Anna and Dylan met at the University of Wyoming, and because of mutual sorority and fraternity friends they spent a lot of time with the same crowd. They went out in a group for Halloween just over a year after they met. “It was our first unofficial date, basically,” Dylan says.
“We were able to hang out all night,” Anna says. “That was probably the longest amount of time that we had consistently been able to sit down with each other, hang out and have fun,” Anna says. After that, “We would go on hikes and just be silly. We got to know each other on a much deeper level that way.”
On one of their hikes, the weather turned suddenly violent, and they had to run for cover. “We ended up having to hide in an inlet in the rocks,” Dylan says. “It was pretty scary; big hail and lightning at a high elevation.” However, the two stayed calm during this memorable outing. When Dylan decided to propose, he asked two close friends to hike with him and Anna to the same spot. Because of approaching bad weather (again) the experienced hikers practically jogged the two miles to the top. Once there, the couple climbed up to a lookout spot. “I pointed out a rainbow on the lake, and she turned her back to me,” Dylan says. “While she was turned away, I got down on one knee. When she turned back I proposed.”
Anna was shocked, though she had noticed something was a little off. “I kept asking, ‘Why are we in a rush?’ and no one was responding,” Anna says. That made her think that he might be proposing. “I tried to convince myself that he wasn’t, because I didn’t want to be disappointed if he didn’t. When I turned around and saw him on his knee, I was happy.”
The wedding was held nearly five years after they met. When Dylan saw Anna coming down the aisle, he says, “I was overwhelmed, in a good way, very happy, full of joy and excited. I could hardly believe what we were about to do.” Though Anna was nervous at being the center of attention, she says, “The second I saw Dylan I had tunnel vision, and I actually don’t even remember feeling nervous once I saw him.”
The two agreed that the wedding exceeded all their expectations. “My sister and my mom,” Anna says, “put everything together and made it so much better than Dylan and I could have ever done on our own.” Anna says the wedding was “fun and happy and a party,” and Dylan agrees. “There were so many close friends and family together—it really was family and fun.”
Eucalyptus and willow leaves with touches of white flowers
Details about the favors
Custom wine glasses by Kate Aspen
Anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
One of the best parts of our wedding weekend was being able to rent out the Villa that was on the winery property. It was a 5-bedroom, 4-bathroom that included a HUGE industrial kitchen, full size floor level “basement” and a pool that included an outdoor kitchen. We were able to rent the Villa out for the entire weekend (we got married on Friday) Friday-Sunday.
The most special aspect of the Villa was that it could hold 150 people, so we decided to have a Pool Party/BBQ the day after our wedding so we would have another opportunity to mingle with our wedding guests and it would give our out of town guests something to do as well! So many people appreciated being able to see Dylan and I again after the wedding (especially out of town guests), and having a relaxed and fun environment made it like a huge party again!
We made everything super affordable by buying food in bulk at Costco and coordinating with our venue to use the leftover beer and wine from our wedding night!
Any tips you’d give brides and grooms planning their wedding today?
Be patient. Don’t freak out if something doesn’t pan out on the first try, because in the end everything will be perfect!
What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
I don’t think that I would have done anything completely different than the end product of our wedding. I think that everything turned out absolutely perfect and I wouldn’t have wanted it any different way!
I do think I would have changed my mindset at the beginning of the planning process though. Sometimes I would get stuck on a certain idea that was way out of the budget (primarily when venue searching) and I would get so upset if we weren’t able to book it for the wedding. Realizing this after the fact, I wish I would have known that there are plenty of options in the Sacramento area and that you can pretty much find anything that fulfills your wedding dream without breaking your budget! It just takes patience and a lot of communication with your wedding planning team.
Vendors
Ceremony Site:
Cielo Estate Winery Officiant:
Max, Bride's brother-in-law Ceremony Music:
DJ Barnett Entertainment Photographer:
Carrie Ayn Videographer:
Love Genre Films Wedding Planner:
DIY by Mother of the Bride and Bride's sister Wedding Designer:
Katie, Bride’s sister, with decor items Wedding Designer:
from her Etsy shop, Aspen and Veda Reception Site:
Cielo Estate Winery Bridal Hair:
Shelby Newton at Maribou Salon Bridal Make-up:
Katie, sister of the Bride Bridal Attire:
Dora Grace Bridal Salon Bridal Veil:
Borrowed from sister Katie Bridesmaids' Attire:
Azazie Flowergirl Attire:
Macy's Groom’s Attire:
Men's Wearhouse Groomsmen's Attire:
Men's Wearhouse Ringbearer Attire:
Men's Wearhouse Bride's Rings Jeweler:
Shane Co. Groom's Rings Jeweler:
Kay Jewelers Save the Date Cards:
Aspen and Veda Invitations:
Aspen and Veda Place Cards:
Aspen and Veda Thank You Cards:
Aspen and Veda Wedding Party Flowers:
Bride's cousin, Lacey Wedding Party Flowers:
Aspen and Veda Ceremony Flowers:
Bride's cousin, Lacey Ceremony Flowers:
Aspen and Veda Reception Flowers:
Bride's cousin, Lacey Reception Flowers:
Aspen and Veda Caterer:
Real Food Catering Bar Service:
Venue served and provided wine Bar Service:
Beer selected by the Groom from BevMo Cake:
Sweet Celebrations DJ/Entertainment:
DJ Barnett Entertainment Lighting:
DJ Barnett Entertainment Transportation/Limo Services:
API Limousine Favors:
Custom Wine Glass by Kate Aspen Decor Rentals:
Aspen and Veda Decor Signage:
Aspen and Veda Chair Rentals:
Folsom Party Rentals Linens:
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