couple used illustrations of the tree's iconic leaves and branches to add a touch of color to their invitation suite.

Sarah found her fitted lace Mira Zwillinger gown at her last bridal salon appointment. "It was the last shop of the day, and I had the full squad with me—my stepmom, sister, best friends, aunt, and mother- and sister-in-law," says Sarah. "When I stepped out of the dressing room, people screamed and cried! They knew it was perfect—or maybe it was the champagne..."

Sarah paired the gown with Alexandre Birman heels, her grandmother's ring, and a bohemian bouquet of dahlias, roses, ranunculus, and eucalyptus.

Conor wore a custom suit by Andreas Gorges Tailoring, pairing a cream jacket with navy pants, Ferragamo loafers—and no socks! During their first look, Sarah surprised him with a pizza-themed love note.

Sarah went classic with bridesmaids dresses, having her closest girlfriends wear a selection of floor-length navy dresses for her wine country wedding. "I had them wear flower crowns instead of carrying bouquets, which made them look like autumn fairies," says the bride. The groomsmen wore tan suits with no ties.

The couple's niece, Frances, and nephew, Charlie, acted as their flower girl and ring bearer. "Conor had the cutest idea! They wore outfits to match the adults, with Frances in a polka dot navy dress and Charlie in a white shirt and tan shorts," Sarah says.

Palo santo was burning as guests arrived at the ceremony, purifying the space before the couple exchanged vows. Each guest was greeted with a glass of Champagne, then took a seat on wooden benches leading toward an altar draped with soft fabric and organic flowers.

Sarah's meditation teacher officiated the couple's outdoor ceremony. "She spoke to us individually about what we'd written in our vows to really distill the promises we wanted to make to one another," says Sarah. Sarah had her vows written on hotel stationery, while Conor surprised her by having his embroidered on his handkerchief.

Guests sipped Casamigos margaritas, St. George gin-and-tonics, and Champagne as they enjoyed cocktail hour on the lawn.

Simple escort cards were displayed on an antique dresser decorated with woven baskets and olive branches. A leather cord attached each card to the slender leaves.

After taking photos amongst the vines, olive, and pomegranate trees, Conor carried Sarah back to the reception so her heels wouldn't get stuck in the ground.

Guests were seated at long bare farm tables decorated seasonally with green vines, fresh fruits, and rustic beeswax candles. "It kept everything feeling warm and organic," says Sarah.

The couple added a few personal touches to keep their wine country wedding dinner feeling relaxed. Each table was named after a band the couple had seen together, and the favor at each guest's seat was a bottle of Conor's father's olive oil, custom-labeled for the occasion. Rustic place settings paired stoneware plates, wood-handled flatware, and fringed napkins.

Sarah is a vegetarian, so the meal was veggie-focused with the couple serving a trio of avocado toasts, autumn vegetable tagine, and Meyer lemon and ricotta ravioli.

The couple hired Classixx, an electronic duo from Los Angeles, to DJ the reception, hanging disco balls behind the open-air DJ booth. "We wanted it to feel like a concert," says Sarah. She and Conor performed their first dance to "Wildflowers" by Tom Petty, spinning in the center of a floral mandala arranged on the dance floor.

The DJ played "I Love You Always Forever" by Betty Who as the couple cut into their Funfetti wedding cake. "I had the title of the song engraved on the inside of Conor's wedding band as a surprise," says the bride. "It's one of his favorite songs, and he's kind of a cheeseball!"

Around 11:30 p.m., the sheriff came by to shut down the DJs —who had played well past the area's curfew. "We had a little after-party around the bonfire and by the pool, and stayed up until 4 a.m.!" says the bride.

Looking back on their wedding, the couple had this advice to those planning: "Tap into who you are as a couple, and figure out how to best share that with the people you love," Sarah says. "Ask yourselves what you want everyone to really remember, then prioritize your answer above all else!"