Napa Valley Summer Tidbits

Hello Hello! 

Sharing a few tidbits from our Napa trip last week! As you guys know, with the wedding planning, I have had my fair share of Napa trips this past year but this one was officially our last before the wedding. We met with our caterer, tried all of the food, did our cake tasting, met with our florist and finalized the whole schedule with my planner for the wedding weekend. It was a non-stop weekend, but don’t worry, there was plenty of wine 🙂

Last time I was there in May, I went with my mom to do our first round of meetings with our vendors and this time I had my Dad, Colton, and Hannah with me! It was quite the family affair! I loved finally getting to show my Dad and Colton everything I have been planning and all of the decisions that have been made. It meant the world them being there with me. Especially my Dad. Hannah was really bored…. poor kid lol but the rest of us had a great time! 

{ sweater // long champ bag // heels // jeans // suitcase }

Friday morning, Colton and I got into San Francisco bright and early. Our tasting with our caterer wasn’t until 2:00 so we wanted to get in early and take the opportunity to enjoy San Fran just a little bit! First stop, I knew I wanted to take Colton to Mr. Holmes Bakery! We had heard a lot of really great things about it, and I was craving a chocolate croissant so it seemed like the right thing to do lol. 

Mr. Holmes was pretty packed (& the famous sign was broken – sad day) so we grabbed our box of goodies and headed to the famous painted ladies! If you are not familiar with San Francisco, that is what they call the colorful houses in the picture of Colton and I above! They are also in the opening credits of Full House when they are having a picnic lol. So Colton and I decided to do the same! Except with a whole lot of pastries lol. 

We actually ended chatting with the older man who lives in the blue house for the longest time. He has the most beautiful Golden Retriever, so of course I had to play with her – which is ultimately how we got to talking to him in the first place! 

{ gray cardigan // white tank // white jeans // earrings // purse // heels }

After hanging out at the park for awhile and exploring San Francisco jut a little bit more, we met up with my Dad and Hannah and went to our tasting! 

I thought about sharing all of the photos I took with you guys….. but then I decided I really wanted it to be a surprise! Just know, our tasting was awesome and my caterers know how to have a good time. They wine and dined us to a tee. It was seriously such a good time! 

Btw – how cute are my Dad and Colton basically matching lol?! 

{ jumpsuit // heels // purse // earrings }

That next morning, we woke up, I got a quick workout in and then decided to take my Dad and Hannah to the Boon Fly Cafe. It’s one of Colton and I’s favorites and we knew they would love it too! Pro-tip: in order to avoid a long wait, try getting there before 10:00 am! Also – be sure to get the Boon Fly powered donuts!  

After breakfast, we met with our Florist, finalized the wedding weekend agenda and then headed to our cake tasting! I’m pretty sure we were all looking the most forward to this particular meeting, but I for one felt so sick afterwards! I mean, we tried like 13 different types of cake! My stomach just couldn’t handle the sugar lol. 

Colton had no problems – ha! Anyways….

While I was planning our trip, I had a hard time making lunch & winery reservations for Friday because I wasn’t sure how we would feel after all of our tastings nor what time they would be over! So we played the evening by ear and it all turned out really great! We ended up going to Hall Winery, since it is one of our recommendations for our guests and really enjoyed ourselves! They have a really relaxed tasting with a cute outdoor patio that we loved! They are also dog friendly and had a Golden Retriever in there, so they won points with that one too! 

After Hall’s, we ended the afternoon sipping champagne and eating oysters on the patio at Solage Calistoga. I love it there because it is so nice and inviting. I’m all about my vibes guys. They have great shareable plates and when the temperatures drop at night, they have the swankiest heaters and will bring blankets to your table! 

{ top // skirt // heels // hat }

Sunday we woke up early and headed to Meadowood for brunch. Meadowood is my Dad’s absolute favorite place in the Valley and so we couldn’t miss it while we were there! Dad was actually devastated we didn’t want to get married there but Colton and I just really didn’t want to get married on a golf course. None-the-less, the property is still gorgeous and we could not have asked for a better or more enjoyable morning. Serious, the weather was perfect and it made their already perfect patio even more perfect. 

Afterward, we headed to Frogs Leap because there is no way we could leave the Valley before taking my Dad there. If you have followed along on any of my Napa trips, then you know that Frogs Leap is hands down my favorite Winery in Napa. I could honestly hang out there all day. Plus, the tasting is extremely reasonably priced for such an incredible experience! If you plan on going, this has to be on your list but make sure you make a reservation! Especially if you plan to go on a Saturday. 

It was a short but very sweet trip.

I know when it comes to planning a wedding, a lot of people are very opinionated on the whole “is a wedding worth it” controversasry. The planning, the stress, and the money….. all for one night. I get it! Trust me – I get it. But at the end of the day, this time planning the wedding has brought everyone closer. We have made a lot of really great unforgettable memories that I wouldn’t trade for the world. 

Eventually, after the wedding, I am going to do one huge post dedicated to Napa but in the meantime, below I tagged the rest of my Napa posts! 

xo,

Lauren 

Similar Posts: Napa Valley Weekend Guide; Napa In The Spring Time; 

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