Villa Bellezza Vineyard
The ceremony and reception will be held at Villa Bellezza Winery and Vineyard, starting at 4pm on August 18th, 2012. Villa Bellezza is a new winery in Pepin, Wisconsin. Bellezza is the Italian word for beauty and the name is inspired by the stunning river bluff drive to the winery along the Mississippi’s historic Great River Road.
Pepin, Wisconsin
We're starting our adventure with a journey! A journey down the Great Mississippi River Road from Minneapolis to Pepin on the day of the wedding. If you'd like to journey with us, you can stay at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in the reserved block of rooms. You'll have to reserve before July 27th though, so be quick! We'll be providing group transportation from Minneapolis to Pepin for the ceremony and back to Minneapolis after the reception. If you'd like to stay closer to Pepin, there are a block of rooms at Cobblestone Inn & Suites in Durand, or you can hunt down a quaint Bed and Breakfast in the area. Here is a list of the options.
The Proposal
I planned an elaborate set of surprises for the proposal. Firstly, the ring was being custom designed and I asked the jeweler to email us both to inform us that "the ring won't be completed for several weeks" – setting the stage for a surprise. Next, with the help of two friends, I made a heart of candles in my apartment for when Hilary came over for what she thought was a routine dinner date. When she reached the door, SUPRISE! she heard their song playing and I greeted her and led her into the glowing heart of candles. I then professed my deep love for her, got down on one knee, and proposed. She said yes, we shared a joyous moment, and then we headed to dinner where SURPRISE! her family had flown into town to meet us. After dinner, we all returned to my apartment to SURPRISE! a party of friends ready to celebrate with us.
I filmed the proposal set up and made a video for your enjoyment. My favorite part is the solar system t-shirt worn by my roommate Dan.
Registries
Dear friends and family,
Yep, we registered. We searched and scanned and clicked our way through mountains of stuff. At the end of our wish list marathon, we accumulated quite a few items. We love all of you deeply, and are so blessed that you would want to honor us with gifts to start our new life together. But we are asking in love and sincerity that you choose to bless us in the following order:
1. Make the trip to Villa Bellezza for the wedding. Having you there with us to celebrate means more than spatulas and towels.
2. If you'd like to bless us with a gift, you can visit our registries at Crate & Barrel or Restoration Hardware by clicking on the respective images below.
