Sunny + Cool California Outdoor Wedding

Q. A little bit about your love story

“We met in high school, our freshman year! We shared a few classes, but didn’t start dating until our junior year. We were in two different states in college (California and Arizona), though not far, but juggled long distance for a while before I moved back to California four years ago.”

Q. Your favorite part of the wedding day

“Our favorite part was finally getting to see each other. We did a first look before the ceremony, which was just a few moments to relish in the fact that not much later, we would get to call each other husband and wife. That moment tops it all!

“Another favorite was just seeing it all come together. We were sitting at our sweetheart table, eating a few bites of our tacos, looking around, and said to ourselves, “Just look at all these people that are here for US.” It was very surreal, but seeing our planning come together, all the family and friends that had come to celebrate with us, was just magical.”

Q. What unique elements or DIY details did you include?

“I think most of all were the surprises we incorporated into our day. Until the rehearsal, no one knew that my uncle was officiating, and even on the wedding day, it was still a surprise to others that he would be doing our wedding. Our dessert (churro bar) was a surprise to all, as were other personal touches here and there for our family and bridal party who were so great and supportive through the process for us!

“One of my other favorite pieces was using our high school alma mater for our florals – it tied it back to where we met and was a great way to continue supporting their program! They turned out amazing and were exactly what I had hoped for to fit into our day.”

Q. How did your personalities shine through on wedding day?

“Our personalities were pretty reflective in the entire day, which is what we wanted: a relaxed, fun atmosphere and just a great party at the end of the day. We wanted it to be casual and fun, just as we consider ourselves to be!

“Our ceremony was short and sweet, but unapologetically us as we wrote our own vows and didn’t share them with each other beforehand. Our songs reflected our varied tastes (our recessional was to the Beatles, and our first dance was to a cover of The Darkness’ I Believe in a Thing Called Love).

“A taco bar for dinner was a great reflection of our laid-back style, but also to show off California cuisine for our out-of-town guests. Our venue was casual, open-air and set us up for a perfect evening for dancing under the stars on a perfect Southern California night!”

Q. One piece of advice you could give brides-to-be?

“Don’t be afraid to make your wedding YOU – whether that’s through your song choices or your dessert options, and don’t let others steer you in the direction of ‘You should…’ or ‘It should be done this way…’

“Doug and I stuck to our gut and kept it true to us, which a lot of people told us was very well reflected in our entire day. Especially today, I don’t think there is such thing as a traditional wedding – and that’s what makes it fun!”