Sacramento Wedding Inspiration: Flower Girls {Get to Know Patty}

Patty is the winner of our Cover Model Contest for our Summer 2018 issue. Her beauty, inside and out, was beaming all day, and we had a great time working with her! Below, read her full interview featuring her love story, and watch her day-of video talking about her favorite part of being a Cover Model Contest Finalist.

That’s it from our Flower Girls Cover Model Contest Photo Shoot! Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram so you never miss a post.

Why did you enter this contest?

I entered this contest to challenge myself. As Jerry Seinfeld once said, “You have to motivate yourself with challenges. That’s how you know you’re still alive.” I envisioned the day of the photo shoot as a day of authenticity, overcoming a fear of [being the] center of attention, and a boost of confidence. I also like the fact that Real Weddings Magazine seeks out brides-to-be and recently married [brides] to create beautiful, dreamy wedding photo shoots. My bouquet for my wedding was actually inspired by a bouquet I saw in the Real Weddings Magazine. I hope that I can do the same for a future bride. Most importantly, I wanted to be part of this photo shoot in order to share this memory (with the pictures as evidence) with my future kids so that they will be encouraged to follow their dreams and invite challenges into their lives.

What do you do for a living?

I’m a project coordinator for a human resources company.

What do you do for fun?

I love to eat at new restaurants! One thing my husband Ryan and I started doing is going to coffee shops and playing Scrabble. A new hobby that I have been getting into lately is interior design. I enjoy looking at decor online and seeing what I can incorporate in my home. One thing I will never get tired of is going to concerts with my friends.

Tell us your love story.

Ryan and I went to the same high school but we are not high school sweethearts. We reconnected my junior year in college in Tennessee and his senior year in Southern California. We ended up having a long distance relationship my senior year and, well; here we are here three and a half years later.

My strength does not lie in expressing my love in words but more so in actions. One of the key moments in which I knew Ryan was the one was [when] I cried several times at the thought of not him having in my life, people in my life not approving of him, and because I just love him so much. I also cried when he expressed our intentions to marry each other. Keep in mind, I’m not a crier, so the fact that this man has made me cry so much due to love, affirms his place in my life even more. I could see a future with him when we would talk about our ideal house, what we want for the future, and the dreams we want to grasp, both professionally and socially. I was overjoyed when he first told me he loved me and wanted to spend forever with me. He is extremely patient with me, shows me unconditional love, has compassion beyond my comprehension, and makes me feel like the special woman that I am. He is my absolute best friend, and even though we have plenty of differences, I can’t help but feel like I relate to Ryan the most. When I think about going through the hardships, joys, and surprises during the adventure that we know as life, I can’t imagine a better partner for me than Ryan.

Ryan bought the ring in June 2016 and originally wanted to propose in October that year, but he decided to wait because I had just moved out of my parents’ house and he wanted me to experience living on my own. He was later laid off from his job which delayed his proposal further but was finally able to secure a well paying job in March of 2017. Respectfully, Ryan took my parents to their favorite restaurant, El Novillero, and sat down with them to ask their permission. After getting the “Yes,” April came along and the big day approached. Ryan talked my best friend, Sarah, into planning a secret photo shoot with her and her friend who happened to be a wedding photographer. Sarah drove me to the Old Sugar Mill with the intention of Ryan meeting us there to pop the question. Unfortunately there was an event, which prevented us from going in, so we left after ten minutes of attempting to take photos. I thought it was strange that we spent little time at the Old Sugar Mill especially since it was such a beautiful establishment. We ended up going to Old Sacramento and walked into this alleyway, which consisted of pillars that looked like old ruins. It was beautiful, peaceful, and most importantly, intimate. I stood by a pillar as Sarah’s friend took pictures of me when all of a sudden I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I jumped out of surprise wondering what sort of creep is touching me in the alley. But it wasn’t just any creep; it was my creep, Ryan (and our friend Andrew by his side). I started laughing out of sheer awkwardness and he told me a speech of what I assumed to be a whole bunch of nice things, but I was in so much shock I didn’t hear a word. He got on one knee and asked me to marry him in that alleyway.

Tell us about your wedding day.

Original Wedding: Ever since Ryan proposed, I dreamt of a boho chic wedding at The Willow Ballroom with a nude wedding dress. It would be a simple, casual buffet dinner with a limited alcohol selection. Three months before the wedding The Willow Ballroom shut down, and chaos ensued. We found ourselves planning a second wedding.

Actual wedding: We ended up having a romantic vintage wedding at The Sutter Club with an ivory wedding dress. The dinner was an elegant plated dinner. This wedding is not what I dreamed, but I could not have imagined a more perfect wedding. The color palette was blush, gold, gray, and slate blue.

My favorite moment was when my best friends made speeches about Ryan and I. It was delightful to hear them express their love for us, share silly memories and hear their perspective in regards to our relationship.

What did Ryan say about you entering this contest? What did he say when you became a finalist? What did you think about yourself when you were selected?

He thought it was a fantastic idea and was super supportive. When I was selected as a finalist he was overjoyed and said he was proud of me. A flutter of excitement and shock hit me when I was chosen. I felt really special that they thought I was good enough to represent Real Weddings Magazine. I’ve never been part of a photo shoot before, so I was excited to put myself out there and enjoy every moment with the photographer, assistants, glam squad and the other model.

Tell us about your cover model experience.

My favorite part of the day was my glam squad cheering me on while I was on set, the creativity of each set, and the teamwork to ensure everything went smoothly. Afterwards I felt exhausted, happy and grateful. It was a day [full of] beautiful chaos and I cannot wait to see the magazine. I did not want to waste my beautiful hair and makeup, so Ryan and I went out to celebrate my photo shoot.