Emily and Chris met in high school, their first day of freshman year in the first period. So many firsts! Chris held the door open for Emily, and she was smitten. “I instantly thought he was so cute, and we crushed on each other since,” Emily said. As fate would have it, they never dated in high school. It wasn’t until seven years later, after Emily had moved from their hometown in California to Hawaii, that they made dating official. They reconnected, and Chris visited her in Hawaii and sparked flew. The couple got engaged less than two years later. Ahhhh, the magic of Hawaii!

Most of their relationship has been long-distance. Since Chris is in the military, the two wouldn’t see each other very often at the beginning of their dating relationship. After he visited her in Hawaii for a few weeks, they didn’t see each other for six months. Good thing Emily moved back home to California. Did that mean they saw each other regularly? Unfortunately, no. Chris was stationed in California, but they were still a 2.5-hour drive away from each other.  Consequently, they saw each other only on weekends, not all, but most. 2 weeks after they got engaged, Chris was sent on a 7-month deployment. By now, you probably think Emily & Chris is the most patient couple ever. The things we do for love, and all so worth it. 

Wedding planning was a challenge for these two lovebirds. Trying to plan their wedding while working and going to school full-time, paired with the time difference from California to Guam, made it a challenge. Conversations themselves were difficult. There were financial stressors, and “going through all the emotions of deployment and not having each other was very tough, but we got through it!” Emily stated. Their faith brought them closer together. They would regularly pray together and help to keep each other laughing and optimistic for the future. FaceTime was their saving grace! “Thank God for technology!”

The two had their dream bohemian ranch wedding at a working ranch in California Wine Country. Love does conquer all. You know what else? Emily sprained her ankle 10 minutes into the wedding reception, but that did not cause her to take a seat at her ranch wedding. She still danced the night away. Now, that’s a Dreamers & Lovers girl!

The Proposal

Emily set up a beach photo shoot; she planned to take family pictures for their friends before their men headed out to their deployment. One of their favorite beaches in SoCal- is Carlsbad. Chris tagged along since they were going to get dinner afterward, and Emily’s friend offered to take photos of the couple. While the friend was snapping away, Chris fell on one knee at sunset.  Emily was so surprised and described it as “the perfect moment. I felt like I sort of blacked out (LOL), but I was on cloud 9. The man of my dreams gave me the ring of my dreams, and it was extraordinary!”

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Finding her Wedding Dress

Dreamers & Lovers was only the second place Emily looked for a dress. She did not have a great experience at the first dress shop she visited, but at Dreamers and Lovers, it was “truly the most special time,” Emily added. She went dress shopping with her mom and now her mother-in-law. Emily feels very blessed to have such a great relationship with both her moms and their bond with each other. Win, win! The Caroline dress was the first one she tried on after stalking the website because she immediately fell in love! The bride said, “It was everything I loved about wedding dresses such as these.” She loved they were elegant, romantic, and a little different! She wanted an off-the-shoulder dress with the kind of lace Caroline had. She tried a few more to be sure, but the bridal consultant told her she could tell that Emily was in love with the Caroline dress. She was right! Emily said yes that day! She says it was the “best decision ever.”

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The Wedding Vows

The couple wrote their vows! Emily’s favorite lines from Chris’s vows were:

“I promise to put God in the center of our marriage and to rely on Him and to seek wisdom and strength in our relationship.” 

“I promise to watch Iron Man 2 with you and let you quote every line.” The couple are Marvel fans..

The Bride’s Favorite Memory of the Weddings

This was a difficult question for the bride because there were so many memorable moments. She did come up with two. For Emily, the first dance as husband and wife was incredible. She recalls looking around the room and seeing their loved ones surrounding them. It was special having them all in one room and witnessing all the smiles and happy tears. “It was an indescribable feeling, full of love and joy and bliss all in one,” she said.  Emily was also pleasantly surprised when Chris became emotional. “Before the wedding, Chris said he would not cry, but he cried about four times throughout our wedding ceremony; that was pretty sweet too! Love ya, honey ;).”

Emily’s Advice to Other Brides

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“Wedding planning can be very stressful, but don’t forget to have fun! You only do this once, so enjoy it. Another tip is to remember the focus of the day; you are marrying the love of your life. That is such a gift! Don’t get caught up in the little things; some people will try to get their way at your wedding, but it’s YOUR wedding. Don’t feel bad about making decisions that are a little bit selfish. Enjoy the moment, and don’t you dare to look at your phone- I didn’t even think about mine. Best thing ever.”

MORE INSPIRATION: Laura and Ryan’s Countryside Wedding

WEDDING CREW

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wildlands Photo

DESSERT TABLES & EVENT DESIGN: Sweet Makery

TATTOO ARTIST: Art By Adrian Martin

WEDDING DRESS DESIGNER: Dreamers & Lovers