Courtney & Jake

HOW DID YOU BOTH MEET?
On Bumble/a dating app. We both had the same line dancing event on our calendar before we met, so we would have met anyway!

WHEN DID YOU BECOME ENGAGED AND HOW?
Jake proposed after they summited Half Dome in Yosemite. He told her if we can hike Half Dome together, we can do anything!

#WEDDINGGOALS
Our expectations were met by our awesome team of family and friends coming together to help us decorate, celebrate, and be there with us as we got married. All we wanted, in the end, was to get married!

HOW DID THE PLANNING GO? FAVORITE TIME? WORST MOMENT?
Planning was fun! I enjoyed putting the details together and getting all of my decorations and crafts ready. My favorite time was seeing everything come together at the venue — it was so cool to see months of preparation and design finally in person. Planning with family is difficult for many, as family has expectations that are unaligned with ours.

WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE OF WEDDING PLANNING?
Picking the right vendors—we eventually got it worked out with the help of Karen, but it’s hard when there are so many people out there!

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF STAYING WITHIN YOUR BUDGET AND HOW DID YOU MANAGE IT?
We had some last-minute purchases and vendors, like a bus shuttle from the hotel, that made our budget larger than planned. Weddings are expensive—staying closer to Sacramento definitely helped keep the budget lower. We live in Petaluma/the North Bay, and if we had gotten married over there it would have easily been much more!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CEREMONY? WAS THERE ANYTHING SPECIFIC THAT MADE IT UNIQUE TO YOU AS A COUPLE?
The ceremony was brief and incorporated a few elements that represented us. Jake held a moment of silence for family members who couldn’t attend. Courtney’s mom shared a prayer and read a passage from 1 Corinthians. We did a Celtic knot hand-fasting with a cord made from pieces leftover from alterations to Courtney’s wedding dress.

ANY MEMORABLE MOMENTS FROM YOUR RECEPTION? TOASTS? FUN DANCES? PERFORMANCES?
Bethany, the maid of honor, gave a speech that included a rap. She ended with, “We should have released a frickin’ dove.”

SPECIAL DANCE SONGS:
First Dance: “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves & “Love on Top” by Beyoncé
Family Dance Songs: Father/Daughter — “You’ll Be in My Heart” by Phil Collins; Mother/Son — “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts
Cake Cutting: “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy
Bouquet Toss: “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” by ABBA
Garter Toss: Skipped — the couple did a t-shirt toss instead, to “In the Ayer” by will.i.am and Flo Rida
Last Dance: “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers

DID YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL CULTURAL FEATURES TO YOUR WEDDING OR FACTORS THAT CELEBRATED THE HERITAGE OF YOU OR YOUR FAMILY?
We had an Irish goodbye, where we suggested guests leave without interrupting the party or saying goodbye to the bride and groom. We also incorporated a hand-fasting ceremony into our main ceremony.

ANY FUNNY OR UNEXPECTED WEDDING MOMENTS THAT HAPPENED THROUGHOUT THE DAY?
A cat at the venue decided its perfect moment to shine and sing the song of its people was right in the middle of our wedding ceremony.

WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY—FROM EACH SPOUSE’S PERSPECTIVE?
Courtney: Getting to share our vows together in private before the ceremony took place. It helped ease our minds and connect with one another before the rest of the day.

Jake: Getting to share our first look together privately before the ceremony. It was very special and calmed the nerves before the ceremony.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE DETAIL FROM YOUR WEDDING DAY?
Jake and his dad handmade all of the napkin rings for the reception.

#VENDORRAVES
They all did a fantastic job and our wedding would not have happened without them!

LOOKING BACK, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR GUESTS WILL REMEMBER MOST ABOUT YOUR WEDDING?
The music, the fun, and the detail we took in crafting a space that truly represented us.

WHAT TIPS OR ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO COUPLES PLANNING THEIR WEDDING TODAY?
Use the resources and people you have around you. Ask for help from the right people. Know who you can depend on. We did an engagement party and learned from that who we could trust and depend on for help.