Stacy first met Scott while visiting her sister at Chico State, when she was just 18 and he was 20. But it wasn’t until six years later, in 2006, that they rekindled their relationship at a Super Bowl party, and officially started dating by August of that same year. They spent the next five years traveling—to Europe, Mexico, Oregon, San Diego and San Francisco—where many of the social couple’s friends reside.
Then one night, October 20, 2011, to be exact, Stacy, knowing Scott wouldn’t be home until 10 p.m., stayed late at school. When she finally opened the door to their address, she was shocked to be greeted by a house filled with candles and roses. Scott was down on his knee, rose petals spelling out the unspoken question, “Will you marry me?” Stacy said yes, of course, and they headed off the next day to celebrate their engagement in Lake Tahoe.
Eleven months later the couple married at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, officiated by her uncle Steve, as it was extremely important to the pair to have someone that knew them personally conduct the most important part of their big day. Keeping it a family affair, the couple’s cousin used a camcorder to capture the day’s biggest moments. And the bride herself is an event planner by profession, so she and her boss acted as the wedding designer and the wedding planner, respectively. Hilariously, after Uncle Steve accepted his official position in his niece’s wedding, he henceforth referred to himself as “the pope.” Taking the joke one step further, the bride’s mother and aunt presented Steve with a mitre (pope’s hat) at the rehearsal dinner, which Steve ceremoniously placed on his head right before declaring the couple husband and wife.
“We didn’t want the day to be too serious, so we tried to make little details—like guests receiving a little cup of Champagne when they entered the ceremony—to help make it a more relaxed and happy atmosphere.”
At the beginning of their planning, Stacy and Scott discussed what each felt was the most important component they wanted in their wedding. For the groom, that meant having a full bar. The bride really wanted to throw a party and have fun, hence the inclusion of live entertainment. Both, however, really wanted their bridal party to feel special. “We didn’t want to do the basic bridal party introductions, so we spiced it up a little bit,” Stacy says. Each member’s name was called, they stepped forward, a bio paragraph was read, and then their song started and they danced onto the dance floor. “It was a fun way to begin the reception and to let the guests know a little bit more about the people who are so special to us.” The newlyweds were then introduced to “Party Rock Anthem” and the whole bridal party broke into a choreographed dance.
Perhaps the best example of keeping this group tight-knit while the couple tied the knot were the differently flavored wedding cakes that adorned the guests’ tables. A placard asked, “Don’t like your flavor? Every table has a different flavor, so ask around and share.” Share, indeed.
First Dance Song
You & Me by Dave Matthews
Father/Daughter Dance Song
My Little Girl by Tim McGraw & Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Segar
Mother/Son Dance Song
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) by James Taylor
Cake Cutting Song
The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra
Details about the cake
We did a two-tier cake on the head table that Scott and I cut, and then shared with our table. It was strawberry shortcake…white cake with strawberries and whipped frosting. Every table at the wedding got their own 8-inch cake. I picked four different flavors (chocolate with peanut butter, white with lemon, carrot cake and the strawberry shortcake) and each table got their own cake. A card was served with the cake that said “Don’t like your flavor? Every table has a different flavor, so ask around and share.” This was a guaranteed way that everyone would eat the cake and we showed a 12-minute slide show of Scott and me, so it gave them something to do while they were sitting down.
Details about the flowers
I am not a flower person, so I don’t know the names of the flowers at all, but I wanted bright and vibrant, and that is what I got.
Details about the favors
They were sugar cookies with white frosting and a ‘W’ in black on them. They were from New Roma Bakery.
Anything else you’d like to share about your wedding?
We really wanted to make our bridal party feel special. They are our absolute best friends and with all of the bridal showers, bachelorette parties and bachelor party, they were amazing through our entire engagement process. We didn’t want to do the basic bridal party introductions, so we spiced it up a little bit. We wrote a little paragraph about each of them and picked out a specific song for each of them. Their name was called, they stepped forward, the paragraph was read and then their song started and they danced to the dance floor. It was a fun way to begin the reception and to let the guests know a little bit more about the people who are so special to us. Scott and I were then introduced to Party Rock Anthem and the whole bridal party broke into a choreographed dance. Again, it was just something different and a fun way to start the reception on a fun note.
We received SO many compliments about the food at our wedding. We are still hearing about it to this day. Monty, at All Seasons All Reasons, really did an amazing job. We had a buffet, so that everyone could just pick what they wanted. We had salmon, tri-tip, sun-dried tomato pasta, au gratin potatoes and asparagus. It was absolutely unbelievable and like I said, I am still hearing about it to this day.
Any tips you’d give brides and grooms planning their wedding today?
At the beginning of your wedding, ask each other what your top three things are that are most important to you for your wedding day. I really wanted to throw a party and have fun, so that is why I wanted live entertainment. Scott really wanted to have a full bar at his wedding, so that ruled out a bunch of venues that only allow beer and wine. Our guests were give a little cup of Champagne when they entered the ceremony and there was a line in our ceremony script where they needed to raise their glasses and cheers for Scott and me. We didn’t want the day to be too serious, so we tried to make little details, like the Champagne, to help make it a more relaxed and happy atmosphere.
Try to make the day about the two of you and add special touches that resemble the two of you. You only get this day once, so make it about you and enjoy every minute of it because it goes by so fast.
