An hour before Haley and Clayton’s wedding, it poured rain. But the couple didn’t let the weather put a damper on their special day. “The whole day was my favorite memory,” says Haley. “It was truly the best day of my life.”
The couple, who met while playing on a coed softball team, had dated for five and a half years. They got engaged on the beach in Cancun a few days after attending their good friends’ wedding.
They chose to have their wedding at Dodasa Ranch, a breathtaking venue according to the bride. “It was under a huge oak tree with a beautiful lavender field behind it,” she says. “It was everything we were hoping to find.”
They chose a rustic chic theme since they both love the outdoors, barns and rustic landscape. Their green and yellow color scheme fit the couple perfectly. Green is one of the bride’s favorite colors and it was a great color for their spring wedding. They used sunflowers—Haley’s favorite bloom—for a pop of yellow and rustic charm. An added bonus? Clayton loves green and yellow because those are the colors of his favorite baseball team, the Oakland A’s.
Their invitations reflected the couple’s respective tastes, as well, deer antlers for Clayton since he’s a hunter and sunflowers for Haley.
Seeing her groom was a special moment for Haley. “I had butterflies,” she says. “When I turned the corner and saw him, all of them went away and excitement took over.”
Clayton was equally enthusiastic. “I was like, ‘holy moly, this is happening,’” he says. “I couldn’t stop smiling, I was very excited to start this journey together.”
She accessorized with diamond earrings (a wedding gift from the groom) and sparkly Cinderella-esque white cowboy boots. His accessories including antler cufflinks from Haley and brown cowboy boots.
Their reception was held in a covered pavilion, along a pond at the venue. Following a chicken and tri-tip dinner, they and their 140 guests enjoyed a three-tiered donut cake.
Haley’s biggest challenge while wedding planning was figuring out all the details. “I thought the big things were going to be the hard part, but man those little details…there are so many,” she says.
Still, everything worked out as planned. “It all ended up being perfect and exactly what we wanted,” says Clayton.
The newlyweds, who honeymooned on Kauai, say their favorite detail was getting to marry their best friend.
And, they’re grateful to have spent the day celebrating with their loved ones: “The amount of people that showed up to show their love and support for us so was awesome,” says Clayton.
—Kristen Castillo
