Although he knew of Lauren in high school, Brian wasn’t officially introduced to his future bride until after college. The couple reconnected with the help of a mutual friend, and before long they were building a relationship of their own. “I knew Brian was the one,” Lauren says, “when I wanted to spend all of my time with him and could picture our future together.”
After more than two years of dating, Brian popped the question as they strolled down memory lane. “[We] were enjoying our weekend getaway in Tahoe and were deciding on whether to go for a hike or a walk around the neighborhood for our last day,” Lauren explains. “We decided to go for a walk and were almost back to the cabin but took a detour to the road where we shared our first kiss. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.”
One exuberant “Yes!” later and the newly engaged pair were ready to plan their dream wedding…just as soon as they figured out what that dream entailed.
“Unlike most brides, I had no idea what type of wedding I wanted to have prior to planning,” Lauren says. “All I knew is that I wanted my friends and family to attend and wanted it to be a naturally beautiful setting.”
After searching for venues online, the couple eventually realized there would be no place like home—or a friend’s idyllic backyard as it turns out—when it came to finding the ideal spot for their spring wedding. “It made it more special to have it in a place that meant something to us,” Brian shares. “It is a place we’d been to many times before and a place we can frequent many times in the future.”
Exactly one year to the day they were engaged, Lauren and Brian became man and wife. The bride and groom treated guests to an array of creatively curated treats, including a DIY photo booth, homemade brownies, CDs adorned with the couple’s engagement photos, and, most importantly, dance-ready footwear.
“In planning our wedding, I wanted to make sure that everyone was having a good time and wanted people to dance,” Lauren says. “I think that we were successful because all of our dancing shoes were gone by the end of the night.” Brian adds: “We wanted people to feel relaxed and welcome…having it in a backyard really allowed us to have that feel because it seemed more comfortable for everyone.”
Following their intimate, friend and family-oriented nuptials, the couple jetted off to Jamaica for a stay at Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa.
“We could not have asked for a better day,” Lauren says. “The highlight…for me was when Brian had to dance for my garter. It was a surprise to him and made me laugh so hard.”
— Morgan Cásarez
