Happy Real Weddings Wednesday! This Wednesday, join us in reading about Stephanie + Donny’s beautiful and timeless, vineyard ceremony planned by Tan Weddings & Events. With stunning maroon and sage floral arrangements from Bloom & Vine, a jaw-dropping wedding gown from SPARKLE Bridal Couture, you won’t want to miss out on this Real Weddings Wednesday!

Bridal party showing off robes

Bride getting into wedding gown Bridal makeup Bridal party helping bride get dressed

Tell us a little about you and your beloved.

Another online dating success story! While online dating sounds pretty standard, we only matched because of our temporary proximity to each other. I work at a prison and Donny was attending the academy next door when he got promoted to Engineer with the fire service. Who knew a prison being located next to a fire academy was all it took for love to spark? Donny asked me out for a first date at a beautiful Italian restaurant, and we spent every possible day together after that. Donny proposed after two and a half years of dating. Donny is a man of few words and kept it simple, asking me for forever! We love cooking together and in perfect form for our relationship, Donny got down on one knee in the middle of our kitchen as we finished making dinner. Our home base is important to us because it is a symbol of the life we are building together, and it was the right place for the engagement to happen. Our experience planning the wedding was really smooth, mostly due to my sister and brother-in-law (Jennifer and Rick Tan). They own Tan Weddings & Events and made every step of the process so easy, pointing us in the right direction of amazing vendors and a beautiful venue!

What was the best part of your wedding day?

The most amazing part of our day was the first look. We were originally undecided about a first look, but it ended up being a special moment between us before joining our family and friends. Donny described seeing me for the first time that day as the ultimate highlight and I feel the same!

Bride and groom getting married at arc

Newlyweds kissing under arc

What else would you like to share about your big day?
We had so much fun with our family and friends from beginning to end, especially dancing with everyone on the dance floor. We were fortunate to have a great bridal party with us every step of the way. The whole day truly felt like a fairy tale wedding. Tan Weddings & Events was a crucial part of the day, and the venue and vendors were so perfect for us! Picking out photos afterwards to decorate our house was difficult because there were so many amazing ones to choose from by Nicole!

What advice would you give to our readers who are planning their weddings right now?

Find a strong wedding planner that matches you as a couple and make sure to find some time for just the two of you on the big day.

bride and groom taking wedding photos

Anything that you would have done differently if you were given the chance?

Not a single thing, it was exactly what we wanted!

Bride and groom celebrating outside wedding tent

Photos courtesy of and copyright Nicole Sepulveda Photography used with permission.

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