Photographer: Amber Enos Photography
Venue: Federated Church of Orland
Florist: Bees to Blooms
Caterer: Farwood Bar & Grill
Invitations: Minted
Hair & Makeup: Chelsea Reeds, Salon Diamond |
Rings: Kirk’s Jewelry
Love Story…
Every couple has a story, but what makes this one unique is how all the pieces came together at the right time.
I was coaching at Hamilton High School and the girls I coached knew that I had put dating on the back burner. We made a bet at the start of the season that if the girls won the league championship, they would help me out with my dating life by creating an online profile. I agreed, and the girls went undefeated in league!
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Jason had been accepted in the newly created US Air Force Enlisted Pilot Program. He had to attend several courses across several states to learn his new job, including California. One of Jason’s favorite hobbies is hiking, and he loves to visit as many locations as he can when he travels. He decided to create an online profile to see if anyone would be interested in hiking together.
We matched, and I reached out with a great opening line, “Hey!” We conversed on the app before deciding to meet in person. The first date was mini golf, dinner, and a walk around downtown Chico. The second time, we met up for a hike in Bidwell Park. It was a great hike and we both enjoyed each other’s company, but Jason was finished with training and would be leaving the following day.
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My mom and I started at AE Bridal for dress shopping. I was paired with Zoe for help with choosing my dress, and it was the best ever! She had been through a long distance relationship with her husband, and understood the difficulties my husband and I had felt through the years.
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I had spent years pinning ideal dresses on my Pinterest Board. I knew I would be married in a church, so I wanted my dress to have a classic feel, yet show some elegance.
It’s no secret I wanted to feel like a princess on my wedding day. I knew I wanted an A-Line style with a fuller skirt. We tried on five different dresses, and all I LOVED, but didn’t feel quite right. |
The second to last dress I had loved the most, and Zoe declared, “Wait, I think I know the perfect dress for you!” I put it on, and instantly I knew it was the one. It had all the elements of the classic elegance I wanted, plus beautiful lacework and a stunning train. I truly felt like my vision was seen, and I was a princess. When I showed the dress to my mom, she couldn’t agree more. It was truly a feeling of wonderment and excitement knowing I had found my wedding dress!
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The vision for our wedding was to be timeless, classic, and romantic. Due to COVID restrictions as we were planning, there was a very good chance we would have to move the wedding to North Dakota in case my husband could not travel. So we had planned a very small, intimate, wedding ceremony in my hometown of Orland. We got married at the church I grew up in, which was absolutely perfect as it fit the elegance theme.
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The organist at my church has been a longtime friend, mentor, and my choral instructor for children’s choir. She helped me so much curate the perfect classic music for our ceremony. My grandmother Carol read scriptures for our ceremony, and she was wearing the same mauve dress she wore to my parent’s wedding.
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To make the reception hall more dressed up; my mom, brother, and I made backdrop curtains that displayed twinkle lights, greenery, floral hoops, and signs. Our colors were light pink, mauve, and white. These colors were wonderful to work with as we were able to design our floral arrangements around them, as well as table decor. It also gave that soft classic, timeless look we wanted!
Since it was such a small and intimate reception, we were able to serve our guests’ dinners on my parents’ wedding china. This was an absolute dream come true, as it incorporated our colors and was a great way to honor their love.
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We did not have a DJ, so Jason and I played Disney piano music while everyone ate. It was such a hit and everyone had a good laugh when hearing Winnie the Pooh theme song! 🙂
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We also had a table honoring our loved ones who had passed. It was nice to have that as a detail, as we were able to honor the love stories that came before us. |
My favorite memory was during our sunset pictures. Our photographer found a great spot to take photos in the church garden. It was just the sweetest moment of being surrounded by nature’s beauty, and realizing we were officially married, and now beginning life as Mr. & Mrs. Clark. It was such a tender moment to just be the two of us and realize how much love, support, and happiness went into our wedding day.
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As we were walking out, Jason carefully held my bustled train to make sure it didn’t get any dirt into it. It gave us a little laugh, but deep in my heart that small action confirmed my thoughts that I was the luckiest woman in the world to have such a supportive, kind, and wonderful husband.
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My best advice to future brides is simple – Just Be You! There’s so much fun (and stress lol) that goes into a wedding, but at the end of the day, make it so it’s something you truly wanted. Pinterest Boards, TikTok videos, Instagram reels, etc are all helpful tools for showing trends and ideas, but at the end of the day, do what makes you happy. Those are the things that truly encapsulate you and your partner’s love and relationship, and what a perfect opportunity to showcase that.
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