Ellen and Brian's Walnut Grove wedding day was full of beautiful design elements and romantic florals. The two were wed beneath a wooden ceremony arbor adorned in warm-toned blooms before inviting their guests to a gorgeous reception. Ellen and Brian danced with their family and friends to celebrate becoming Mr. and Mrs. Ellen's favorite moment? The cake cutting of course! "We ultimately played it sweet, but there was definitely a long pause in there where we locked eyes and were totally trying to figure out if the other person was going to smash cake in our face or not," notes the bride.
From the bride:
How did you meet?
"We met on eHarmony right before my membership was about to end. I made the first move, leaving a 'smile' on Brian’s profile. He 'smiled' back, and the conversation began from there. We went to an art museum for our first date and since things were going well and we didn’t want to say goodbye just yet, we followed it up by grabbing dinner together at a create-your-own pizza place (something we still enjoy doing to this day). Shortly after that first date, my membership expired and Brian noticed that my profile was no longer active – he thought I was so sure about him that I had canceled my membership! Well, I did like him a lot, so it was perfect timing."
The proposal
"We were up at my grandparent's cabin at Lake Tahoe for New Year’s. Brian was planning to propose sometime over the course of the long weeked, but as soon as we arrived at the cabin he says he was so nervous and stressed that he couldn’t wait any longer. We went outside to explore the snow-covered landscape, and just as the sun was setting and the magic hour hit the mountains, Brian asked if we could go out on the pier. He asked me to come sit beside him and began telling me how special it was being up in Tahoe together, how much he loved being with me, and how wonderful I am. I just thought he was being extra sweet, but then he gave me a hug that lasted way too long and started to shake a little. I was like, 'Brian, what’s going on?' and when he said 'Nothing' I got the feeling that he was about to propose. Sure enough, he pulled out a beautiful rose gold diamond ring, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. It was a complete surprise and so much fun to share that moment together, staring out across the lake and just repeating 'Oh my goodness, we’re engaged!'"
The inspiration
"Brian and I love the outdoors, so we knew we definitely wanted an outdoor ceremony that felt effortlessly romantic and somewhat rustic (but NOT farm-y!!). We wanted the wedding to feel intimate and easy-going, so we kept our guest list small and only invited our immediate families and closest friends. It was a tough decision, but in the end it really simplified things and made us feel most comfortable on our wedding day (which was overwhelming enough as it is!). As far as the feel, we wanted an effortlessly romantic style and Brian built our ceremony arch so that it could be just what we wanted."
The venue
"Brian’s best man and his girlfriend had been to our venue for another friend’s wedding. We were all rock climbing together and I was talking about how we hadn’t found the right fit yet for our venue. We wanted an outdoor location that felt removed from LA without being an insane drive for all our guests, and a naturally beautiful location that would feel effortlessly romantic without blowing the budget – our friends mentioned they had just been to a wedding at The Walnut Grove and showed us photos. They raved about the catering, the market lights, the landscape and vibe. After touring it ourselves and meeting all the genuine and hard-working staff, we booked it."
Do you have any advice for brides planning their wedding day?
"My advice for brides planning their wedding day is to take it all in stride. As much as you can, be present in every moment and enjoy even the 'annoying' stuff like long car rides to check out venues and late night planning with your fiance. It’s all part of the joy of growing together as a couple: holding hands on those long car rides and taking in the conversation shared during those late night. And overall, constantly remind the other person to let go and leave it up to fate when details are beyond your control. It’s far better to enjoy the experience for what it is than to miss out on the experience entirely because you’re too busy wishing it was something else. Oh yeah, and everything will be beautiful… just breathe and focus on the amazing person you get to spend the rest of your life with!"
