Fairytale Elopement at the Riviera Country Club

Wedding date: September 28, 2020

For Kellie and Tyler, the COVID-19 pandemic proved to be an unlikely opportunity for togetherness. The couple’s story started 16 years before the pandemic when they first met as friends at the University of Washington in Seattle. The two parted ways upon graduation before reuniting for their official first date at the Riviera Country Club – the exact spot they would end up marrying one another. The pandemic has posed many challenges for those wanting to get married in such turbulent times, but Kellie and Tyler decided an elopement was the perfect option for them – so their winning of California Wedding Day’s fairytale elopement couldn’t have been more serendipitous. Though the couple wasn’t surrounded by masses of friends and family like at a traditional wedding, their loved ones were able to tune in remotely to safely partake in the festivities. 

This design was truly out of this world, flawlessly planned, coordinated and executed by Aquafuzion who joined forces with Tara Bre of BreLuxe along with a talented team of vendors (see full list below) to produce this heavenly wedding. Kellie waltzed down the aisle in a Galia Lahav gown with a thigh-baring slit and delicate, sheer balloon sleeves that almost appeared to be an extension of her equally ethereal custom veil by Julie Harris. With the sounds of the Mercury String Quartet in the air, Tyler anxiously awaited his bride in custom Christopher Schafer.  The couture transformed the bride into a supermodel for the day and paired seamlessly with the spectacularly innovative design that made use of the same space for both the ceremony and reception. Unlike most weddings that employ different locations for the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception and more, the talented vendors took advantage of a new approach that brings the different stages of a wedding to one place. The couple said, “I do,” had their first dance and enjoyed dinner and a show all while not having to leave the incredible gold-and-white space that was handcrafted by Shawna Yamamoto for them just beneath the Spanish-revival clubhouse of the Riviera Country Club. 

“Every moment I have spent with you has been an adventure,” Tyler wrote in his vows to Kellie – and their wedding was no exception. Following their sunset ceremony, the couple took to the white dance floor by for their first dance beneath a canopy of twinkling lights designed by . Kellie shed the sleeves from her dress to make it more suitable for dancing before she and Tyler took their seats to enjoy dinner and a choreographed show of dancers by  – proving that a wedding of two can carry the joy and love of even the largest of celebrations.