Although they went to the same high school, Molly and Ryan didn’t meet until the summer after Ryan graduated, when they got to know each other at a party.
The couple dated for years and got engaged while on vacation in Maui, where they were celebrating their 11-year anniversary.
Two years later, they married at Wildwood Acres Resort on July 30—their dating anniversary.
The couple wanted an all-in-one ceremony and reception site and ultimately fell in love with the venue. “It’s all outdoors and beautiful at night when lit up with twinkly lights,” says Molly. “It was shaded by old oak trees and we lined the aisle with rose petals and candles. It looked beautiful.”
The 140-person guest list included family and friends from New Mexico, Washington, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Seeing Ryan was “the best moment,” says Molly, explaining, “I wasn’t nervous the whole day and it just felt right.”
Ryan’s favorite memory was watching Molly walk down the aisle. “I was emotional and cried but extremely happy to be marrying my best friend,” he says.
Molly’s father walked her down the aisle. Her sister and seven-year-old niece were in the wedding party. Ryan’s cousin Aaron married them in a 20-minute ceremony, written by the bride and groom.
After their “I do’s,” the newlyweds walked back up the aisle together to the song, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.”
Their white and gold color scheme was timeless and elegant.
Molly’s wedding style was versatile. She wore one belt with her gown for the ceremony and another belt for the reception.
On her feet? Gold sparkly flats. “I wanted to be comfortable and not have to wear heels all night,” she says.
After a buffet dinner, the couple and their guests enjoyed white wedding cake, as well as a dessert bar featuring brownies, lemon bars, pecan bars, raspberry chocolate bars, decorated sugar cookies, mini cupcakes, mini pies and assorted cookies.
Ryan enjoyed seeing all the guests dancing throughout the night, including when some guests had “a mini dance off.”
Molly loved the wedding details. “I loved it all, from the roses and candles on the aisle to the table settings with the white flowers and gold table numbers in them,” she says, noting Ryan’s uncle made personalized hot sauce bottles for wedding favors.
Still, budgeting was a challenge. “Especially with Pinterest and Etsy, you see so many things for weddings and you have to remember that it all adds up,” she says.
Reflecting on their big day, the bride says, “It went by so quickly. Everyone told me that it would fly by, but we had a great time—I was so surprised when they said it was already the last dance!”
When offering advice for other couples-to-be, the bride says, “Save some money for your honeymoon! Ours was a few months after the wedding and it was nice to have that vacation after all of the wedding planning was over.”
— Kristen Castillo
