Happy 30 Years

Today is my parents' 30th anniversary! My parents are both from the Philippines, and they met each other after being set up on a blind date. They married five years later in a gorgeous little church surrounded by close family and friends - and my dad paid for the entire wedding!

And towards the end of my wedding planning - and in the midst of being so caught up on every American tradition - I realized I didn't even have any of my families' culture tied into it. So leave it up to my dad to bring a little bit of Filipino tradition to the mix. Most men in the Philippines wear a barong to their wedding or formal events. My dad decided last minute to wear a barong for my ceremony, before he changed into a tuxedo for the reception.

My parents on their wedding day in the Philippines (1983) and my dad and I on my wedding day.

We decided to celebrate this past weekend with a lovely Sunday trip to a nearby winery! Living in Virginia, we are lucky to have so many amazing wineries within 30 minutes of each other. We decided to go to Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton - mainly because it is one of the closest wineries to us and it is dog-friendly. And it was such a gorgeous spring day, I couldn't imagine leaving Vega at home indoors! Vega's favorite pastime? Basking in the sun.

Look at that happy face!

Now that the wedding has been over (for awhile now), I've really looked forward to events like these where I get to plan and decorate all over again! I used mason jars, a whitewashed serving tray, and picture frames from my wedding. Remember my favorite cheese knives from my wedding registry post? Yes - those made an appearance again!

My favorite and most recent inexpensive purchase were the plastic crystal dishes that I got from the dollar store (and it was four dishes for $1!) - which I used for the fruit and nuts. 

I added a photo of my grandparents on their wedding day - their anniversary is the day before my parents. My grandmother lives in the Philippines, so it was a small tribute to her as well!

We purchased a few bottles of Chardonnay from the winery (delicious!) and I prepared some light appetizers and snacks beforehand. I purchased the off-white bouquets from Trader Joe's - which happens to have great flower deals every now and then. Overall, a relatively inexpensive little get together! And most importantly, we had so much fun spending time with my parents and family. And Vega was able to add another winery to her list! So far, she's been to two - can't wait to add more to it once the weather stays warm.

Sunshine and wine with my best friend. Skirt from Love Culture.