Oh my gracious, this dress. This custom designed Galia Lahav dress is what we all dream of, and in the words of the Bride, “I have never felt more beautiful than the moment Derek opened his eyes and saw me in it for the first time. I will never forget the smile on his face or the joy I felt in that moment.” SWOON. Believe or not, it’s only the beginning of this Malibu affair made pretty by GATHER Events, TEAM and Krista Jon. And thanks to Jana Williams and Ampersand Cinema, we’re welcoming every last bit into THE VAULT.
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From The Bride… Derek and I met on a snowy day in Lake Tahoe over New Year’s Eve almost five years ago. We grew up minutes away from each other in the same hometown, attended the same high school and even had handfuls of mutual friends – yet somehow we never met until that weekend at his family’s lake house. From the moment we met, both of us felt like we had known the other forever. Derek was living in San Diego at the time, where I had just gotten a job and was getting ready to move. Talk about fate! He was my New Year’s kiss, and we have been together ever since.
Derek proposed to me at sunset at the same place he took me on our first date in San Diego, overlooking the water at a magical little harbor in Seaport Village. It was the happiest moment of my whole life. Until the moment when we said “I do!”
We made a decision right when we got engaged to make wedding planning a fun and stress-free experience, with time to spend together outside of our busy schedules! We made mini-vacations and day dates out of “ordinary” tasks and meetings with vendors (a weekend of wine tasting to pick out the vino for our big day, an overnight escape at a fun hotel after a tasting with our incredible caterers). Turning an already fun check-in with our florist into a beach day or breaking out our record player with a bottle of champagne to fill out the music map for our DJs made wedding planning one of the most memorable experiences in our relationship.
One of the best decisions we made early on was to work with the amazing ladies at GATHER Events. I wanted to be able to handpick each and every detail for our wedding and really enjoy the designing process, so we took on much of the load and consulted with GATHER to make sure that we were on track in the planning and design process in every way. Having the GATHER Girls to consult (and laugh!) with and trust to flawlessly execute our wedding day was invaluable. Everything went perfectly and it was so refreshing not to have a worry in the world the entire day.
We knew the hilltop of Chateau Le Dome at Saddlerock Ranch was the perfect place for us the second we stepped foot onto it. We wanted our wedding day to feel like an intimate gathering, elegant yet organic. A local, farm-to-fork dinner served family style at long tables covered with lush greenery and textured blooms. Lights, candles and chandeliers twinkling everywhere. Our family and friends kept saying it felt like a scene from a fairytale and that they had never been surrounded by so much love in one place. That really meant the world to us!
I always say “love is in the details.” Our wedding was full of little details that came together to create the softest and most romantic day. I picked every piece, from the rose gold flatware to the sparkling rosé toast, to create a warm and heartfelt atmosphere. Many things were custom created or handmade, which made them all the more special to us. Derek has a love for creating music and I have a passion for writing. Toss cones rolled from vintage sheet music and old romance novels were the perfect way to blend those two things into our wedding day. While I was visiting for my bridal shower, my mother-in-law gave me the most special gift—Derek’s grandfather’s wedding band, which was engraved by his grandmother “My love forever.” I sewed a piece of lace from my gown around the ring and snuck it into a tiny pocket in Derek’s suit jacket, so that his grandfather would be there with us and close to his heart on our wedding day.
My wedding gown was custom designed by Galia Lahav. I have never felt more beautiful than the moment Derek opened his eyes and saw me in it for the first time—I will never forget the smile on his face or the joy I felt in that moment, knowing that I was about to marry the love of my life.
My biggest piece of advice for current and future brides (besides to enjoy your engagement!) is to create a dream team. Find people who you love to be around and will love working together. This was one of our highest priorities when picking out our vendors, and we cannot imagine our wedding day without a single one of them.
Though our wedding was beautiful, what we will always treasure most are the words and love from our family and friends that day. We asked Derek’s Dad, who means the world to us both, to officiate our marriage. It was the most heartfelt ceremony I could ever imagine, and it meant so much to have someone so special to us stand by our side as we read the vows we wrote for each other. Our guests are still telling us to this day they wish that they could go back and live our wedding day over and over again, and we feel the same way.
Photography: Jana Williams Photography | Cinematography: Ampersand Cinema | Floral Design: Krista Jon | Wedding Dress: Galia Lahav | Rings: Tiffany & Co. | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Amsale | Catering: Whoa Nelly! | Hair and Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup | DJ: Dart DJ | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Groom's Attire: Tom Ford | Groomsmen's Attire: The Black Tux | Venue: Saddlerock Ranch | Bar: Pharmacie | Bride's Reception Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bride's Robe: BHLDN | Bride's Wedding Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Bridesmaids' Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar | Coordination and Design Consulting: GATHER Events | Dessert: Sweet & Saucy Shop | Flower Girl Dresses: Fattie Pie | Groom's Shoes: Gucci | Groomsmen's Ties and Pocket Squares: The Grunion Run | Hair Accessories: Twigs & Honey | Invitations, Paper Goods, Signage and Calligraphy: Mon Voir | Photo Booth: The Slow Motion Booth | Rentals: A Rental Connection | Rentals: Casa de Perrin | Rentals: Town And Country | Rentals: Archive Rentals | Ribbon and Fabrics: Silk and Willow | Veil: Monique Lhuillier