Sacramento Weddings

The idea of a blind date is a bit overwhelming, so overwhelming for Danielle, in fact, that when a girlfriend wanted to set her up on one, she made it a surprise.

Danielle arrived to the bowling alley for what she thought was a girls’ night, only to discover that it was a blind date ploy. After the initial shock wore off, she realized she had a lot in common with the guy and genuinely enjoyed his company. The blind date turned into a real date, which turned into a relationship and eventually the two became inseparable…and parents!

William proposed at their daughter Aubree’s first birthday party. Danielle was so busy planning the celebration that a proposal was the furthest thing from her mind. Yet again, she found herself surprised. When Aubree was about to blow out her birthday candle, William asked for the room to be quiet so everyone could hear Aubree’s first wish, which he announced was for her mommy to say ‘yes’ to her daddy. The room filled with cheers—and tears. Danielle, of course, said yes, all the while Aubree enjoyed her birthday cake.

Turns out William is quite the sleuth. Prior to the proposal, he managed to sneak a peek at Danielle’s secret Pinterest wedding board to see which types of rings she liked and had one custom-made by their family jeweler exactly to her taste. He also reserved the wedding venue a year in advance for June 20—the same date her grandparents were married.

Danielle happily took over the planning reins from there, as she’s an expert planner and has coordinated her share of parties and events. With a theme like “secret garden meets woodland,” she knew that she needed quite the assortment and abundance of flowers and arrangements. To create the look she wanted while staying conscience of cost, she chose to incorporate not only live flowers, but also some silk flowers. The outcome was gorgeous and now the silk flowers make up lovely arrangements in the couple’s living room and Aubree’s bedroom—a reminder of their special day every time they look at them.

The couple will have another sweet reminder of the day in a tree they planted at their home as part of a unique “tree planting ceremony,” where they gathered soil from each of their parents’ ranches. “The tree will always be a symbol of our love for each other and a reminder to nourish each other with words of encouragement, trust and love,” says Danielle.

The tree is a lovely sentiment, but perhaps the greatest reminder of love that they share is their daughter Aubree and their new bundle of joy.

— Kelley Saia