With its vineyard views and rustic ruins, Kunde Winery was a breathtaking venue for Ashvi and Dan’s August wedding. We love all the gorgeous details, from the lush bridal bouquet to the fiery red and gold bridesmaid gowns, and we’re so inspired by the way the couple combined Jewish and Hindu traditions to create a ceremony that was meaningful for them.
SEE THE GALLERY FOR MORE IMAGES FROM THIS WINERY WEDDING BY CARLIE STATSKY.
Ashvi carried a lush bouquet that included hydrangea, ranunculus, anemones, orchids, and silver brunia.
Why did you choose this location for your wedding? We’re both originally from the East Coast, but we thought it would be fun to have our wedding out West after a recent move to San Francisco. We chose Kunde because we knew it would be the type of place our friends and family would be thrilled to visit. The winery estate is vast and picturesque with endless charm. We immediately fell in love with the Dunfillan Winery Ruins and were blown away by Boot Hill’s dramatic views from the middle of a vineyard and wanted to share this taste of California Wine Country with our guests.
What was the best advice you received as a bride? Choose vendors you trust and let them work their magic.
What advice do you have for other couples in the midst of planning a wedding? Approach wedding planning as an adventure before marriage. Although stressful at times, it can also be a memorable and exciting journey!
Ashvi’s bridesmaids wore a mix of gold and vermilion dresses.
Says the bride, “We had floral garlands hanging at the Ruins’ entrance, which are common in Hindu tradition.”
The Ceremony
“We choose the Ruins for our ceremony because it provided a romantic backdrop with a little dose of the vineyard’s history.”
Your ceremony in three words. Scenic, Playful, Musical.
How did you go about planning your ceremony? We researched the similarities between Hindu and Jewish wedding traditions and wove together a ceremony that included elements from both. We wanted our ceremony to highlight the likenesses between the two cultures.
Who officiated your ceremony? Rabbi D’vorah Rose. She had experience officiating interfaith ceremonies, and was eager to help us craft a ceremony that reflected who we are as a couple—both culturally and personally.
Did you include any traditions in your ceremony? We were married under a wedding canopy, called a Huppah in Judaism and a Manavara in Sri Lankan Hindu tradition. We concluded our ceremony with the Jewish Sheva B’rachot (Seven Blessings) and the Hindu Saptapadi (Seven Steps).
What was your ceremony music? We had a New Orleans style jazz band – it was really fun! Processional: Girl of My Dreams / Bridal Processional: La Vie en Rose / Recessional: Mahogany Hall Stomp
What were your ceremony readings? These I Can Promise by Mark Twain / I’ll Be There For You by Louise Cuddon
What were your vows like? Our vows are memorialized in our Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) designed by Ketubahworks. Dan and I wrote the language together in the months leading up to our wedding and gathered a small group of family and friends to witness our Ketubah signing the day before our wedding.
What was your favorite thing about your wedding ceremony? The location! We loved how the open-top, stone structure felt tucked away in a meadow. Getting married in the Ruins surrounded by huge oak trees felt majestic and, at moments, surreal.
The Reception
“I’d describe our reception as an amazing party with all of our nearest and dearest!”
What inspired you when you were planning your wedding? We both appreciate simple, elegant design with bold splashes of color and wanted our decor to complement the property’s expansive, breathtaking beauty. We chose Mediterranean cuisine to go with the venue’s breezy Mediterranean vibe, and we opted for a family-style dinner. We thought sharing food could be a great way for our guests to make new friends!
Please tell us about any special details from your reception. Laurel Anderson at Esla Events and her team styled a couple of cabanas as additional seating areas for the guests. These were a lovely way to provide shade on a hot summer’s day in Sonoma Valley.
Menu: Salad: Grilled Summer Peaches with red oak leaf lettuce, almond crusted goat cheese and sherry vinaigrette // Entrees: Orecchiette Pasta with sauce à la checca, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, basil, parmesan cheese / Grilled Angus Beef Top Sirloin with garlic and herb compound butter / Ocean Skewers with seared sea scallop, tiger prawn skewers and savory couscous // Side Dishes: Market Grilled Vegetables zucchini, eggplant, squash, colorful peppers, mushrooms, baby artichokes, with lemon and thyme marinade // Dessert: Harvey’s Donut Station / S’mores Station / Cutting Cake (Dulce de Leche Cake and Carrot Cake)
Are there any fun details you’d like to tell us about? We worked with Laurel at Esla Events to create custom fill-in-the-blank cards for our guests as an alternative to a guestbook (think Mad Libs).
If you had it to do over again, is there anything you would do differently? We’ll be going on our honeymoon nearly a year after our wedding. Looking back, it could have been nice to spend a couple days alone right after – a “mini-moon” if you will – to catch up on sleep and enjoy each other’s company.
Special dances:
First dance: Me Gustas Tu, Manu Chao (we danced salsa)
Father/daughter: What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
What was your favorite moment or part of the reception? How much fun everyone had! Nearly all the photos from the reception are of people smiling, dancing and having a blast. What more could we ask for?
Photography: Carlie Statsky / Venue: Kunde Family Winery / Event Planning & Design: Esla Events / Officiant: Rabbi D’vorah Rose / Dress: Jenny Packham / Shoes: Aerin Lauder / Clutch: Karen Millen /Earrings: Elizabeth Cole / Bridesmaid Dresses: BCBG, David Meister, Monique Lhuillier, Donna Karan / Suit, Shirt: Artful Gentleman / Tie: J. Crew / Shoes: Gucci / Groomsmen Attire: The Black Tux / Stationery: Wedding Paper Divas with DIY Customization / Calligraphy: Janis Anzalone / Floral Design: Studio Choo / Hair: Sunshine Hair Art, Melisa Hall, Makeup: Melisa Hall / Rentals: Bright Event Rentals, Frances Lane, Hartmann, La Tavola Linen / Ceremony Music: SF Feetwarmers / Reception Music: Boutique DJs / Catering: Alex’s Catering / Cake, Dessert: A Spoonful of Sugar, Harvery’s Donuts, Alex’s Catering
Esla Events and La Tavola Linen are Snippet & Ink Select vendors.
This post contains affiliate links.
The post Interfaith Wedding at Kunde Winery :: Ashvi & Dan appeared first on Snippet & Ink.