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Alison Kilmer & Jim Allsopp have family in the U.S. and England and wanted an intimate wedding that would allow them to bring together and enjoy their loved ones.
October 23, 2004
Sonoma, California
28 guests
Twenty-six of our closest friends and family, an amazing Frank Lloyd Wright Estate in the wine country, plenty of food and drinks, and four days to enjoy it all. Now that’s a recipe for a good time. But let’s back up...
As it turned out, Jim really did leave his heart in San Francisco after meeting me through a mutual friend at a music festival in England three years ago. He soon jumped across the pond to be with me, and we decided early last year to get engaged. We both knew that we wanted our wedding to celebrate time with our loved ones. So we decided on a several-day getaway.
From the beginning we wanted our wedding to be anything but conventional. We wanted a small intimate ceremony; there was no question it would have to be vegan; and we didn’t want the white dress, the bridesmaids, and all the standard traditions. On top of that, we needed a location that could host our immediate family for all four days. Finding a wedding location to accommodate our plans and our families proved rather challenging. After trying several vacation rental companies, we couldn’t find a thing. Then, Craigslist saved the day.
We discovered a 1940s estate in Sonoma. With 9,000 square feet, seven bedrooms, four fireplaces, and enough outdoor activities to keep everyone busy, it proved to be the perfect location to host and entertain our families and hold the ceremony and reception.
Our loved ones all contributed to our special day. As I walked out to the ceremony old friends Rob and Alex strummed The Verve’s Lucky Man—a song Jim selected to express his feelings. Rob was also kind enough to spend his time as our DJ. My childhood friend, Daniel, designed our flowers, my best friend Suzanne coordinated all of our events, and my sisters and I did my bouquet. My Mom’s dog Rowdy lent his support wearing a bow tie, representing all of our canine friends who couldn’t be with us. It was a real family affair.
We were married in front of the huge fireplace in the “Great Room” amongst our closest loved ones. It was a moving experience, and their wasn't a dry eye in the room from the start as we all paid our respects to Jim’s beloved mother, who is sadly no longer with us.
Since Jim and I own a branding agency, we had the luxury of personalizing our own menus, place cards, invitations, chocolate wrappers, and special wine bottles with individualized labels for each guest. Our vegan food was well received and devoured, even by the few carnivorous guests, and everyone who had our cake said it was the best they had ever tasted!
So all in all do I think having a vegan wedding is a good idea? I do.
Alison & Jim’s Menu
Appetizers
Phyllo Triangles with Spinach, Corn, and Zucchini in a Creamy Dill Sauce and a Roasted Red Pepper Coulis • Carrot-Onion Caraway Spread on Pita Chips
Dinner
Caesar Salad with Herbed Croutons, Fresh Carrot, and Cherry Tomatoes in a Creamy Dressing • Grilled Polenta: Polenta with Organic Corn Meal, Fresh Corn and Herbs topped with a Drizzle of Basil Pesto • Bourguigonne of Seitan: Seitan over Organic Parsley Bucatini served with Roasted Red Peppers and Shiitake Mushrooms
in a Tomato Wine Sauce
Wedding Cake
Vanilla Cake with Organic Strawberry Filling & Meyer Lemon Butter Creme Frosting and Chocolate Cake with Organic Raspberry Filling & Butter Creme Frosting
Beverages
Sparkling Water • Red & White Wine • Beer • Champagne • Coffee
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