You know when you’re at a restaurant and the servers gather to sing Happy Birthday to a customer? For most people, its a semi-forgettable moment, but not for Stephanie & John. They were the singers, not the customers, working at a job they both hated. But that brief bit of musical misery led to a beautiful wedding ceremony over four years later.
Just before launching into song, Stephanie introduced herself to John who made an immediate impression with his quick wit. That sense of humor is what attracted Stephanie, who he describes as the sweetest girl that he has ever met.
Some time later, Stephanie made sure that John knew that if he were ever to propose, it had better be under a sky full of fireworks. So when the time came, what better place to make that happen than on a trip to the “happiest place on Earth”? John meticulously planned a day in Disneyland’s California Adventure, with drinks and dinner at Ariel’s Grotto in front of the fireworks display as a grand finale. It seemed like all was going according to plan until they were turned away at the door of the restaurant because John had not made a reservation.
Having to improvise, and remembering that Stephanie had always wanted one of those big-headed caricature paintings, John put on a show of suddenly becoming violently “ill”, and raced to the nearest bathroom. Stephanie, being the sweetheart she is, went off in search of medicine. When she was out of sight, John ran across the park to the boardwalk, where the caricature artists were setup. Out of breath, he quickly explained his hastily-concocted plan to the artists before hurrying back to the bathroom, where he found Stephanie waiting with Alka Seltzer.
John had to drink up a big cup of delicious Alka Seltzer to keep up the charade, and surprise! Miraculously, he was feeling much better. Soon, their wandering happened to lead them toward the boardwalk, where the pyrotechnics crew was finishing preparations for the evening’s fireworks show.
As they watched, a caricature artist called out their names. Stephanie was pleasantly surprised, and they sat for their portraits as the fireworks got underway. Focused on the show, Stephanie didn’t notice the crowd gathering around until people started taking pictures of the portrait. When the artist turned the easel around, there was cartoon John on one knee with the question “Marry Me?” coming out of his freakishly large head. What else could Stephanie say but “Yes!”
Stephanie found a good deal on a somewhat generic looking gown, a strapless mermaid design with beaded floral embroidery, and spiced it up by adding a sash to the bodice for more of a heart-shaped look to the chest area. Her mom took charge of the planning, enlisting a friend to help book vendors, create gift bags, throw a shower, and lots more besides. John’s uncle was entrusted with DJ duties. Not to say that everyone involved didn’t do a good job, but looking back, Stephanie wishes that she had delegated more duties to vendors. “It would have been worth the extra money to relieve some stress off myself and enjoy the day more freely.”
They tied the knot at the San Lorenzo Seminary in Santa Ynez and had their reception in the ranch house on the hilltop. Mint and coral were the colors that set the tone for this country chic wedding, which represented where we Stephanie and John see themselves in the future (country) and who they are now (the city life they both grew up in). The ceremony was captured through the lens of photographer Chris Morairty of Sacramento, who gets glowing reviews from Stephanie and John. “Chris shot our engagement photos as well as our wedding photos and every session was fun. Chris was happy to find options that fit our style and level of comfort, and not once did we feel awkward with his guidance. On our big day, Chris went above and beyond by helping guide us through the chaos, making it feel like he was an extra member of the bridal party. He made an extra effort to capture each guest at the wedding to ensure no person or moment was forgotten. ”
After the ceremony, the newlyweds took a walk to shake off their nerves. The walk was a great chance to connect with each other and share their thoughts from during the ceremony, away from family and friends for the moment. Then it was on to a feast of tri-tip, herb roasted chicken, cheese raviolis, a spring salad, seasoned potatoes and garlic bread, and dessert was the wedding “cake”, an ice cream mudpie with an Oreo crust. Stephanie says, “To this day, when people think back to our wedding they always bring up how good the food was.” Sounds so good, it’s a wonder that anyone was able move enough to dance afterwards! But dance they did, to music ranging from classic 80’s to today’s pop and electronic, starting with Bruno Mars’ “Count on me” for the first dance, chosen because neither of the newlyweds was an experienced dancer, so they went for something we could just sway to.
Guests were sent home with reusable grocery bags adorned with artwork commemorating the wedding, created by John’s cousin. And inside, mints with “Mint to Be” printed on them. Stephanie reports that this wedding favor was a hit, and says that the best thing about the day was “getting to see all of our family and friends gathered in one spot to celebrate our love.” Afterwards, they surprised nobody when they went to Disneyland for a couple days, and now say that it was even more magical as husband and wife.
Stephanie and John learned a lot in the course of their wedding experience that they are happy to pass along to couples:
• Leave LOTS of time to get ready. Budget in an extra two hours at least. I gave myself 5 hours and was still 20 minutes late to the altar.
• In retrospect, some vendors were not the best choices for us. Make sure both you and your vendors have the same expectations for the day before the day such as dress code, mannerisms, the mood, and the timeline of when you want things to be done.
• Start a wedding registry soon after you get engaged. We waited until three months before the wedding to start compiling a list of stuff we wanted. The problem is, we already had everything we needed so we were scrambling to find stuff we wanted. If you start one soon after you are engaged, any time you find yourself needing something, it can go on the list. Same with honeymoons. Make sure to decide upon a place to honeymoon soon after you are engaged so you can make payments on the trip as you go along. We were engaged for two and a half years, and yet we waited until three months before our wedding to make honeymoon plans. Our preferred choice meant having to shell out $5000 in a month, so we ultimately decided on a much cheaper option.
• Grooms, you might not expect to have to give a speech during your own wedding, believing that everyone else has that covered, but guess what? They expect a speech.
• Make sure you are not neglecting your partner-to-be the night before the wedding. It is fun to see all your friends but keep your eye on the prize. Make sure in advance that everything is set up for the big day, vendors are fulfilling their contracts, etc. to avoid stress.
• Planning a wedding can be a crazy time. It sure helps to have a good support system, whether it be family or friends. Make decisions together and remember to compromise. It is both of your days and the joining of two personalities as one.
PHOTOS: Chris Morairty Photography
