A 40-Guest Luxury Spa-Resort Wedding at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn

The Creekside Lawn Ceremony at the Fairmont

Rev. Kevin Tripp officiated on the Creekside Lawn, big trees rising behind the arch and white folding chairs set on the grass. Mike stood at the altar in his burgundy vest while the wedding party came down. Then Crystal walked in on her son's arm to Kina Grannis's cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love," her lace gown and her cascading jewel-tone bouquet catching every eye in the rows.

For their unity they poured sand — a clear glass block engraved "Perfectly Blended, 09.09.2023" filling with layered grey, coral, blue, and green as they tipped their vials in, one of them marked with a child's name. A family blend, and not just theirs. The whole wedding party stood close around the little table with champagne in hand for it. They walked back up the aisle to Jackie Wilson's "Your Love Keeps Lifting Me," and everyone followed the short path to the patio for cocktails.

“Crystal walked in on her son's arm, and their sand poured together into one vessel — a family blend, engraved "Perfectly Blended."”

Portraits on the Fairmont Grounds

After the ceremony the couple stayed on the lawn with a tray of hors d'oeuvres and their first drinks — a peach Bellini for Crystal — while the photographer worked through the wedding party and family, then the couple portraits. The couple walked the grounds, Crystal's bouquet spilling coral and burgundy against her white gown, Mike beside her in his vest. The September light in Sonoma runs warm and long, and there was time to do it right.

The resort sits over the mineral springs at Boyes Hot Springs, its Mission-style buildings a run of arches, courtyards, and old trees. It gives a wedding party a lot of ground to move through without going far, each setting different from the last.

Dinner and Dancing in the Sonoma Valley Room

Crystal's daughter, Sam, gave the welcome announcement and brought the couple into the Sonoma Valley Room for dinner — filet mignon and roasted chicken, with a Farmer's Market salad to start. A second cake marked the couple's anniversary alongside the tiered wedding cake, and they cut it before the first dance.

Their first dance was to Shenandoah's "I Want to Be Loved Like That," and Sam waved everyone onto the floor after. The best man and maid of honor toasted, then the dancing opened up. Later the party moved out to the resort's firepits for a s'mores station — the last note on a spa-resort celebration that had started with a copper arch on the Creekside Lawn. Crystal changed into a second dress after the sunset photos, and the dancing carried on from there.