How did you meet?
We grew up on the same street in the same small town, but somehow didn’t meet until we were in our twenties, after we had both finished college and moved back home for a short while. We individually ended up working in a specialty cheese shop called The Cheesemonger, where we bonded over our love of food and wine, the great outdoors, and eventually, each other.
What is your proposal story?
We were on vacation in San Diego for our seventh dating anniversary and had decided to go for a walk at Sunset Cliffs. We barely made it out of the parking lot when Maxson was down on one knee! We were engaged with the waves and pelicans cheering us on. A kind, elderly man on his morning stroll happened to be walking by and took our pictures and congratulated us. He then gave us the marriage advice of “put them first, always.” This is something we strive for in our daily lives and will always remember.
Tell us a little bit about your wedding.
We were envisioning an early fall wedding with vibrant, earthy colors. We loved the down to earth, indie style we had been seeing pop up in wedding blogs, so we tried to put together something similar to that vibe while staying true to our own preferences. We always wanted to get married in our home town, but had originally chosen a larger location for quite a few guests. The pandemic changed some of those plans – and we ended up getting married in a much more intimate, minimalist setting on family-owned property. Most of our decorations were hand-made by the bride or borrowed from friends and neighbors.
Tell us about your attire choices.
We wanted to go for a simple, classic look with an edge. The bride chose an a-line gown with a lace back similar to one she had fallen in love with at a much higher price point.
The groom chose a color first and then went to several suit shops before finding “the one.” Then, we added our personal touches: marigold yellow heels, a homemade orange and yellow boutonniere, and a marigold yellow tie!
What was the most important part to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
The most important aspects of our wedding were location, decor, and photography. We knew, because of pandemic restrictions, that we would not be getting the celebration with friends that we had envisioned – so we prioritized being able to look back and remember the tiny details and intimacy that so often are overlooked in our day to day. We couldn’t have a reception, so we skipped a cake and catering (which are big expenses)! We put the majority of our resources into crafting the decor and finding a photographer that we loved.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
The day was such a whirlwind, even for a small ceremony! That first morning of calm: sipping coffee by the river before anyone else was awake. Another favorite moment was setting up the livestream cameras together.
Looking at each other as we said our vows. And lastly, having a fabulous photographer that made everyone involved smile as we took pictures!
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
The bride created all floral arrangements, boutonnieres, and bouquets out of faux greenery and sola wood flowers, which she hand dyed individually.
Tell us about your wedding cake.
We actually didn’t have a cake! We ordered cinnamon rolls from a local bakery that were individually boxed for people to take home.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
All flowers were sola-wood and hand dyed by the bride. The flowers were used to create all arrangements, bouquets, and boutonnieres. Bouquets wraps were made of cheese cloth that was also hand dyed by the bride.
