Sarah and then boyfriend Heath began casually talking about marriage for about six months, so a day looking at rings at Shane Co. didn't seem out of the ordinary.

“On our way home we decided to stop by one of our favorite camping spots up at Loon Lake,” she says. “We got out of the truck and I put his jacket on and we walked through the snow up to the dam. He turned to me, gave me a big hug and said, 'well, this is the most beautiful place we have been all day, and I brought you up here to marry me.'” As Heath searched through the big jacket to find her hand, Sarah couldn't have been more confused. “I have a very analytical mind and it just didn't make sense to me,” she recalls. “He totally threw me off with the Shane Co. trip. So I kept asking, 'Are you serious?' It wasn't until I looked down at the ring on my finger and realized what was happening that I said, 'yes, of course!'”

While planning their wedding, Sarah and Heath knew they wanted a way to honor both their parents, who are still happily married after 25-plus years. “They both provided good examples of how to make a marriage last and have been incredibly supportive to both Heath and I,” says Sarah.

A beautiful five-acre property, Heath's parents home would make the perfect venue for the reception. Having lived in Midtown, Sarah hoped to hold the ceremony there. At the same time, she discovered that the church where her parents were married had just completed a yearlong renovation and were open to 2009 weddings. “It was so awesome and worked out with minimal effort,” she remembers.

Though both were very much involved in the process, Sarah and Heath breathed a sigh of relief when Aimee from 2Chic Events & Design came on board. Sarah's mom also rolled up her sleeves to help with the planning. “She was a huge help,” says a very grateful daughter. “She relieved me from a lot a stress.”

When the big day finally arrived, Sarah reveals that the ceremony meant so much to her parents. “I am sure it was crazy to see their daughter wed in the same church that they were married in almost 30 years prior. That was special to me. Heath and I didn't see each other prior to the ceremony, so seeing each other for the first time was a pretty awesome moment.”

Having the reception in the familiar confines of Heath's parents' backyard, comfort was the mode for the occasion. “We had a great idea to get about 50 pairs of flip-flops from Old Navy for everyone,” says Sarah. “We also had a huge pitcher of sangria that we made, my favorite part being the mason jars we used.”

The couple succeeded in getting everyone out on the dance floor to celebrate, even Sarah's grandfather, who walked and danced to some country music. She remembers around 10:30 p.m. when the entire dance floor was packed and everyone was dancing to Michael Jackson with a full moon outside. “It was so awesome and almost magical.”

Ceremony Site: St. John's Lutheran Church
Officiant: Pastor Scot Sorenson
Photographer: Jacqueline Photography   Phone: 916-390-2228
Wedding Planner: 2Chic Events & Design   Phone: 916-390-7586
Reception Site: Groom's parents' house
Hair: All About U Salon
Make-up: Stacey Hinchman
Bridal Attire: De La Rosa's
Bridesmaid Attire: Nordstrom
Flowergirl Attire: Sears
Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Ringbearer Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Bride's Jeweler: Roger's Jewelers
Groom's Jeweler: Zales
Invitations: Custom designed by Bride with tons of help from Emily Ireland and Andrea Tatiano (friends of Bride)
Flowers: Flowers Forever
Caterer: All Seasons All Reasons
Cake: River City Cake Shop
DJ/Entertainment: Music and More Entertainment
Transportation/Limo Services: API Limousine
Favors: Candy jars through Beau-Coup; custom label and filled with jelly beans
Table Rental: Simply Elegant Day
Table Linens: Simply Elegant Day
Chair Rental: Simply Elegant Day
Equipment Rental: Simply Elegant Day
Lighting: Simply Elegant Day
Honeymoon Location: Las Vegas
Other Resource: Tanning at Image Provocateur/VIP-CAT Academy   Phone: 916-474-5578
First Dance Song: Like Red on a Rose by Alan Jackson
Father/Daughter Dance Song: My Girl by The Temptations
Mother/Son Dance Song: That's All I Know by Jason Michael Carroll
Cake Cutting Song: Theme from Jaws

Any tips you'd give to brides and grooms planning their wedding:
For brides, stay out of the sun two weeks prior to your wedding. If you are in the sun at all, you're bound to get sunburned -- Murphy's Law!

Be involved as much as you can and relax because it's going to be great. Make sure that your personality is reflected in both the vendors you choose and the wedding itself. Your guests will really appreciate your thought and creativity. I think that is what made our wedding so memorable -- it was completely reflective of us, as a couple.

Anything else about your wedding?
I think our wedding was so special because we waited a long time to get married. It was something that everyone, both family and friends, had been anticipating due to the fact that we have been together for so long. We are at a point which made for a joining of the two families very special. My favorite moment from the wedding was actually two days prior to the big day. We made two five-gallon pitchers of sangria and we all got together; family from out of town came and we cut fruit and made the "special but dangerous" sangria. We ate dinner, and outside, the reception site was being set up. We all stayed up and visited with family until midnight. We were able to celebrate with the background being a sneak peek of the design layout of the backyard. It was awesome.

What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
I would have let my dad pick the father-daughter dance song. I ran out of time and couldn't give it as much thought as I would have liked. I would have also dedicated/danced to a special song with my mom who was so helpful in this whole process. I felt like I needed to do something special for her and didn't jump on the opportunity. Other than that I wouldn't have changed a thing...oh wait, maybe the lightning/rain storm we had in Sacramento 3-4 days prior to the wedding. It made a great memory though, because the day-of was PERFECT. We even had a full moon.