A Stunning Intimate Vineyard Wedding at Montaluce Winery and Estates in Dahlonega, Georgia

Stephanie Cole (29 and an IT consultant) and Mark Butts (35 and senior director of product development at The Butler) were dating for more than two years before they got engaged at a local art gallery. "Mark's parents were in town but a friend invited me to an art gallery for the afternoon so I slipped away for a bit," says Stephanie. "The gallery had two floors —we explored the downstairs portion of the exhibit and then headed up. At the top of the stairs, hanging on the wall, was a large canvas photograph of Mark and me. I turned around, and Mark was standing there with the ring!" After celebrating with family and friends, the couple spent the next year planning their sophisticated summer celebration at Montaluce Winery and Estates in Dahlonega, Georgia. The afternoon ceremony was originally planned to be held in the vineyard but due to weather, was moved to a covered patio under an arch of English garden roses. Pops of gold and blush accented the navy color palette and lush florals filled the intimate space. "I wanted our guests to feel pampered at every turn, so we focused heavily on details," says Stephanie. "From the glowing candlelight to the gold flatware, mismatched vintage china and flowers on every flat surface, all of these small parts added up to the grand sum of the experience." Silver candelabras were filled with lush ivory hydrangea, garden roses, sweetheart roses and hanging amaranthus. The only linens used during the vineyard reception were hemstitch napkins to showcase the estate tables' rich wood. In a room off of the bar, Sommeliers served guests and explained about the Montaluce wines, which they had paired with various cheeses. "When we got to Montaluce Winery and Estates for our first visit, I knew right away this was the venue," says Stephanie. "It was the first and only venue we saw in person!"