Sometimes finding love can be difficult, and sometimes it’s as simple as being in the right place at the right time. Danielle and Chris were lucky enough to fall into the latter category, meeting at a birthday party for a mutual friend and hitting it off immediately.
The courtship turned into an engagement when Chris took Danielle out to a nice dinner, followed by a walk to the spot where they had their first kiss. It was there that Chris dropped to one knee and asked for Danielle’s hand in marriage. And as if a romantic proposal wasn’t enough, Chris also booked a surprise getaway for them to really enjoy their first few days as an engaged couple.
The couple let the excitement sink in for about a month before diving into the planning process. But unlike many girls, Danielle had not been planning her big day her whole life, so she had a lot of catching up to do. She turned to every girl’s favorite one-stop-wedding shop of ideas: Pinterest.
The easiest decisions were the venue and her dress. Several months before the proposal, Danielle’s mom had sent a photo of a wedding dress she liked. When it came time to shop for the dress, it was the first one she tried on, and it was a unanimous “Yes!” For the venue, Danielle’s parents scoped out The Citizen Hotel, since Danielle and Chris do not live in the area. It was also a resounding “Yes.”
The rest of the planning went along smoothly as well, despite a bit of controversy regarding the couple’s decision to serve ice cream sundaes instead of cake. The couple, however, stood by their decision with a simple statement: “We’re ice cream people.”
The cake vs. ice cream debate really drove what the couple wanted most for their wedding, which was for it to reflect them. And it did. The simple black and white (with hints of purple) color scheme, incorporating a quote from Dr. Seuss in their vows, spray-painted dinosaurs as favors, vintage posters of Disneyland rides as table names, sharing photos of their parents’ and grandparents’ weddings, and of course the ice cream sundaes, were just a few of the details that helped make the day really reflect who they are.
“The day was all that we had hoped for. We were surrounded by the people we love, celebrating our union in a way that reflected exactly who we are,” the bride remembers.
Both the bride and groom sum up the day by describing the pain they felt in their faces from smiling so much and so big. While they were able to take in the day’s joy, by scanning the room to see all of their loved ones in one place, their focus was entirely on each other. The reception was all about having an amazing time. And they did.
—Kelley Saia
First Dance Song
I Will by The Beatles
Father/Daughter Dance Song
Moonlight Serenade by Glenn Miller
Mother/Son Dance Song
Over the Rainbow by Iz
Money Dance Song
Y Andale & Corrido De Cananea by Linda Ronstadt
The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
Cake Cutting Song
Sugar, Sugar by The Archies
Bouquet Toss Song
Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys
Garter Toss Song
Short Skirt/Long Jacket by Cake
Details about the cake
Our sundae was wedding cake ice cream with caramel sauce, covered in rainbow sprinkles.
Details about the flowers
Bride & Groom – Black lilies
Bridesmaids & Groomsmen – White lilies
Centerpieces – Dark purple carnation in high and low settings mixed with flower balls
Details about the favors
We had dinosaur figurines with purple ribbon tied around their neck that read ‘Chris & Danielle 04-13-13.’ We spray painted all the dinosaurs black & white. The dinosaurs were placed on alternating table colors i.e. a black table linen had white dinosaurs.
Anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
• The best thing was the unconditional love you could feel from all our guests the second we walked in for the ceremony all the way through the after party.
• One really special moment for us was the last song, ‘We Are Young.’ When it started the DJ instructed all our guests to stand in a big circle around us which gradually moved in closer and closer. In the end we were all singing with our arms draped around each other. We’ll never forget it. It was so amazing.
• We had an after-party that was held on the same floor as our cocktail hour and we served sliders and French fries. It was perfect and great because our guests could keep the party going and not have to worry about finding another location since everything was in the hotel.
• We can’t rave about just one of our vendors because ALL our vendors were incredible. We could not have been any happier with how things turned out. The music was amazing, the flowers looked beautiful, our photos are gorgeous, we’re still getting compliments on the food and ice cream, and our Day-of planner was the best help we could have hoped for.
Any tips you’d give brides and grooms planning their wedding today?
• Make your wedding a reflection of yourselves.
• Bring a change of shoes that you don’t mind being photographed in. Trust me. Your heels are not as comfy as you think.
• Hire a good photographer because that’s what you’ll have forever.
• Have a list of photos you know you want taken.
• Don’t wait until the last minute for DIY projects.
• Your wedding doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.
• Pick a reasonably priced bridesmaid dress.
• Be thoughtful with your registry but don’t lose sleep over it.
• Etsy can be your best friend.
• It’s normal for your budget to scare you but don’t let it give you a heart attack.
