Real Weddings Magazine - Issue #27-F20-DIGITAL - The Best Wedding Vendors in Sacramento, Tahoe and throughout Northern California are all here

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LAUREN & JAMES
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHOOP’S PHOTOGRAPHY
Being together and
sharing our love with family and
friends was the best part.
—Lauren
Lauren and James met at a mutual friend’s house
back in 2011, when James, an Air Force veteran, had
recently returned back to California. They connected
and soon starting hanging out at social gatherings and
sporting events. A year later they moved into their first
place together and have gained a myriad of fur (and
feathered) babies.
Over the years, they had talked about getting married
but the proposal was still a surprise for Lauren.
James got down on one knee and proposed following
the bride’s birthday dinner with her family.
“Because we had been together as a couple for
many years before, seven years at the time, and lived
together for about the same amount of time, we had
already felt like we were married,” she says. “We decided
to make it official a week later at the courthouse.”
Then they started planning a formal ceremony and
reception, which was held months later at Scott’s Seafood
on the River.
The couple wanted their wedding to be comfortable
for them and their guests. While they had some
traditional elements like the father-daughter dance
and cake cutting, their celebration was tailored to
their tastes.
Lauren says they weren’t stressed or nervous because
they were already legally married. “Being together
and sharing our love with family and friends
was the best part,” she says.
Their ceremony, held outdoors on a warm fall day,
was short and sweet. “It took longer for us to walk
down the aisle than it did to say ‘I do,’” says Lauren, noting
guests told the couple how much they appreciated
not having to sit through a long ceremony.
The couple and their parents helped plan the wedding.
A big highlight was the ice sculpture with flowers
pressed inside as well as the newlywed’s initials carved
into it, coordinated by James’s mother. They focused
on having colorful, seasonal floral arrangements for
their bouquets and centerpieces, bringing beautiful
pops of color into the already picturesque venue. “We
wanted to make sure that our floral arrangements
were colorful. It made sense to us that rather than
picking a specific color palette or style of centerpiece
and bouquets to match a theme for the wedding all
of the floral arrangements should be a representation
of what plants were in bloom during the season at the
time,” recalls the bride.
Their reception was held in the large tent on-site
with floor to ceiling windows facing the marina. The
tent, which was draped with fabric and glowing lights,
featured three chandeliers and a big space for everyone
to mingle and dance.
Looking back on their wedding, they say the most
memorable moment, “was when we were able to step
back and take everything in,” says Lauren. “Watching
our guests enjoying themselves and being able to
share that quiet time amongst all of the dancing and
noise was really special.” OO — Kristen Castillo
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