Aah…Looking at Chloe in her wedding photos: Marilyn Monroe comes to mind, only in some far cooler, far more bohemian and laid back incarnation, I love it! Yet this wasn’t some high-paced, sweep-me-off-my-feet, Hollywood romance. This laughing couple goes way back! Chloe and Brian met at one of their local beaches in San Clemente just before starting High School, making this a love story that’s been brewing for quite some time!

The proposal happened whilst the young flames were camping at their favorite spot on Lake Mary in Mammoth. The pair had just returned from a 10 mile hike to the gorgeous lake and were kicking back with some beers and a deck of cards when Brian declared that it was time to snap some pics with the Gopro before sundown (Chloe’s favorite time of day!).

Brian (absolutely killing it!) set about aiming the Gopro and positioning the two of them in the middle of a copse of trees…picture the tranquil meadow vibes at sundown (killing it!). As they strike a pose, Brian bends to his knee, spills out his man-heart and begs Chloe to be his forever-sidekick: birds were chirping in the trees, as Chloe warmly recalls. On the way back, the couple gave a ride to some hikers who’d been roughing it for days; to the brewery of course…they were, needless to say, the first to learn of the happy couple’s engagement.

When asked about her favorite detail of the wedding, Chloe admitted that it was, for sure, her dress!

When it comes to the story of how Chloe picked her bohemian wedding dress…like so many D&L brides, Chloe is a little different! She had determined to order her dress from some cheap online store after all other arrangements had been made (hmmm, interesting) but what was to be an offhanded BTW turned into a dream shopping experience the minute Chloe caught sight of the Lisa backless dress from D&L.

Chloe recalls that the whole experience turned out to be just perfect because D&L offered anything but your run-of-the-mill bridal shopping trip. Chloe recalls the entire journey with joy, not least of all her memory of meeting the beautiful Yanique (designer extraordinaire!) Chloe was excited just to spend time with Yanique on each visit. She ended up choosing her online favorite: Lisa. What surprised and delighted Chloe even more was the fact that the dress was made to order, at a price that fell well within her meager budget. Plus, it was without question the most beautiful dress she had ever seen! When asked about her favorite detail of the wedding, Chloe admitted that it was, for sure, her dress!

“You were my first kiss, my one girlfriend, my only love and now it will forever be you and me.”

So, the wedding was to be a not-so-small business, with 200 guests invited and Chloe still feeling that she had left many people out. The Christian couple was married by their Pastor and good friend, who did a beautiful, short sermon on the true meaning and beauty of marriage with Christ at the center, especially for them. Vows were self-written as the couple felt that would make it all the more special. Chloe’s favorite line from Brian’s vow was “You were my first kiss, my one girlfriend, my only love and now it will forever be you and me.”

 

The flowers were, as Chloe says, UNREAL…San Diego floral designer, Julia Heit, with the help of Chloe’s sisters, Carli and Kayla, far exceeded expectations. They were the most beautiful arrangements Chloe’s ever seen and she really felt that her floral dreams came true. For lack of a better term: the flowers were Awesome!

The couple was super happy with their food vendor, the awesome BBQ dudes from R&R BBQ, Rod and Roger Livingston. These family friends have just opened up two restaurants in Utah to massive acclaim. They drove their smoker all the way out to California for the occasion and started meat smoking at 6am on the morning of the wedding. Needless to say, it was the best meal ever! Guests confirmed that they’d never, in all their lives, had a better BBQ…in fact, a few of them ended up regretting the number of servings they went back for.

 For dessert the couple had super simple but delicious bundt cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. They also had powdered and crumbed donut holes in little bags for the guests to grab, plus individually wrapped, chocolate covered apples. It was inexpensive and what’s great is that the guests had a selection from which to choose.

A friend’s band, a father and daughter duo named Esther and Brian Bent, played during the reception and thoroughly rocked it with an upbeat, rockabilly vibe. They opted just to make their own playlists, instead of enlisting a DJ. Esther, however, took charge and MCed the occasion. It worked out perfectly and saved stacks of money.

Friends, Niles Jeran and Sara Edwards took the incredible wedding pics and Mikey Fetner did video. The couple is extremely grateful to all who helped out.

Chloe’s advice for chilled out brides is this: just chip away at it a little at a time and actually enjoy the planning process, even when it’s hard, because you’ll never get it back. Also, seek out those you know with special talents or professions you can use. Knowing the vendors can really make the world of difference!

 

Next for this stunning couple, just the ‘lifetime’ cruise at each other’s sides, enjoying every day, even through the trials, growing with each other and sometime soon perhaps some babies!!! We wish nothing but prosperity and good fortune for Chloe and Brian…and babies and love and more babies, Yeeeow!

VENDOR CREDIT

Photographer: CA based NILES GREY – www.nilesontheroad.com

To see other brides wearing the very boho Lisa wedding dress, see here