It’s the summer of 2003 and Nolan has just spotted Lisa outside a Chico bar. Despite a mutual friend’s attempt at an introduction, Lisa, a self-described social butterfly, barely notices her future husband. “She was so busy talking to everyone that…she ignored me at first,” Nolan says. “I thought she was really pretty, but maybe a little bit of a snob.”

A series of brief run-ins followed, but it took a movie night at Lisa’s apartment to dispel their mutual misconceptions. “We watched Dumb and Dumber, and Nolan and [his friend] Shane would not stop quoting the movie…and I got to see a side of him that I hadn’t before,” Lisa shares. “He actually did talk and could be pretty funny, and I am a sucker for a good sense of humor.”

In September 2009, their nearly six-year relationship culminated in a rose petal-filled proposal following Lisa’s return from a weeklong business trip. “[Nolan] told me that I was his best friend and he loved me more than I could ever know and that he wanted to spend the rest of our lives together,” Lisa says. “I couldn’t believe it because I honestly had no idea he had been ring shopping and planning all of it!”

Throughout their two-and-a-half year engagement, the bride, with the help of friends, family and a supportive fiancé, worked tirelessly to design the wedding she always envisioned. According to Nolan, “…it turned out to be everything Lisa dreamed of because the day was really about making her fairytale wish come true, and I was happy to see her happy—but it was definitely a lot of work!”

The bride’s “vintage, romantic, soft, feminine, fun” aesthetic shone through in every handmade decoration, every special treat (gum balls, popcorn, cotton candy, cigars and a favor bar specifically for the dogs—as the couple are huge dog lovers) and the couple’s signature drinks (strawberry mojitos for him, a favorite peach Champagne for her) offered at the late spring nuptials. “We wanted the entire thing to be a good time that people would look back on and be happy to have been a part of,” Lisa explains. “We also wanted it to be super romantic and full of love and happiness and celebration.”

Lisa floated down the aisle at Empire Mine State Historic Park in a romantic Casablanca gown from De La Rosa’s Bridal & Tuxedos to a rendition of “Here Comes the Bride,” performed by local musicians Robert Russell and Greg Hayes. The couple’s vows fused traditional elements with heartfelt promises to “split the difference on the thermostat” and accept “crafting supplies…all over the house.” Following the ceremony, guests indulged in comfort foods prepared by Antonio Ayestarán Custom Catering while DJ Sean Kennedy from Music & More Entertainment spun a playlist handpicked by the couple.

Despite all of the specialty elements, both bride and groom feel that the day’s true crowning achievement was the gathering of their loved ones. “It was really great to look out and see our families and our friends and co-workers—all of the people that are so special to us—with big smiles on their faces,” Lisa says. “We are truly blessed with some amazing people in our lives.”