For their anniversary, Denise and Roger took a romantic trip to San Francisco. On the third day, the pair walked their way toward the Golden Gate Bridge for a few photo ops. What Denise didn’t know was that Roger was planning a sunset proposal, so when the sun was starting to fade faster than they were walking, he quickly called an Uber to make it in time! A few minutes later, Roger got down on one knee and surprised Denise by popping the question.
The couple wanted to keep their nuptials relaxed with a modern rustic feel, and once they saw the Ole Hanson Beach Club with its historical architecture and view of the ocean, they knew it was the perfect fit. Light and bright colors could be seen throughout the ceremony and reception, including pops of green, white and peach. Many of the details were handmade, including their dog, Pica’s, bow tie and the custom calligraphy signs that the bride and her sister worked on together.
Some of the couple’s most memorable moments included having their beloved dog, Pica, deliver their rings during the ceremony, and seeing all of the stunning florals come together for the big day. Denise also offers some helpful advice to future couples, “Don’t weight the opinions of others too heavily. What matters most is what you and your fiancé want on your special day.”
Denise & Roger
Shop the Post
How did the two of you meet? We actually met online. Describe your engagement: Roger proposed on our trip to San Francisco for our one-year anniversary. We were at Fort Point taking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge when some other tourists asked us to take their photo. When I was done, Roger asked them to take our photo and got down on one knee. Personal or handmade details: My sister and I are pretty crafty so we made a lot of our decor and signage. I write a craft column for OC Family magazine and wrote about what we did (http://www.ocregister.com/2017/04/20/wedding-diy-ideas/). I also made a puppy bow tie for our dog (http://www.ocregister.com/2017/02/24/how-to-make-a-no-sew-bow-tie-for-puppy/) Both of our dads have passed and we wanted to have them represented in our ceremony, so Roger wore his dad’s cuff links and my bouquet was wrapped with my dad’s dog tags. Describe your wedding flowers: Early spring blooms arranged in a casually understated style, channeling a slightly boho, rustic vibe. Lots of romantic details are combined with natural textures and interesting floral varieties for a feel that is effortless and natural. Focal flowers were roses and garden roses, hydrangea (lime green), lisianthus (chartreuse), bells of ireland, sage-green succulents, chartreuse leucadendron, viburnum, yellow billy-balls, baby’s breath, yellow calla lilies and seasonal accent blooms. Memories and Stories about the Day you would like to share: All week, the weather forecast was rain on our Saturday and both our ceremony and reception were supposed to be outdoors. Lucky for us, the rain never showed and it beautiful day and sunset. The day really does go by first so I appreciate all the advice we received about taking the moment in and being present. Your first dance song: At Last by Etta James. We also walked down the aisle to “La Vie en Rose” by Edith Piaf, played “Happy” by Pharrell Williams after the ceremony, was introduced to “24k Magic” by Bruno Mars, and did the couple dance to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri. The thing that we would have done differently is? {please share something because this can be so helpful for your other brides}: A couple of things, 1. I wish I made my own photo-prop sticks instead of using the vendor’s (they were kinda cheesy). 2. I wish I invited more people 3. I would have changed the seating arrangements a little 4. I would not give the DJ such a specific playlist. He played a lot of my songs twice instead of picking his own and feeling the room. 5. I would have walked through the ceremony better with my photographer beforehand so she could get our dog’s face when he delivered the rings. Our favorite detail of the wedding was: It was very important for us to have our dog being part of our ceremony and we were lucky to have friends who helped make it happen. Our dog Pica was so happy to be with us and did a great job delivering the rings. It was like he knew how important and special the day was for our little family. Your advice for other plus size brides: Find a plus-size bridal salon. At first, I went to a normal bridal boutique and it was humiliating. I could barely get the dresses on and when I did, there was no way i could tell what it really would look like. I am very lucky my sister found Strut Bridal for me. Three adjectives that describe the day: Happy, Beautiful and Love What has surprised you most during the first few months of marriage? After months of planning the wedding and honeymoon, there is a little bit of a post-wedding recovery period. We both needed some time to rest and not do very much socially. There is also a lot of paperwork to do with employers, the government and you accounts.
VENDOR CREDITS:
Vendor Love – Venue: Ole Hanson Beach Club in San Clemente | Caterer + Cupcakes: 24 Carrots | Officiant: Jon Krist | Flowers: The Bloom of Time | Photographer: Kaysha Weiner Photographer | Day-of Coordinator: Louise & Third | Bridal Dress: Allure Bridals, A-Line, Style 2716 from prombee| DJ: Keith Campbell (DJ Soulfabulous) | Hair/Makeup: Abi Nuezca | Calligraphy: The Lemonade Store | Invitations: Minted | Shoes: Fluevog | Suit: Calvin Klein | Gown alterations: Lara Sims Prawat
