How did you meet?
Henry and I met at our gym. We never went to the same class time but always saw each other in passing. One day, I called out sick from work (I wasn’t sick), and went to the gym at his regular time where we got paired up for a partner workout. We immediately hit it off!
What is your proposal story?
Henry took me on a nice date in Del Mar. We had an amazing lunch with a beautiful view, and we ended the day at a small park over looking the ocean. That’s where he popped the question!
Tell us a little bit about your wedding.
Our vision for the wedding was always to have something small and intimate. I wanted a very natural and organic feel to our decor. I loved that our wedding was outdoors and we were able to use the boho feel of the venue to our advantage. The venue reminded us of our travels to Tulum. It felt like a destination wedding in our own hometown! I wanted to use a warm color palette to compliment the natural colors of the venue.
Tell us about your attire choices.
Henry chose a dark brown suit because it complimented a boho feel while also looking formal. He purchased his suit and tie from Indochino because they had the best selection in colors and fabrics.
I purchased my Maggie Sottero dress from Prevue bridal. I really wasn’t sure what style dress I wanted when I started looking, but what I ended up loving about my dress was the simple silhouette and the detail on the lace. I loved the scalloping on the dress as well because it had beaded gothic style arches that reminded me of churches I had seen in Europe. I chose to use a cape because I never liked having anything hanging from my hair and I think it looked great! I also wore Jimmy Choos because they’re beautiful.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
The most important thing about our wedding was to make sure we kept things simple while also making sure our guests had a great time. I had a day-of wedding coordinator, but we chose every detail and also purchased and DIY-ed most of the decor you see in our photos.
We picked this venue because we were able to bring in our own vendors. We splurged the most on catering and photography, but it was worth it!
What was your favorite part of the day?
Our favorite part of the day was our first look. We debated for a long time whether we would do it or not. I never imagined the emotions we would feel when we first saw each other. I am so glad we have the pictures and video that captured that moment.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
When I walked into the venue that day, I know I chose the right florist. I was blown away I almost cried! I love bright colors and wanted to incorporate a palette that reminded me of a fall sunset. I decided to use bud vases for our arrangements to make our large tables look fuller, while also maintaining a more casual vibe. Our florist did an amazing job at bringing my color palette to life and using flowers that I absolutely love.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
Our wedding cake was our favorite flavor…lemon! It was so good!
What did you do for favors?
We kept it simple with our favors and only got a photo booth. There’s nothing better than taking home a picture strip after a party.
How about any DIY, handmade, or personal details?
I second hand shopped for most decor items including: a vintage desk used as our sweetheart table, a vintage loveseat, arch, bud vases, big vases, table runners and a mirror we used to make the seating chart. The venue didn’t have enough metal chairs for us, so I bought about 10 more and painted them with my dad!
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
The special tradition we used was the wedding lasso during the unity ceremony. We had our florist make one out of flowers instead of the traditional lasso.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their wedding now?
I think that if you are planning your own wedding, the best thing to do is to create a timeline for when you need to get vendors booked and tasks done. Make labels and create an email just for wedding things. You will probably be overwhelmed no matter what, but creating that timeline will help you feel more organized and in control!
No matter how small you think your wedding is, get a day-of planner so that you and every guest can be fully present that day. Lastly, make sure to make your vision come to life and not someone else’s.
