About six years after a chance encounter in a department store, Analise and Scotty tied the knot surrounded by everyone they love.
Both originally from Sacramento, fate brought these two lovebirds together at Macy’s in downtown Sacramento. Analise was working as a sales representative, while Scotty was working for a nearby state department. “He would come in to get his parking ticket validated by the employees, and one time it happened to be me who validated the ticket,” Analise recalls. “To this day, it is still so surreal that in that moment I met the person who would forever change my life,” Scotty adds.
After dating for almost a year-and-a-half, Scotty surprised Analise by proposing to her while in Napa at Domaine Carneros. “When she said yes, I spun her around, and her mom, best friend, my parents and sister were all there witnessing one of the most incredible moments of our lives,” he says.
The two began planning very quickly—deciding to marry in a spring ceremony at Wine & Roses Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Lodi. Analise and Scotty worked together to plan the entire wedding, from colors and floral arrangements to the song list for the DJ. “However, we did have some help from family when we did the food tasting and guest lists,” Analise says. Overall, she says the planning went smoothly. “We were ahead of the game and got things done early on, so we were able to enjoy the engagement.”
Analise says they decided on a rustic and elegant wedding theme—one that would allow them to dress up, but still have a laid-back feel. “We wanted to create a feeling where drinking out of a Mason jar or a Champagne flute were both appropriate,” she adds.
To put their own personal touch on their ceremony, the couple had a longtime family friend officiate and wrote their own vows. “The personal touch is worth it—these are promises that you make on your own and as couple,” Analise says. And it was those personal vows that the bride says were her favorite wedding moment. “In that moment, it felt like it was just he and I standing up there making promises to one another,” she recalls. “Looking into each other’s eyes and feeling all the love between us and our families—what a spectacular moment!”
As for advice to newly engaged couples, Analise and Scotty say to enjoy the planning as a couple like they did. “The planning and prepping is a large part of the experience—if things become hectic and/or stressful, remember what it is you are planning,” they advise. “You are going to have a group of your closest friends and family, and the happiness they feel for you as husband and wife is what they will remember most.”
—Corrie Pelc
