Archive for the ‘Cali Bride’ Category

It's a nice day for a wine wedding (in a castle).

Do you fantasize about reciting your vows like a fairy tale princess in a castle wedding equipped with a wooden drawbridge, a medieval fireplace and scenic stone towers? Well, even though Castillo di Amorosa does not allow for weddings because of a Napa County ordinance, it does allow for one of the most romantic rehearsal dinner where they host the best wine education tour and tasting outside of Italy.

Amidst the deep green forest high above the Napa Valley vineyard floor lays Castello di Amorosa, (Italian for Castle of Love) a majestic Italian castle that opened in 2008. Rebuilt stone-by-stone by Italian artisans featuring hand-painted murals, a torture chamber and a wine cellar jam-packed with luscious Italian varitels that are only sold on-premise.

Open daily for wine tours and tasting, this romantic winery is also the perfect stop on destination wedding tours of wine country. Enjoy the “The Romance of Italy: The Wines of Napa Valley” tour where you get to ride in a horse drawn carraige before you taste wine. What could be more romantic? More than a tourist attraction, this beautiful venue offers an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perhaps reconnect with your grooms Italian culture and provide a back-drop that is only made for movies.

Happily-ever-after is guaranteed.

 

It’s my great pleasure to introduce my buddy Jan aka Astrogrrl, our Anti-Bride Alterna- Astrologer, marriage muse, our bride in the sky who can help you find the best time of year to tie the knot (or not). She’s got the 411 how astral haps affect our lives. Check in with Jan before you plan. As above, so below, rock and roll!

Aside from the obvious reasons not to marry, such as you don’t really love your betrothed or are in love with another, etc., there are certain periods, astrologically speaking, that are less favorable for having the wedding ceremony that begins your life’s journey together. Let’s start with Venus. In astrology, Venus represents our relationships (of all types — intimate, platonic, familial, casual, committed, and that with the self), our material wealth, our value systems, our self-worth, our capacity to see beauty in the world, and our desires. She travels very close to the Sun (second only to Mercury) and is never more than two signs away from the Sun. Venus retrogrades every eighteen months. It is generally ill-advised to wed while Venus is retrograde. After all, she is the planet of love.

Another consideration is Mercury retrograde. In astrology, Mercury governs all manners of information gathering, processing and dissemination; mental processes; communication; commerce and trade; and transportation. He is the smallest planet our the solar system (now that Pluto has been demoted), the fastest moving planet in the zodiac, the closest planet to the Sun, and is never more than one sign away from the Sun. Mercury takes a break, slows down, and retrogrades three times a year for about three weeks. Now, Mercury retrograde is more of an inconvenience really. Miscommunication, delays, misunderstandings are common during a Mercury retrograde which could magnify an already stressful time for the bride, groom, family and friends. Having said that, a professional and thorough wedding planner would be an invaluable help in lifting much of the worry from the bride, bridal party and family.

In astrology, when a planet retrogrades, it is a time to turn the focus inward and not ideal for initiating action. For Venus, it might be a period of reflection, reconnecting, reviewing relationships, redefining worth (material worth or self-worth) and re-examining value systems. For Mercury, it could be a time of rethinking, re-planning, reorganization and reassessment.

If you find yourself with your wedding date already set during a Venus retrograde, it is best to the inner work a retrograde planet insists upon. In Venus’ case, both parties should each reflect upon and fully understand why they are getting married to this person. Take care of anything that might be a red flag. Honest and candid communication with the self and with each other should help uncover any hidden issues within the relationship.

I’m sure that there are couples who get married during a Venus retrograde that have successful marriages. Although I believe that working with the retrograde energy and each person doing the inner reflection required would greatly help the odds of happy coupling.

Venus retrograde dates are as follows (reflects North America PST):

– October 8 to November 18, 2010 ~ especially unfavorable for Scorpios and Libras born October 18 or later

– May 15 to June 27, 2012 ~ especially unfavorable for Geminis

– December 12, 2013 to January 31, 2014 ~ especially unfavorable for Capricorns

Mercury retrograde dates and factor in three days before the start & after the end dates can also be extra challenging days (reflects North America PST):

– remainder for 2010 ~ December 10 to 30

– 2011 ~ March 30 to April 23; August 2 to 26; November 24 to December 13

– 2012 ~ March 12 to April 4; July 15 to August 7; November 6 to 26

About

Jan aka Astrogrrl, is our marriage muse, our bride in the sky who can help you find the best time of year to tie the knot (or not). She’s got the 411 how astral haps affect our lives. Check in with Jan before you plan.

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