sacramento-wedding-photography-C&D-RW-WS14-13Growing up in the foothills, Christina and Dustin knew each other from a young age. Dustin was the older boy Christina had a crush on—and though it was almost seven years from when Dustin first saw Christina until their first date, he immediately knew they were destined to be married. Once a mutual friend brought them back together, Christina also knew it was much more than a childhood crush.

The proposal was anything but ordinary for the professional tennis player and her boyfriend. Having spent most of her 25 years on a tennis court, she was less than thrilled when Dustin asked her to haul her tennis gear to a surprise weekend getaway in Berkeley. Back in the town where the bride spent her college years, the couple was staying at her favorite hotel, lounging by the pool, listening to jazz and noshing on Christina’s favorite pizza. As the evening turned into night, Christina reluctantly agreed to a tennis match with Dustin.

Trying not to show his nervousness, Dustin looked for an opportunity to pop the question in between games. “I felt a tennis ball lightly hit my foot with the word ‘Hi’ written on it,” Christina says. “A few seconds later, a second ball was rolled in my direction and this one read ‘I love you.’ Shortly thereafter, a third and final ball with the words, ‘Will you marry me?’ neatly inscribed on it came to rest at my feet.” And there, in the alley of Court 3, the engagement became official. “It was very clever of Dustin to devise a way to use my first love, tennis, to accept his everlasting love,” she adds.

The couple tied the knot on an early February day in Sacramento. The ceremony took place at the Westminster Presbyterian Church and the reception at the Memorial Auditorium—both venues big enough to accommodate a guest list of 350.

The evening was illuminated by candle centerpieces and red lighting, which completed the vision of the red and purple floral arrangements. With just five months of preparation, the bride and groom solicited the help of Fearon May Events and Extreme Productions.

A few surprises made the wedding extra special, including the bride’s extended family—almost 50 people—performing a traditional family dance, the Madison. And to keep the guests entertained, the bride and groom had food stations rather than a sit-down dinner. The goal was to encourage a night of mingling and dancing. “The best hours of my life went by way too quickly,” Dustin describes.

“Our wedding couldn’t have been better for us, I was ready to begin my life with Dustin.  It was truly the best day.”

Family was front and center in many aspects of the wedding day. The mother of the groom made flower girl purses from pieces of her own wedding dress and material from the bride’s grandmother’s wedding dress. Christina wore a lace headpiece that had been worn by her mother, grandmother, aunt, great-aunt and sister. In addition, all bridesmaid and flower girl jewelry was designed and made by cousin of the groom Michelle Gundros, of Michynn Jewelry. Game. Set. Match.

—Jacqueline Renfrow

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