How did you meet?
Hunter and I met in 2015 when we were both working at Round Table Pizza in Elk Grove, CA. It was two whole years of working together, and Hunter listening to me complain about other men, before he finally asked me out. What started as a simple text message turned into a beautiful friendship and relationship.
Biggest Challenge
The most challenging part was just how time consuming it was to reach out to all the vendors. Most vendors don’t have their pricing easily accessible online and often times, depending on what services they offer, cannot help you until you have your venue booked and an official guest count.
How would you describe the ceremony?
I would describe the ceremony as simply us. Hunter and I chose to exchange our vows privately before the ceremony. This was a wonderful choice for us; our photographer was able to get some beautiful first look photos and Hunter and I were able to have a few quite and private moments. Our ceremony was relatively short, maybe 20 minutes total. Hunter’s sister did an excellent job incorporating personal details into the speech she gave, [along with] the vows and promises we made publicly. She added some of my favorite love quotes from books and movies as well as references to our family and time together. She managed to make all of us laugh and cry in such a short span of time.
Unexpected Moment
One moment that was unexpected was the first song played, the one that our officiant, Sara, walked down the aisle to. It was supposed to be an instrumental song from The Lord of the Rings but there was a miscommunication and the song “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd was played instead. That song was chosen by Hunter to be played at a different time as a way to honor his dad, Bob, who passed in 2020. Bob was a huge Pink Floyd fan and having it play while Sara walked down the aisle was the perfect mistake. It felt to us like Bob wanted us to know he was there with us.
#WeddingGoals
We hoped for the evening of the wedding to feel like our family and friends were having dinner in The Shire from
The Lord of the Rings. We wanted a location that was beautiful and unique but also felt cozy. Loma Vista Gardens was the perfect match for our vision.
Shelby’s Favorite Detail
The florals! I am still in awe of how gorgeous my bouquet and the two big bouquets we had lining the aisle were. The colors of the flowers perfectly tied in with all the other colors I had chosen for the day, just as I had hoped. I am so glad I was able to get my bouquet pressed to cherish forever.
Shelby’s Best Part
There are so many moments that stand out to me from our wedding day, but the best part was having my parents there to celebrate with us. My Mom was diagnosed with ALS in April of 2023, just a few months before our wedding. A few days before the wedding my mom was not feeling well as the medications she was on were taking a toll on her body. Leading up to the day before the wedding, Hunter and I weren’t even sure if my parents would be able to make it to the wedding. My mom was able to power through and find the strength to fly from Arizona to Monterey for the wedding. I will be forever grateful that her and my dad were able to attend.
Hunter’s Best Part
Hunter says that the best part of the day was having his family, from near and far, there to celebrate with us. He was especially grateful that his brother Blake was able to not only get the time off from being a Marine but was also able to fly all the way out from Maryland. Blake was his Best Man and made sure that Hunter felt as celebrated as the Bride. The morning of the wedding while the ladies were getting their hair and makeup done, the Groomsmen were able to relax in the hotel sauna.
Hunter and I also agreed that our favorite moment was exchanging our private vows. The entire day was very surreal, it felt so good to have those private vows to ground us before walking down the aisle. We took comfort in each other and it was wonderful to share our intimate feelings about each other privately.
What do you think guests will remember most about your wedding?
Our guests have raved about how awesome the food, the DJ and the venue were!
What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
If I could change one thing, I would’ve woken Hunter up in the morning at the same time as me and made him walk to get coffee with me. I started my day without coffee, and as an avid coffee drinker it was not the best way to start my morning.
