Christy and Rachel met in 2010 at California Lutheran University, where Rachel attended college. The two spent time together with their then-significant-others. Going to LGBTQ+ club meetings on campus and staying out late in Los Angeles West Hollywood neighborhood.
Years passed. Eventually, in 2013, both Rachel and Christy were transitioning their Facebook statuses from “in a relationship” to “single.”
The two women became an important support system for each other through their breakups. In the process, they discovered their mutual love of music, old vinyl, and Disney.
Rachel started falling for Christy’s confident charm, sense of humor, romantic imagination, and fun-loving creativity. Meanwhile, Christy was becoming increasingly enamored with Rachel’s intelligence, artistic talents (singing, drawing, etc.), and inherent compassion and kindness.
While Rachel was younger, she was an old soul – and Christy loved the continuous knowledge and challenges Rachel had to offer.
In April of that same year, they officially started dating. It didn’t take long for them to realize how compatible they were. They soon moved into a Studio City apartment where they began building their life together. In 2015 Grace Kelly (Princess of Meow-Nico) came into their lives and their little family became complete!
Rachel is from Oregon, and Christy is from Southern California, so nature is a big thing for this couple. Having a wedding that felt ‘organic’ was necessary. That was their go-to word throughout the planning process!
They knew that they wanted an elegant outdoor wedding that highlighted the natural beauty of our area.
The date Rachel and Chirsty ended up picking was late summer/early fall. This was perfect for the diverse color palette they chose.
When it came to DIY projects, “Initially we had lofty DIY ideas, but when reality set in we realized that our DIY projects needed to be more limited to preserve our sanity. We bought templates on Etsy for our signs and ceremony program, then customized and printed everything on our own.
It was important for us to have gender-neutral bathrooms. We made sure to create those signs and work with the venue to make sure they were ok to put up. To save a little bit in the budget, we bought ‘build your own’ easels. This proved to be one of the hardest things to make! With a power tool and some creativity, we made them work, and they were perfect.
Another DIY project we took on was our wedding favors. Stuffed bags of kettle corn popcorn and regular popcorn, with stickers that said, thanks for popping by.”
It’s hard for the newlyweds to pick one moment of the day that was their favorite. One that sticks out in Christy’s memory, is going up on the vista point at sunset where they spent time together privately; some of their absolute favorite pictures were captured up there. Christy also loved getting to walk down the aisle to a cover of Sleeping Beauty’s ‘Once Upon a Dream’. Which the band Von Grey specially recorded for us.
For Rachel, it was exchanging vows and hearing Christy share when and why she fell in love with her. It was standing up in front of their friends and family, who were all there, showing so much support. They felt so lucky to have so many people there who loved them.
Rachel identifies as Jewish, and it was important for both brides to have a ‘breaking of the glass’ moment during the ceremony. They also added a very modern interpretation of the ‘Seven Hebrew Blessings.’
After the ceremony, they took a moment by themselves, as is the Jewish tradition, before mingling with guests. Instead of having a religious officiant, they had their good friend lead the ceremony who knew them well. It made it feel more personal and intimate.
For Rachel, “there are very few times in my life where I have felt genuinely calm and centered, without any hint of anxiety or self-consciousness; the day after our wedding was one of these powerful moments for me. I felt this amazing peacefulness settle into, my chest. And I realized that it was because I had just gotten to marry Christy. Before our wedding, I thought Marriage was the next level of an already committed relationship. Now, I feel like Marriage is this super cool thread of knowing. I can’t predict what’s coming next in our lives, but I can trust that Christy will be my constant. I know she will be there by my side, as my wife. Recognized not only by our friends and family but by our state and country as well, and I love that feeling.”
For Christy, “Marriage to me is being a part of a two-person team in this challenge of life together. Some days you’re trying to figure out ways to win. And other days, you are working on getting through it unscathed. It’s sharing in the joys and trials – knowing you aren’t alone. We have many relationships in our lives with family, friends, colleagues, in varying degrees and dynamics. Marriage, though, is someone accepting and loving you wholeheartedly. All of your attributes, all of your flaws, in their raw form – and they are saying; I can’t imagine taking on this journey without you.”
Photography by Victoria Gold Photography
Bar National Bar Staffing
Beauty Bliss Bridal Beauty, Wedlocks Bridal, Be Glammes
Cake & Desserts Vein Janes
Catering LA Roots Catering
DJ DJ Randy K
Florist 1703 Event Studios
Planning & Design Jane Alexandra Events
Photobooth Extreme Booth Rentals
Specialty Linens BBJ Linen
Stained Glass Pieces Janel Foo Glassworks
Suit Sharpe Suiting
Venue Brookview Ranch
Vintage Rentals Pretty Vintage Rentals
Wedding Dress Calla Blanche
Wedding Dress Alterations The Williamsburg Seamster
