We're getting married
Wrenstone Castle, Julian, California
November 20, 2027
Save the date
We met in the dark, quite literally: a power cut in a secondhand bookshop, and two strangers sharing one candle at the back of the poetry shelves. So it seems right to marry by candlelight. Join us at Wrenstone Castle on a cold November evening: vows on the old stone stair as the sky turns blue, a long dinner in the great hall, and dancing in the courtyard until the gates close at midnight.
372
days until November 20
Our story
2018
A storm took the power out on Thirtieth Street. The owner of the bookshop handed round candles and said nobody had to leave. Silas was reading Rilke badly out loud; Vivienne corrected him. We stayed until the lights came back at eleven.
2020
Our first trip together: a cabin with a wood stove, apple pie for breakfast and the first snow either of us had seen in years. We drove past a stone ruin on a ridge and both said, at the same time, someone should get married there.
2025
On the winter solstice Silas lit every candle in the apartment, forty-one of them, and asked by the last one. The ring was his grandmother's. The smoke alarm went off halfway through. She said yes over it.
2027
The same stone ruin, the same cold air, and everyone we love on the stair with us.
The evening
4:30 pm
The lantern road
Follow the lanterns from the iron gate up to the castle. Hot spiced cider and sparkling water at the top, and blankets for anyone who wants one.
5:00 pm
The ruined stair
Under the rose arch in the roofless hall, just as the sky turns blue. It's short, it's outdoors, and it's lit entirely by candles.
5:40 pm
The cloister
Warm drinks, a dark rye cocktail named after Silas's grandfather, small plates and the fire pits lit along the old walls.
7:00 pm
The great hall
One long table in black velvet and brass, a menu sealed in wax at every place, and a few short toasts between courses.
9:00 pm
The courtyard
A band, a dance floor under the stars and pie at ten. The gates close at midnight; the last shuttle leaves at 11:45.
What to wear
Velvet, silk and wool in deep evening colours: black, oxblood, plum, forest, midnight. The ceremony is on worn stone steps and old flagstones, so choose block heels or flats. It will be in the low forties after dark: bring a coat or a wrap, and there's a blanket on every chair.
Pie, coffee and leftover cake at the inn from ten. Come as you are.
Getting there
Wrenstone Castle sits on a ridge above the mountain town of Julian, about an hour and a quarter from San Diego and two and a half hours from Los Angeles. The last two miles are a narrow, winding road through the oaks, so we've hung a lantern on every bend. Shuttles run from both inns from 3:45 pm and back from 10 pm; please don't drive the mountain road after the party. (Wrenstone Castle is invented for this demo.)
Open in mapsWhere to stay
Mention our names when you book. Rooms are held until September 20.
Twelve rooms, four-poster beds and a fire in the parlour every night. The shuttle leaves from the front porch.
Book a roomSmall cottages among the apple trees, each with a wood stove. Best for families and anyone who wants a quiet morning.
Book a roomMake a weekend of it
Julian in November is woodsmoke, frost on the orchards and apple pie at every hour. If you arrive on Friday, walk the old main street after dark when the shop windows are lit, and get a slice of pie before they sell out. On Sunday morning we'll be at the Lantern Hill Inn with coffee and the last of the cake.
Good to know
Yes, on the stone stair in the roofless hall. If it rains we move into the great hall, which has a roof, a fireplace and the same candles.
Around 60°F in the afternoon and the low forties after dark. There are blankets on every chair and fire pits in the cloister and courtyard, but bring a proper coat.
Every one of them. Please mind long sleeves, hems and veils near the steps. Our team tends the candles all evening.
At midnight. The last shuttle back to the inns leaves at 11:45 pm.
If your invitation names one, yes. The table in the great hall seats exactly who we've invited, so please check yours before you reply.
We love your children, but with hundreds of open flames and a lot of old stone steps, this is an adults-only evening.
Registry
Having you on the stair with us is the gift. If you'd still like to give something, here are two ideas.
RSVP
Please reply by October 1. One reply per household.
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