Racheal and JoJo were next-door neighbors as kids. They ran into each other again when Racheal was 18, dated for 10 years before getting engaged, and a year later married at their 10-acre private estate in Auburn.

An at-home wedding was a perfect fit. “Our home is in a pretty good location, and we had free will to do our wedding how we wanted to,” says Racheal, who chose an ombre color scheme featuring lighter shades of pink to a dark wine.

“Our two boys rode in on their dirt bikes as the ring bearers, which was a must-have for us,” says Racheal, who says she was “all smiles” to see her groom on the wedding day.

The ceremony, which was presided by the couple’s neighbor (and friend), included a teepee, which was rented from Southern California. The couple wanted to incorporate Native American touches without being over the top or too traditional. A friend of the couple made them custom necklaces out of pine nuts, abalone and beads. “They we’re all unique and such a nice touch to show off more of our Native roots,” says Racheal.

JoJo loved seeing his bride so dressed up. The moment he saw her, he was emotional. “I felt very surprised and in shock,” he says. “It led me to tears of joy, it was overwhelming. I was so happy.”

The couple had a 23-member wedding party. The flowers, including a custom boutonnière for the groom; a floral crown for the bride and an abundant, vibrant burgundy bouquet, were perfection.

Racheal loved the couple’s first look. Their first dance, to Aaron Lewis’ “Tangled Up In You” was special too.

The celebration for the 200 guests continued with a reception in a 50 x 60 structure tent on the property’s horse arena. The menu? Pork shoulder tri-tip and chicken, mashed potatoes and corn. For dessert, they enjoyed a two-tier red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. The cake looked like “a birch tree trunk with dark red flowers on it,” says Racheal.

The nuptial’s outdoorsy vibe started with the wedding stationery—the invitations were made of wood! The bride loved all these “woodsy details” including moss, rocks, pinecones and trees.

“It’s so hard to pick just one favorite detail— everything was so beautiful and there were so many details,” she says. Their wedding planner and event designer, Graceful Gatherings, helped them pull their party and all of their details together.

Happy wedding memories linger for the couple. JoJo looks back on “getting friends and family together” and “getting married to my one true love.”

Racheal got her dream wedding and advises other brides, “Make sure you get all the things you want— don’t sacrifice your wedding day dreams.” 

—Kristen Castillo