Their first year of dating, Jennifer surprised Andrew with a weekend escape to Temecula and the first vineyard they visited was Europa Village. They fell in love with the ambiance, the people and, of course, the wine — so when it was time to pick a place to say “I do,” there was really only one option: Europa Village.

Europa Village held such special memories for the couple and they wanted to build new memories with their friends and family. Luckily, everyone was on board with the idea of making a vacation out of it and were excited about the destination.

Jennifer says the most difficult part of planning her destination wedding was making sure all the guests had a place to stay. They booked the Europa Inn for 20 people, and suggested the rest of the guests look into AirBnB, since hotels in the area can be expensive.

Being avid travelers themselves, the couple enjoyed planning their destination wedding and took advantage of the location to visit with friends and family leading up to the wedding. Of course, when it comes to planning anything there are bumps along the way; however, the couple’s wedding planner was on top of any issues and solved them promptly.

“We always felt like we were the center of [the wedding planner’s] attention, despite, I’m sure, the several other weddings she was planning,” Jennifer said.

When the big day finally came, everything fell into place. The couple added special touches throughout the wedding such as the personal, handwritten letters to each of the guests as a thank you gift. The bride’s mother also helped make the wedding personal by making the name cards, centerpieces, invitations and table names.

The florist also went the extra mile and created extra arrangements and helped to set up the entire reception area. The ceremony and reception were beautiful, and the bride says that the quality of Europa surpassed what they paid.

The bride says being away from home added a spark to the wedding, creating a sense of adventure. Having a place for friends and family from all over to come together and celebrate made the occasion extra special.

Jennifer recommends that brides planning their weddings remember that it will all come together in the end. She says their DJ didn’t even show up to the wedding, but it all turned out okay because they figured out a plan B and didn’t let it put a damper on the day.

In the end, the wedding details aren’t nearly as important as the people you’re with. “It will be the best day of your life and soak up every second of it!” 

Vendors: Photographer: Savoring the Sweet Life, Wedding Planner: Yesika Lavyn-Grose, Cremony/Reception Site: St Martha’s Church/ Europa Village, Florist: MFG Floral, Stationery: Zazzle Vintage, Cake: Cakes to Celebrate, Hair & Makeup: Domenica Beauty, Gown Designer: Morilee, Groom’s Clothing Designer: Vera Wang, Bridesmaids/Groomsmen’s Clothing Designer: Bill Levkoff/Vera Wang