Wow! I don’t know where to begin with Sheena and John. They are an absolutely amazing couple!!! Sheena is a Captain in the United States Air Force, and John is a Major who puts his life on the line in Afghanistan. They both have enduring love and incredible courage. Their wedding at Sebastiani was a culmination of a team effort by everyone involved. Alex and Gaspar at Sebastiani, Steve Sarna at Ramekins, Josette at Lavender Floral . . . we all wanted this wedding to be perfect for our patriots.
Sheena’s vision was that John and she could actually be married amongst the vines themselves. Sebastiani made an exception to the rule that protects their precious Cherryblock designation to allow them to do just that.
The day was picture perfect. Guests met at Arbour Park where they were greeted by refreshing lemonade and tea, then walked the short distance to the vineyard where they listened to delightful music by the Musical heartstrings trio while waiting for the ceremony to begin. The bridesmaids and bride were brought to the site by Sebastiani’s picturesque trolley where the ceremony was performed by Reverend Lisa Joslen. The bride carried a meticulously crafted bouquet made completely of vintage and modern jewelry with a wine bottle as the base. Her dress was an absolutely elegant matte satin with beaded lace applique sporting a royal cathedral length train.
After the ceremony guests went to the romantic fountain courtyard for passed hors d’oeuvres while John and Sheena had pictures made in the vineyards. Then the bride and groom snuck behind the world’s largest wine barrel via a winding staircase that wraps around both behind and in front. They made their grand entrance into the barrel room passing through a sabre arch provided by the Travis Color Guard (the fee to pass through is a kiss from the bride to the groom). The immediately went into their first dance with music by AMS Wine Country.
Dinner was designed to be offered at stations. Ramekins Catering in Sonoma surpassed all expectations with beautifully crafted steak and pork sliders, a mouth-watering Mediterranean station and a scrumptious pasta station. The evening rounded off with a perfect sweets station and organic, locally roasted coffee in the Sonoma Room.
After cutting their personal-sized wedding cake, Sheena did a bouquet toss from the Papa Barrel stairwell and John delicately removed Sheena’s garter over her cowboy boot for the garter toss. Following was a traditional Hawaiian dance.
Then everyone danced the rest of the evening away until John and Sheena departed in their classic convertible.
Hair: Salon Novo, Andria Falcon
Makeup: Makeup Artistry by Alan, Alan Friedman
A footnote: Several weeks after Sheena and John’s marriage, I received a package in the mail. When I opened it, there was a gorgeous shadow box with a “Certificate of Appreciation” and an American flag folded in a triangle. The note read:
Denise,
When John was deployed, we decided that we would purchase a flag and have it flown in your honour during one of his missions as a small token of our gratitude for all the work you had done for us up to that point in time.
Since then you truly went above and beyond everything we had asked for! We want you to know that ALL your time, your efforts, and your patience has meant the world to us! Our wedding was a fairy tale, and we owe every second of design and planning to you. Thank you, thank you, and forever THANK YOU!
God’s blessings to you and our family
John and Sheena (Pulealii) Belt
Yes, I cried . . .
