Paige met Andrew on the first day of college classes. They both have ties to Germany, and they met in their language class. “As soon as I saw him walk into German class, I was like there he is: future husband,” she says. They quickly became close friends, but it was another couple of years before they started dating during Paige’s junior year.

The couple grew together as they experienced more life changes—graduating, jobs and graduate school. “I got a very good job opportunity in Houston, and Andrew was planning to go to law school in Boston,” Paige remembers. “My friend asked me if I thought we would break up because the long distance was crazy, to which I burst into tears thinking how I never wanted our relationship to end.”

The couple lived together in Washington, D.C. as Andrew finished law school at Georgetown. In their free time, they loved walking around the monuments. Enter Andrew’s idea for his proposal, inviting his sister and her husband along to hide and take photos. “When we arrived to the specific location where I wanted to propose—with the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin in the background—I said a few words to Paige prior to getting down on one knee and my sister anticipated that I did not have the guts to get on one knee, and yelled out ‘get down on one knee, dude!’ It all happened so fast, but before I knew it, Paige had the ring on her finger with teary eyes,” he says.

They enjoyed the thrill of being engaged before jumping into planning mode. “We did not start planning right away because we knew we were moving from D.C. to San Francisco due to some new jobs. I also had my dream location in mind—my parents’ farm in Auburn. As soon as we decided California would be where we would marry, I searched to find the perfect planner.” She found that with Jenn Robirds Events, “Jenn was the best thing that happened to our wedding!” With the location and planner locked in, they could start bringing their overall vision to life. “I really wanted it to feel like we had a bunch of our best friends and family over for a big dinner party with lots of dancing and drinking,” she says. “I wanted it to be a day full of our favorite things: favorite food, colors, drinks, people and music.”

For Andrew, one of his favorite memories happened after everyone had gone home. “We capped the night off in my tux and Paige’s wedding dress with a late night meal at—no place better—In-N-Out. We received a standing ovation when we walked in!”

For Paige, one of the highlights of the day was her first look with Andrew. “They are still some of my favorite pictures because I still remember the feeling. Even though we have been together for seven years, I just felt so excited to see him.”  

—Kourtney Jason