If we had to pin down Brian and Sandra's Barndiva wedding with one word, that would be it. con·viv·i·al - /kənˈvivēəl/ - (of an atmosphere or event) Friendly, lively, and enjoyable; (of a person) Cheerful and friendly; jovial. merry - festive - jolly - jovial - sociable - social
Healdsburg is a hub for good living and is nestled amongst three of Sonoma Valley's most prominent wine-making regions - the Russian River, Alexander, and Dry Creek Valley's. In addition to great grapes, Healdsburg is also pretty tough to beat for its farm-to-table food offerings and Barndiva is an excellent ambassador for the region. When we first met Brian and Sandra at their San Francisco home, they were so warm and welcomed us as if we were old friends. They shared with us a bottle of wine they had made and discussed the spirit of their Barndiva wedding day and it was clear that it was going to be a very personal, family-style affair. Nearly all the decor was handmade by the bride and groom or a close relative; her aunt made the table runners, and they created the programs, seating chart, place-cards, table decor by themselves. Brian worked as chief product designer for Twitter and set up the "tweet"-able photo booth application that he helped develop so guests could have a bit of fun and share the day's fun in real-time. As the sun faded and took the warmth of the afternoon with it, guests moved inside where they were treated to the jazz ensemble, Ecoutez Music. The musicians set a wonderful Gatsby-esque tone to latter half of the reception and had no trouble coaxing dancers to their feet. The Napa wedding celebrations topped out when Brian and Sandra were lifted above the crowd in their chairs for the Hora and maximum respect points go out to Sandra for being such a good sport. After a wedding day full of such conviviality, Brian and Sandra's decision to honeymoon in Thailand - a country often called The Land of 1000 Smiles - was simply perfect and we can't wait to hear all about it!
