Before meeting, Elizabeth and Dan were rivals, so to speak, with her attending UCLA and him USC. But it wasn’t until a fateful trip to Vegas, at a craps table, that the two would actually meet. “It’s not as bad as it sounds,” smiles Elizabeth. “Dan was there with some guy friends and I was with some new girl friends for a little fun-in-the-sun weekend. The two groups knew each other so I was the only one who was the wild card so to speak. It was actually raining in Vegas that day so we headed to the craps table, [then] to the bar afterward and the rest is history.”
After four months of dating, Dan moved home to Sacramento and Elizabeth followed suit soon after. It took him another eight months to propose, but the bride-to-be says it was worth it. “Dan took me ring shopping in San Francisco to see what I liked,” she shares. “We played tourist that day in the city and ended up at the Palace of Fine Arts where he surprised me by proposing. He had already purchased a ring and was using the day to throw me a curve ball.”
The newly engaged couple planned a Catholic wedding and took special care fine tuning the details, from the music selection to the décor. “I loved researching and deciding on the linens, florals and other decorations of the wedding,” the bride says. “That’s the best part…what kind of feel you want your guests to have when they walk in.” With a majority of the guests flying in from Los Angeles, the couple fashioned the occasion around a full weekend event. “We hosted a welcome cocktail party Friday night before the rehearsal dinner, included things to do in our welcome bags so that they could entertain themselves on Saturday before the wedding, and hosted a brunch the Sunday after.”
The traditional Catholic ceremony was held at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. “It is, in my opinion, the most gorgeous church around,” expresses the bride. “Very old world European with lots of respect. It was important to us to have a traditional ceremony and to be respectful of our religion by acknowledging that [marriage] is a huge step in our lives. The cathedral set that tone.”
Guests moved on to the Crocker Art Museum, a striking contrast to the ceremony, with its contemporary styling, floor-to-ceiling windows, marble flooring and white walls adorned with artwork and sculptures. The couple danced for their guests with a choreographed routine that brought ovations. The wedding party also made their entrances to music chosen for each of them. “We had the best dance party ever,” Elizabeth says.
“The party ended with the guests wanting more, which is always a good thing.”
—Darren Elms
