Newlyweds surprised with a Yountville welcome, with a little help from the hounds
The welcome party had plenty of wagging tails. A pack of playful pups showed up at Pancha’s last week to pull off a celebratory caper that touched the hearts of some visiting newlyweds.
Alan and Mia Mattone had arrived in Yountville from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for their Sept. 19 wedding celebration. At a happy hour before the event, local dogs and their owners gathered to surprise the couple and honor the pets who had been part of their lives.
The gathering was organized by the Yountville Hospitality Hounds, a community group that brings dogs and their owners together to welcome residents and visitors. For the Mattones, who had lost their two Boston terriers, Bella and Snoopy, it was an especially personal gesture.
“There is no celebration without a dog,” said Stacy Black, a friend of the couple who helped bring the surprise together. She had cared for Bella and Snoopy while living in Florida. Black handed out gifts for the visiting dogs, including treats and toys, before offering a toast to the couple and to the people who share their love of dogs.
Black traveled to Yountville for the wedding and invited her sister Yountville resident Sarah Black as her guest. Sarah Black said she discovered another connection to the couple, she and the groom had attended the same boarding school, at the same time, during high school.
“They are dog lovers, and we thought, what better way to welcome them to Yountville than with the Hospitality Hounds?” Sarah Black said.
Her friend Polly Lappetito, a Hospitality Hounds board member, joined the gathering with her rescue dog, Ziti. In a group photo, the Mattones stood among neighbors, friends and a variety of dogs on Pancha’s lawn. A sign nearby read, “Mia + Alan Pawsitively Perfect!!”
Cindy Kapjian, the group’s founder, said the surprise captured what the Hospitality Hounds hopes to bring to Yountville.
“The caper was a perfect example of the magic of the Hounds, turning a simple happy hour at Pancha’s into an unexpected welcome for Alan and Mia,” Kapjian said, adding that the group has already invited the couple to spend time with them on a future visit and hopes to welcome any dogs they adopt.
Alan Mattone called the gathering “an incredible emotional reset.”
“It refocused us to what we should be paying attention to, which is to each other, and the fact that there are people who care about us, people who don’t even know us who showed up to give us an incredible gift,” he said. “This is not something we’ll forget.”
The couple’s connection to Yountville began years earlier during a summer trip to Lake Tahoe. After wildfire smoke drove them from the area, they came to Yountville on a whim and fell for the town.
“We knew we were going to get married here the second we came,” Mia Mattone said.
Now, Alan said, Yountville has become a significant part of their story together. He is also developing a nonprofit foundation inspired by Snoopy, with plans to support children, animals and veterans.
Lisa Adams Walter and Riley Carr photos
