Roller Skating, Wine Tasting, and Surprise Picnics

About Falling in Love

We’ve been together just one month shy of six years! We met on the dating app, Bumble – the novelty was a bit lost on us because the whole setup is that the woman has to talk first. In our case that was completely irrelevant. 

We messaged on the app for a couple of weeks, canceled on the other once each, and finally met up for a glass of wine. We talked for four hours and the rest is history!

About the Proposals

We had decided together that we were ready to get married, but we didn’t want to lose the surprise of a proposal. Really early on in dating, we both found out that it was important to each of us to be proposed to, so we made a deal that either one of us could propose first, but then the other had three months to reciprocate. 

We chose to design each other’s rings with the same jeweler who had done many of Mallory’s family’s most important pieces, but we also wanted to keep it a secret from each other. So we had separate text and email threads with the same person going back and forth for months and our family and friends who helped each of us plan our proposals. 

Mallory was the one who initially had cold feet, so Lauren was planning on proposing first to help take the stress off, but once Mallory was ready she thought it would be really meaningful to Lauren if she could surprise her with her commitment by asking first. 

This was easier said than done, and ultimately ended up in a bit of a race that Lauren was totally unaware of. Mallory even tried to delay the delivery of Lauren’s ring for Mallory to give her more time, which sent Lauren into a tizzy. 

It was a bit wild and comically complicated, but it all worked out in the end. 

Mallory proposed to Lauren on the beach after going roller skating on the promenade, followed by a wine tasting with their siblings, with each wine picked out from special moments, dates and trips the two of them had taken. 

Lauren proposed to Mallory the next weekend with a surprise picnic from their favorite restaurant overlooking the lighthouse in Palos Verdes, followed by a surprise engagement party with all of our family and friends in our backyard. 

Our proposals ended up being SO similar, but perfectly tailored for each of us – Lauren likes more intimate gatherings, and Mallory always likes a party.

The proposals were really magical and so meaningful. If we were to do it again, we’d take off the pressure of trying to keep secrets. It was ultimately more hassle than it was worth.

About the Wedding Styling

We tried our best to evoke a chic summer camp. We really wanted to be outside!! That was first, and then emotionally, we wanted to feel settled enough to be able to drop in, be present, and spend quality time with everyone, which is why we planned a multi-day event. 

We’d been to so many weddings that were amazing, but we knew just one big event or day would be overwhelming and over in a blink of an eye. We didn’t want to wake up the next morning going, “Did that happen”? So getting settled on Friday, greeting everyone, playing lawn games, eating dinner together, having a friend lead a yoga class in the morning, all of it helped us to really be present. 

We really wanted a lot of energy, and vibrancy, experientially and aesthetically – we love color and texture so we tried to bring that into every aspect, from the events, to signage, food and wine, to lounge seating and lighting. 

We also tried to bring some of the coastal aesthetic and color palettes from the Northern Italian Coast into the mix. We’d just recently traveled there and loved it, and since Lauren’s family is Italian and we were getting married near to where Mallory was from, it felt like a nice homage to both of us. 

Luckily, any of these plans was just icing on the cake because our venue – a stunning bluff overlooking the mountains and a restaurant with a Frank Lloyd Wright designed interior did most of the work. And whenever we were doing too much, our California Wedding Planner, Chanda Daniels, really helped us hone in, and bring all of these disparate ideas together into a cohesive and really beautiful and simplified aesthetic for the entire weekend.

About the Wedding Styling

We tried our best to evoke a chic summer camp. We really wanted to be outside!! That was first, and then emotionally, we wanted to feel settled enough to be able to drop in, be present, and spend quality time with everyone, which is why we planned a multi-day event. 

We’d been to so many weddings that were amazing, but we knew just one big event or day would be overwhelming and over in a blink of an eye. We didn’t want to wake up the next morning going, “Did that happen”? So getting settled on Friday, greeting everyone, playing lawn games, eating dinner together, having a friend lead a yoga class in the morning, all of it helped us to really be present. 

We really wanted a lot of energy, and vibrancy, experientially and aesthetically – we love color and texture so we tried to bring that into every aspect, from the events, to signage, food and wine, to lounge seating and lighting. 

We also tried to bring some of the coastal aesthetic and color palettes from the Northern Italian Coast into the mix. We’d just recently traveled there and loved it, and since Lauren’s family is Italian and we were getting married near to where Mallory was from, it felt like a nice homage to both of us. 

Luckily, any of these plans was just icing on the cake because our venue – a stunning bluff overlooking the mountains and a restaurant with a Frank Lloyd Wright designed interior did most of the work. And whenever we were doing too much, our California Wedding Planner, Chanda Daniels, really helped us hone in, and bring all of these disparate ideas together into a cohesive and really beautiful and simplified aesthetic for the entire weekend.

About their Favourite Moments

• Our first look!! We were so nervous before then, and things felt a little surreal, but as soon as we saw each other, it was so calming and also like, “Damn! This hot person is marrying me?!” – (Mallory) 

• Waiting inside for our procession to go ahead of us. We were both arm in arm with our dads watching all of our friends cry at our other friends coming down the aisle and dancing and cheering – the energy was amazing. 

• The entire ceremony – it was a rush! We had both spent so long on our vows it was incredible to hear them and give them. – (Lauren) 

• Taking a moment to look out at everyone. It was so nerve-wracking to be in front of people, but looking out and seeing such loving faces smiling back was wonderfully surprising and warming. 

• Having our close friends officiate really took the pressure off and made us feel taken care of and joyous, plus they are incredibly funny, and it was good to laugh. 

• The speeches!!! Hands down. Everyone killed. 

• The original song that Miya wrote and performed for us was so special. 

• The dance floor ALL NIGHT LONG – no one left. It was packed for 3 hours. 

• Doing our own watered-down queer version of the Hora (Mallory is half Jewish) – we were lifted up on very flimsy chairs and danced and cheered around to Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own.” Absolutely terrifying and thrilling. 

• The last song where every person joined in a circle, danced, and screamed out every lyric to “Drunk in Love.” 

• And finally, once everyone had gone out front, we had a moment to ourselves alone on the massive lawn, just taking in the night sky and getting the chance to hug and thank our planner for helping us make such an unforgettable night.