Capella Wedding: same time, different place

History repeats itself as fire reroutes planned wedding from dream Sveadal location. 

  • Lindsey and Steve Cavella married on October 1, 2016 in Atherton. They'll celebrate wedding anniversaries - and other special events - at Sveadal. Photo: Lindsey Cavella

  • Even as a little girl, Lindsey Stiles had always dreamed of being married in Sveadal, where her grandmother was an honored member of the local community and where her own family had spent so many memorable hours. For years her family has led the local Swedish Club, and so it was a special day when she introduced Steve Cavella to her family retreat. He, too, fell in love with the spot and they planned to hold their wedding there on Saturday, October 1.

  • Steven Cavella fell in love with Sveadal after meeting Lindsey Stiles. Photo: Lindsey Cavella

  • Less than a week before their wedding, a huge forest fire changed all those plans. Lindsey jumped into action and rerouted her wedding. Her aunt Sandy had called the television station covering the blaze to correct them that far from being merely a "campground,” historic Sveadal was home to some four dozen residences. She must have mentioned Lindsey’s planned wedding there, for then they began contacting her for details, though they were in the midst of being rearranging. She gave NBC a brief description for their coverage and instead of being married in her beloved Sveadal, Lindsey and Steve were married at the beautiful Holbrooke Palmer estate in Atherton.

  • The family’s real regret was that all their friends were not able to see and experience Sveadal. While several family members have been married there, the irony is that Lindsey’s parents, Lisa and David Stiles, also intended to be married there in 1981. They, too, had to find a new venue when Sveadal’s original clubhouse burned to the ground on October 1, 1979. So, for the newlyweds and the whole family, now that Sveadal has been spared (see the article elsewhere in this issue), they can always celebrate in Sveadal family anniversaries — both planned and postponed. Maybe Lindsey’s younger sister, Karin, will someday get married at Sveadal.
    By Ted Olsson, San Francisco

  • For more info on the wildfire, see Sveadal battles California forest fire