Alan and I met while working at CVS. We are both pharmacists and he was scheduled to pick up a shift at my store. The first time we saw each other was through the glass of a drive through window. He was coming by to get a copy of his work schedule (and just to meet me, I later found out). His smile and big blue eyes made me blush instantly.
We love to travel so almost instantly we started planning trips with his best friend and his wife. We probably take two or three trips with them every year, so it was nothing out of the ordinary for the four of us to be going on a trip to Mexico. One night while we were there, we had a wonderful meal and Alan asked me to take a walk on the beach after dinner. We kicked off our shoes and walked along the beach talking about life and our plans. Alan then led me down a pier and we just looked out over the ocean holding each other and then he got down on one knee and I burst into tears. He had such a lovely speech prepared and I am not sure if i heard all of it, but I did hear him ask me to grow old and wrinkly with him and managed to say YES once I stopped crying ten minutes later.
We definitely wanted an outdoor wedding with a rustic feel, so what better than a barn to house our wedding? After much Googling, I found The Barn at Vive le Ranch through a photographers website. We set a meeting to see The Barn and fell in love. The entire area was just so beautiful we didn't look anywhere else. Besides the beauty of the area, The Barn just gave a feeling of love and warmth, which was perfect for our wedding. We could already envision everyone laughing and dancing. Kids running around and playing on the wooden swing!
We wanted our wedding to reflect us. The day needed to be relaxing and casual with simple but beautiful florals and a spring like essence. The colors we used were lavender, buttercup, and heather grey. The soft colors remind me of spring, plus I happened to find perfect bridesmaids dresses at J. Crew that had all these colors, so it was meant to be. We gave the colors and feel to Christina (our wedding planner and designer) and she came back with the perfect vision! She knew both of us wanted rustic, so thats where the haybales and flowers in mason jars came in.
During the ceremony, we decided to have a salt covenant, rather than a unity candle, etc. The idea arose from biblical times when people would make commitments to each other using salts from each person. The salts are combined and the covenant may only be broken when the individual grains of salt are separated from one another. Alan and I each had a sachet of salt and combined them in a crystal bowl leant from my mom.
Our wedding day was perfect. Perfect to us. We wanted the day to represent everything that encompasses us as a couple, but also as individuals. The day was a reflection of our pasts and our upbringing. The family and friends witnessing our vows, are the people who have influenced our lives. They are responsible for creating the man and the woman we have become. God planned for us to be together and our family and friends lit the path for us to find each other. We are so grateful for our love and the love that has always supported us.
Photography: Candi Coffman Photography / Cinematography: Cherished Traditions / Flowers: Anne Marie Foy, The French Bouquet / Event Design: Christina Clayton, Zinke Design / Event Planning: Christina Clayton, Zinke Design / Ceremony Location: The Barn at Vive Le Ranch / Reception Location: The Barn at Vive Le Ranch / Invitations: Minted / Dress & Hair Flowers: Adele Wechsler, Unbridaled / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew and Nordstrom / Catering: The Chalkboard / Cake: Ludger's Cakes / Registry: Honeyfund