Jackie and Eddie met at work in 2010 and kept their relationship an office secret for more than a year and a half, “only letting the partners at the accounting firm know,” Jackie says.

The engagement happened on a mini-vacation to Monterey, after stopping at Big Sur for a two-mile climb up Buzzard’s Roost loop at Pfeiffer State Park. While Jackie was enjoying the view, Eddie told her how much he loved her. “All of a sudden, he took my hand and spun me around,” she says. “I looked down to find him on one knee asking me to marry him.” The bride said yes. “Eddie planned a perfect weekend, chose a perfect ring, and is the perfect person for me,” Jackie says.

Engaged for just six months, they planned their wedding quickly. High Sierra Iris and Wedding Gardens was a perfect venue match, since the couple—who lives in Reno—spent a lot of time in the Camino area when they were secretly dating.

Their traditional wedding featured a wine ceremony and “thank-you’s” for their respective parents. Jackie and Eddie also chose a reading for each other and kept it a secret until the wedding. The day’s highlights for Eddie included reading his vows and seeing his bride for the first time.

“I was so happy when I saw Jackie start to walk down the aisle because I just knew that she was the one for me,” says Eddie, who describes his wife as beautiful and honest.

They celebrated with 80 guests, including Jackie’s family from Alaska and Washington and Eddie’s guests from Colorado, Oregon and New Mexico. Many of the couple’s friends from Reno also attended. Sadly, Jackie’s oma (grandmother) passed away two days before the wedding. “During the toasts, Eddie surprised me by mentioning that my oma was in our hearts that day,” Jackie says. “And she definitely was.”

Jackie’s sister was her maid of honor while Eddie’s friend was his best man. The groom’s younger brother was the ring bearer and both Jackie and Eddie’s respective nieces were flower girls. The bride loved her strapless Casablanca gown with a sweetheart neckline and a fit-and-flare shape. “The dress felt romantic and feminine, and I thought it fit perfectly with a garden wedding,” she says.

Much of the wedding décor was purple, Jackie’s favorite color. She did a few DIY projects too, like using an online stationery template to design the invitations and making a love bird cake topper by gluing wood birds (purchased from a craft store) to wood skewers and painting them. Jackie was going to make the cake as well, but decided to hire a baker since it was a lot of work so close to the wedding. For formality, the couple cut a six-inch round cake and then served vanilla and chocolate cupcakes for dessert. The frosting colors? White and purple, of course!

Since they wanted a “grand finale,” Jackie and Eddie gave guests sparklers, which were a lot of fun and made for great photos.

―Kristen Castillo