Julie Ann Kodmur and Stuart A. Smith, married June 16, 1996.
As we planned our outdoor wedding at my husband’s winery on top of Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley, we knew we’d include our friendly springer spaniel, Rooster.
On the other hand, this was not to be a Martha Stewart-type precision-oriented festivity, but rather a leisurely “village festival,” in my husband’s words, where guests would follow us through an allee of olive trees to a clearing looking out over the floor of the Napa Valley more than 2,000 feet below.
In other words, Rooster would not cutely trot in time ahead of us with our rings on a pillow or ribboned in a box. He would just be a guest, festooned for the occasion with a yellow daisy collar created by my maid of honor.
Rooster is shy, so by the time the guests milled and seated themselves and the klezmerim preceded, Diana, the maid of honor and myself, accompanied by my family, the dog was nowhere to be seen. He’d been spotted curled up under the chuppah as guests arrived but then had disappeared.
The ceremony began and captivated everyone, alternating music and commentary. Then came a pause and laughter rippled all around as clouds of red dust (one of the trademarks of this vineyard) came flying out from under the white tablecloth-covered table where the ketubah and wine were waiting. Rooster was nesting, digging a cooler hole in his hideaway. Quite a memorable moment!