Lauren & Suzie

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Suzie and Lauren are both nurses and met in Los Angeles while on a stint as traveling nurses. From the moment they met, they knew they needed to get to know each other (aka also end their traveling and stay in Los Angeles)!

A few years later, with a tonne of traveling to Costa Rica and Amsterdam included and fun memories back home in Los Angeles under their belt, Lauren popped the question in Santa Barbara wine country.

Words by Suzie

Lauren planned the whole thing without me knowing. We usually go to Santa Barbara one-two times a year for wine tasting. So I wasn’t at all alarmed when she surprised me with a trip back up there. She organized a wine tour with a guy driving us around and teaching us all about the land and grapes; he was in on it the whole time! They had set up that the first winery would be ‘the one.’ We were at Pence Ranch Winery, on a pond, facing the vineyards. Lauren got down on one knee and popped the question. I was completely, utterly shocked, and ecstatic! It was THE BEST DAY ever! We had the whole rest of the day to drink wine and celebrate.

A note from the photographer: Speaking of surprises, Suzie then surprised Lauren with an engagement photoshoot with photographer Alexandria Cardenas out in Palm Springs. They’re the queens of surprises!

Lauren and I have always had so many great memories in Palm Springs and wanted our wedding to show our individual taste as well as our vibe as a couple. We wanted a casual but chic style with hints of old Hollywood and mid-century feels.

Anyone who knows Lauren will tell you she is cool, calm, and collected with TONS of swag. And I would say I am more of an outgoing chatterbox who loves excitement and new adventures. The Palm Springs aesthetic drew us in from day one with muted desert tones and mountain views juxtaposed with bright and bold tropical palm trees and exotic florals. Us in a nutshell.

Lauren and I love to host parties. More specifically-pool parties, so choosing a venue with pools was a must and with our wedding, we achieved hosting our most epic pool party yet! We decided to add some personal touches throughout the day. Such as pink wayfarer sunglasses on each ceremony seat (which made for the cutest group photo), personalized geometric matchboxes, and lapel pins from the Human Rights Campaign with the equality sign. Because who doesn’t want to boast their support for equality with a colorful pin.

We decided that writing our own vows and reading them aloud to each other, in front of the community of people who’ve lifted us up from day one, was the most important part of the day. The sense of support and encouragement was nearly palpable. And from what I hear (and the photos show), there were abundant tears of joy flowing. One unique aspect of our vows is that we used the opportunity to let our friends and family know that we vowed to be there for them and asked them to continue to support us throughout our lives. We believe that it truly does take a tribe.

Also, we took dance lessons for our first dance (we are both nurses and have never taken a dance class in our lives), which made for a very nerve-racking but exciting start to the reception. Hearing the guests cheer and root for us through the dance and seeing the smiles on our faces at the end was SO worth it!