Heidi worked with Wade’s mom, Karen, at a restaurant in Folsom. “She was always raving about how proud she was of her four boys,” recalls Heidi. One day, Wade dropped his mom off at work and Heidi was bartending. “Karen wanted to buy him lunch as a ‘thank-you,’ and he ordered through me,” she says. “Wade ordered a drink with his lunch that, in my defense, could be ordered with or without alcohol. Since I didn’t ask and he didn’t specify, I assumed with alcohol. He was only 18!” Their friendship really started after Heidi became curious about the culinary school Wade was attending. “During our first call we hit it off,” she says. “We stayed up late many nights just talking, but we didn’t end up dating until six years later.”

Fast forward to Christmas time at Disneyland. “He will tell you the intentions were to propose the night before, but I came out of the store chomping on a huge caramel apple instead,” she recalls. “From that night on it was a race to find the perfect spot and moment. I will never forget one moment we’re posing for pictures and the next he was shaking like a paint mixer and plopped down to one knee. The first words out of his mouth: ‘Do you know what a giant pain in my ass you are?’ It was perfect!”

When planning the wedding, the couple chose to focus on the experience of heightened senses (sight, smell, touch and taste). “We wanted the ceremony to feel light and romantic, the cocktail hour to feel warmer and the reception to be full throttle sexy,” says the bride. “We tried to accomplish this through particular foods, lighting, drinks and florals.”

Heidi shares that it really helped to have a teammate with her during all the planning, especially when it became too much for one person. Some of her favorite moments included brainstorming with Wade about the passionate parts of the wedding, like the food. “Anything food related was a blast to configure, taste and execute!” she says.

Officiated by a dear friend, the ceremony was completely tailored to the pair, as individuals and as partners. “You could smell the fresh rosemary, tarragon and mint scattered alongside the aisle,” recalls Heidi. “The vows were very conversational with funny and sweet moments—very us.”

The reception took place in the same spot as the ceremony following a complete room transformation. The drapes were pulled back for a night view of the Capitol and the walls were uplit with a warm sunset color. “The room was filled with energy with lots of laughter, and was a complete change from the ceremony other than the lingering scents of the aromatics,” says Heidi. “The night seemed to fly by, but I will always remember our last dance with our eyes closed and reminiscing about what had just happened.” 

—Darren Elms