Jen & Gary celebrated their small and intimate ceremony in Hawaii and also had a sweet honeymoon! With the amazing blue backdrop, they enjoyed a romantic yet relaxing wedding day with each other! Congratulations to these 2 cute lovebirds!
All photos were taken by Milan Kenjic Photography.
Wedding Dress Style: #CWLT15008
Q: Any advice or tips for future Mrs.?
As a second marriage, we chose to have an intimate ceremony in Hawaii with just the 2 of us! We’d both done big weddings in the past. Knowing some family and friends would not be able to make the trip and the fact that we were saving for a new house were our original reasons for this plan. It turned out to be not only easy to plan, but it was so relaxed and special. We hired a coordinator who had a wedding package that included getting our license appointment, an officiate, choosing a beach location, photography, bouquet/leis, musician, a toast, rose petal toss, as well as recommendation for hair, make-up, dinner reservations, and transportation. With a few phone calls and emails, there was very little that needed to be done other than choose what we would wear and what flowers we wanted. This stress-free planning made for a wonderful wedding and I am so happy we chose to do it this way. We really got to enjoy the engagement period and wedding without the stress of wedding planning. The day was so special and I would highly recommend doing it this way to anyone!!! I also used Pinterest to get ideas for hair, nails, and other small touches.
Q: Tell us your love story?
Despite living 10 minutes apart and shopping at the same local neighborhood stores, we would have never have met if we didn’t try online dating. Our first date was meant to be a short meeting, but we talked for hours. It was obvious early on that our connection was special. We were both single parents with similar beliefs and values. After 2 years of dating, Gary was so sweet to include my sister and mom in ring shopping. I knew he was planning on proposing sometime in the spring or summer, but I didn’t know when. Our engagement story has a bit of a twist. We live in California, but I am from Tennessee and I grew up boating on the lake. Knowing how dear my dad was to me, Gary wanted my dad to be included in his proposal. He knew my dad had a favorite cove on the lake in which he used to take us to as a family or that he would take his boat for quiet time reading his Bible. So, Gary had spent months coming up with a secret plan with my mom to gather my family and dear friends in Tennessee to take a separate boat to surprise me as he was going to propose at the cove where we had scattered my dad’s ashes. A day before we were leaving for our trip, Gary had a critical job obligation that required him to cancel the trip. He was devastated, but I was unaware of the plan. As summer was quickly coming to and end and I still didn’t have a ring on my finger. We went to dinner overlooking the ocean. I thought perhaps that would be the night. We saw a man sprinkling roses along the coast and making a heart shape….yet it was someone else’s proposal! Then, a boat went by with a wedding. It became laughable. While I was left wondering, Gary had already put plan b into motion. The following weekend was his 50th birthday party. I had planned a karaoke event for his family and long time friends. He figured since he didn’t get to propose in front of my family and friends in Tennessee, his party would be a great opportunity to propose while surrounded by loved ones. As we left dinner and went to start karaoke, he called me up, gave me flowers and then started singing “All of Me” by John Legend. He then got down on one knee and asked me to marrying him. We still joke because he thought it took me a really long time to answer, but the video of the proposal proves otherwise and I of course said “yes” right away!
Q: What was the inspiration behind your wedding theme?
We both love Hawaii. We wanted to a wedding on the beach and a place where we also could honeymoon. It is such a romantic place. I wanted casual, classic elegance. Roses and flip-flops!
Q: How would you define the message “Dare to Love”?
Both of us had been hurt in the past by love. We both knew it was better to be alone than just be with someone for the sake of being with someone. I had pretty much given up on dating and joined an online site as a joke. I would send my sister pictures of funny profiles and joke with her that I had given them her number. So, when Gary and I decided to meet, I figured it might be a one date deal. But once I met him, I knew he was different and I dared to open my heart to him. I am so glad I took the chance and that he took a chance on me. I can’t imagine life without him.
Q: What was the best/most memorable part of the day ?
I loved everything about our wedding. I was utterly giddy and couldn’t stop smiling. I think the most special part was the touching vows we wrote to one another. There were many parallels in the handwritten vows we had written to one another.
Q: What did you love most about your #Cocomelody dress (es) ?
I loved my wedding dress it was elegant, yet simple for a beach wedding. I loved the delicate sparkly belt and the corset back.
Q: What do you think about Cocomelody and the customer service?
I was skeptical at first when I saw the ad on Facebook. I thought the prices were too good to be true. When I took my sister to LA to Cocomelody store, I wasn’t sure what to expect and thought we might be wasting the day. I was beyond thrilled to arrive and see it was a lovely boutique with helpful staff that helped choosing styles. I had brought some pictures from the online shop. Although the shop didn’t have all the styles, they had similar styles so I could see what I liked on me. I found a dress in the store almost exactly like the one I ordered. I was so happy, I didn’t even look anywhere else.