More about Lauren + Mike!

Although they grew up within 20 minutes of each other in Northern California, Lauren and Mike first met in medical school when they were roommates in Newport Beach for Lauren’s first (and Mike’s third) year of medical school. They moved to separate houses after that first year, but when Mike decided to propose he took Lauren to the beach right by the place where they first met at sunset. Because Mike is three years ahead of Lauren in his medical training, he started residency in Boston while Lauren was still in medical school. Lauren decided to take a research position for the year and moved to Boston to be with him. Mike is now an Orthopedic Surgery resident at Harvard, and Lauren is a Plastic Surgery resident at the University of Massachusetts. They are planning on moving back to their beloved California when they finish training.

Photographer:  DuendePhoto /Shoes: Betsey Johnson / Dress Designer: Catherine Deane / Hair Stylist: Chantilly Lace Salon / Floral Designer: sweet dreams wedding cakes and flowers / Bakery: sweet dreams wedding cakes and flowers / Event Venue: The Ahwahnee Hotel / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

From the Bride…

Before the Ring:
My dad’s girlfriend use to work for Bryce’s parents in Arizona, where Bryce is from, and she remained friends with them after she moved to Texas, where I am from, and they came down to visit her and that is when I met Bryce. After they left we stayed in touch through the phone and a few months later he decided to move to Texas to work at my family’s power sports dealership and we started dating August 12, 2008. We dated for almost six years before Bryce proposed to me; mainly because I wanted to finish college first.

The Proposal Story:
We were in Las Vegas to watch the last round of the Supercross series of the year as we had done for the past five years. Bryce sent my friend (maid of honor) and I to the lovely Canyon Ranch SpaClub in Vegas for five amazing hours! So obviously by this time I was thinking for sure this is a done deal; especially once I heard I was also getting my hair and make-up done.

I wear contacts and the make-up artist applied eye liner on my waterline; apparently when you wear contacts the eye liner, when applied like this, will slowly begin to rub off onto the lens. By the time we got to dinner I couldn’t see a thing but tried to play it off because I knew what was about to happen. I couldn’t even read the menu though so I had to tell Bryce. He was worried that I wouldn’t be able to see him so he postponed his proposal. The night went on and I couldn’t see a darn thing; finally we all headed back to our hotel and I took out my contacts and put on my glasses.

By this point it was pushing midnight, I was wearing glasses and sandals and thought nothing was going to happen. We all went back out on the town again for some Vegas fun and then FINALLY at 2:15AM on May 5, 2014 Bryce got down on one knee and proposed on Freemont Street in Downtown Las Vegas! I don’t really remember hearing anything because apparently I was crying, happy tears of course, and I guess I just stood there so consumed in the moment that I forgot to say yes because he had to ask me, “Well do you say yes?!” Bryce had the ring designed by a local jeweler, Waco Mastercraft.

Inspiration for / details of the day:
The “theme” of the wedding was taking the two places of where we were from and mixing the two, or what I call Texzona (Texas & Arizona).  The inspiration for the color palette was softer desert colors: peach, mint, and tan. I wanted the floral pretty simple for the springtime wedding so it would feel more light and airy instead of large and bulky. The reception tables were all made out of cable spools and gave it a more rustic look. My flower girl’s flowers that she threw were actually Wild Indian Paint Brushes that we picked the morning of the wedding out in the field across from the ceremony site.

The guests signed the leaves of a tree that I painted on some cedar boards that we had left over from the building of the ceremony site. We also had bar tables that we made from cable spools and we painted the tops with chalkboard paint; we had a jar on each table with colored chalk markers and the guests were able to write or draw whatever inspired them and wanted to pass on to us…there is definitely some inspirational advice on some of them! We were able to put a clear coat on the tables after the wedding so we could keep them.

The Dresses:
I had a ceremony dress as well as a reception dress. My ceremony dress was white with pearl and crystal beading; it had straps with a sweetheart neckline; the back was open with pearl beads draping down. My reception dress was from G2 in Waco, TX and was also white. The top was sheer with white details throughout and the bottom was a jersey material with a slit on the side. I wanted two different dresses so I could actually dance at the reception. I wore cowgirl boots with both dresses. I decided two weeks away from the wedding that I no longer wanted to wear heals because of all the rain we had been getting and I didn’t want to sink down into the grass with the heels.

Advice to those in the planning process:
Most of my wedding was DIY all the way down to the ceremony site and tables for the reception.  I planned my whole wedding from start to finish and I had a day of coordinator to help make sure everything ran smoothly.  My advice for the DIY bride is to ask for help when you can, don’t be afraid to let others help you! I know it’s hard to let something you have worked so hard to create go into the hands of someone else parent, friend, bridesmaid, coordinator,  but you will usually wind up with too much finishing touches to do for just one person and you definitely don’t want to stress the week of your wedding… so do yourself a favor and spread the tasks around. You will feel less pressure and others will be excited to help you!

Photographer: Shelly Taylor Photography / Cinema and Video: 4Rivers Videography / Equipment Rentals: Action Rental / Caterer: Blaneks Custom Catering / Shoes: Cavender’s Boot City / Groomsman Attire: Express Men / Dress Store: G2 by Georgios / Veils and headpieces: Georgio’s Bridal Salon / DJ: Joe Oliveras / Makeup Artist: Kimberly Cutler Professional Makeup / Cake Designer: Lily’s Cakes  / Dress Designer: Maggie’s Fabric Patch / Ring Designer: Mastercraft Jewelry / Hair Stylist: On the Avenue Salon / Event Designer: Posh Events Co / Floral Designer: Rosetree Floral Design / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

From the Wedding Planner:

Only 10 guests were to be in attendance and all were from other countries. During our first meeting with the couple we chatted about which vendors would be a perfect fit. The minister, with a few short lessons online, was able to speak a part of the ceremony in their native language. This was a special surprise for their parents, who spoke very little English but were able to understand when their children said “I do!” It was very important for Polinas to have her bridal bouquet match a silk bouquet her Mother had made. Little did we know that when we created a bouquet filled with fragrant peonies and beautiful roses that it would perfectly match the Ukrainian headpiece her mother brought along with her custom design wedding gown from Russia.

We knew instantly that we would need to include lots of beautiful flowers, a gorgeous tablescape and lots of candles. With such a breathtaking venue, we knew that we could only enhance it. A tent frame was erected and then draped with sheer white fabric. Polinas’ love of candlelight and lighting added to the ambiance. A round table with 10 chevre chairs was placed under a crystal chandelier. We added beautiful flowers in soft shades of pink and cream, pink and gold candleholders, birdcages and designer china and crystal. Menu cards were tucked into the linen napkins. On the front side the menu was listed in English and on the back side in Russian.

A dessert table was designed with both a traditional wedding cake and a traditional Ukrainian cake specially ordered for the occasion. Although the table featured a silver tea service, the couple provided a silver Russian samovar (tea urn). The family also provided a variety of Russian candies and cookies featuring Oreshki, a cookie baked in a walnut mold, filled with Dulce de leche and traditional wedding spice cookies. Many shouts of “Gorko, Gorko” were heard throughout the night signaling that the bride and groom must kiss! The couple ended the night by dancing to “Unforgettable,” by Nat King Cole under a crystal chandelier hung in a 300 year old oak tree overlooking the rice marsh. Robertas translated for Polinas the feelings she was unable to verbalize in English. She said that the night had been magical and dreamlike with everything she imagined making the memories of the night “Unforgettable.”

Photographer:  Pasha Belman Photography  / Hair Stylist: Ami Creations / Caterer: Creative Catering / Cake Designer: Croissants Bistro and Bakery / Event Planner: Gigi Noelle Events / Ceremony Location: Litchfield Plantation / Event Venue: Litchfield Plantation / Other: Pasha Belman Photography / DJ: Paul Matthews Entertainment / Cinema and Video: Reel Weddings / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

From the Photographer:

After they met, the two spent many days hiking their favorite trail, watching the sun set over Lake Hume, and sitting by the local streams where Malissa read and Tim fished. Tim proposed on Dec. 1st on a bridge overlooking Lake Hume as the snow softly fell around them. Surrounded by so much natural beauty their love story is one meant for a story book.

Malissa knew right away that the “Natural” theme was the only way to go since they were after all, up in the mountains. Her mother is a florist and went to work creating the perfect centerpieces, bouquets and cake toppers. This was her time to let all of her creative tendencies to shine and all the guests were blown away by the attention to every last detail. The night ended when Tim and Malissa drove off in their historic car into the mountains.

Photographer: Carly Short Photography / Venue: Hume Lake Christian Camp / Flowers: Karylina England (owner/designer at Chocolates & Posies) / Dress Top: Elandra Lace Wedding Top from Etsy shop Leanimal / Hair: Cadey Fenn, independent stylist / Bride’s Shoes: Nordstrom, Steve Madden flats / Bridesmaid Dresses: forherandforhim.com, Multi-wear Chiffon Bridesmaid Dress, Dusty Coral / Groom outfit: J.C. Penny, JF J. Ferrar / Groom shoes: Macy’s, Stacey Adams / Photo booth photographer: Nathan Pearsey / Cake: Sarah Dixon, independent baker; Karylina England, designer at Chocolates & Posies

From the Bride…

Before the Ring:
Matthew and I met through work (Royal Australian Air Force, RAAF). He is a pilot and took me flying on one of the P3 Orions, even let me have a go at the controls which was an amazing experience. We hit it off straight away and knew we had something special.

The Proposal:
In May 2011 we welcomed our baby girl, Bethany. She completely changed our lives, for the better. In April 2012 we went on a perfect family holiday to Coffs Harbour (NSW coastal town). Matt took his girls out for dinner to a restaurant overlooking the ocean and just as the sun was setting he nervously proposed, asking me to become his wife and to spend the rest of our lives together. Of course I said yes!

Destination Details:
At the time we were living in country NSW and each of our families and close friends were spread out all across Australia. We were planning an overseas holiday to Hawaii so it seemed only fitting that we decided on a destination wedding. We love being away from city chaos so we wanted to marry and stay on the North Shore of Oahu.

We chose to marry at Sunset Ranch. We love what they do there and couldn’t have chosen a more perfect location. It had everything including ocean views, rolling hills, horses and stables and our very own Australian Eucalyptus tree which we were married under. It had almost a pretty country garden feel, something completely different when we think of Hawaii. We met up with our photographer later in the day for a private sunset beach shoot. Amazing!

Photographer: Rachel Robertson / Venue: Sunset Ranch / Flowers: Flowergirls Hawaii / Event Design and Planning: Finishing Touch / Cake and favors: Cake Works / Catering: Poke Stop (everyone still says how amazing the food was!) / Entertainment: Jon Basebase / Rentals: Pacific Party Rentals and Event Essentials / Hair and make-up: Maleana Cosmetics / Bride dress: Brides by Mancini / Groom: Issimo / Flower girl: Flowergirl Fairy

Photographer: Heather Rice Photography / Event Planner: Blush by Brandee Gaar / Lighting: Get Lit Productions / Floral Designer: Lee James Floral / Makeup Artist: M3 Makeup / Cake Designer: Party Flavors Custom Cakes / DJ: Soundwave Entertainment Systems / Transportation: VIP Wedding Transportation / Caterer: Bella Collina / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

“These two could not have had more of a fairy-tale wedding. Every stolen look was heavy with love and devotion. I felt utterly caught in the middle of their romance, as if I was simply a bystander with a camera. Their romance was so authentic and such fun to capture. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Barnhill! Best wishes for a lifetime of bliss!” – Bethany Snyder Photography

From the Bride…

Before the Ring:
Jonathan was my knight in shining armor. I was left stranded at a party with no means to get back to my apartment and Jonathan offered to give me a ride home (little did I know he had been waiting for that moment for a while). He had just gotten his truck that day and of course was super excited to show it off. I was crying and he did everything he could to cheer me up, even showing me the turn signals on the rearview windows and turning the volume up on the steering wheel. I have to give it to him, he definitely tried. Then the song Lollipop came on the radio and he proceeded to tell me how awesome the song was. I just remember crying and thinking it was the stupidest song I had ever heard, haha! A few months passed and I heard the song on the radio and thought of him and that night. I contacted him that day and we have been inseparable since!

The Proposal:
I grew up on a farm in a small town. We went back to the farm on June 4th to visit family. My mom surprised me with a pink fishing pole (I’m not much of a fisher but Jonathan and my Mom are so they try to make me see what they see in fishing). As with any new toy, you want to try it out. So we went to one of the lakes in our town. Believe it or not, I started catching fish! It had rained that day so everything was slick and I of course fell, twice. So I had worm guts and fish slime on me with mud on my back side to boot! Jonathan kept suggesting we go to our favorite spot on the farm to watch the sunset and I was having too much fun fishing that I kept putting it off…Well the sun set and he finally convinced me to leave. At this point, he suggested that we go look at the stars from our spot. We couldn’t get back to the spot due to an electric fence so he suggested that we go pick cherries from our cherry trees. He left the truck running with the lights on (very sneaky) and we picked some. As I turned to head back to the truck, he grabbed my hand and I could see in his eyes what he was going to do! He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I couldn’t believe it! I said yes and he put the beautiful ring on my nasty worm gut and fish slimed finger! It may not have been the prettiest of proposals on my part but it was the most special! He tried so hard to make his plan happen and I kept throwing wrenches in it!

Inspiration + Details of the Day:
I wanted to make sure the details were noticed. Everyone kept telling me that no one pays attention to the details, but they do. First and foremost, I wanted our union to be about family and friends. I feel like some guests are invited as an obligation and that’s not how I wanted it to be. Everyone we invited was invited because we loved them and we wanted them to be there. We even had Winston (my doggie nephew) be our ring bearer so he could be a part of the wedding. He’s been a part of our lives for 10+ years, he’s family. My brother carried our rings and the bible our late grandma carried down the aisle when she married our grandpa. It broke both our hearts to not have her there and that was a way to have her with us. Our officiant was my childhood preacher, our pianist was my childhood piano teacher, my aunts put the flowers together, and our cousin made all our pies. It was very important to me to have as much family and friends be a part of it as we could. I wanted the reception to feel like you were going home to have a family reunion. The plates were mismatched plates, we served bbq, our guests signed quilt pieces, there were lawn games, etc.

Most Memorable Moment:
Seeing Jonathan for the first time. We did a sneak peak prior to the ceremony. It gave us an opportunity to share in that special moment together. The day goes by so fast, you need a moment together just the two of you to take it in.

Advice to Couples in the Planning Process:
You simply cannot plan for everything. As much effort as I put into the details, we had some big issues go asunder (bartender didn’t show up, people ate our pies before we got to cut our own pie, our wedding cake ended up being a cheesecake from Food Lion we bought on our honeymoon, haha!) You can’t plan for it all and you have to be prepared for when things go astray! Just roll with the punches and enjoy the day because at the end of it, if you both showed up, the details really don’t matter!

Photographer: Bethany Snyder Photography / Dress: Justin Alexander style number 8627 / Bridesmaid Dresses: Allure, style number 1221 / Floral: Purchased wholesale and put together by bride’s aunts / Hair Stylist: Design’s by Holly / Event Planner: Divine Events / Museum: Frontier Cultural Museum / Tree Favors: Local forest service / Caterer: BBQ Connection LLC / Submitted via Two Bright Lights

From the Bride…

Nima and I got to know about each other when we were continents apart. Waiting to meet one another was just as exciting as the first date when I truly felt like I had met my soul mate. I was jet-lagged the first day I got back to Vancouver and he was about to go on vacation the next day but that didn’t stop us from meeting each other. Our love was born that day and it blossomed every day when I looked at the incredible comfort and peace in his eyes. Our life blossomed with every connection we established through our experiences together.  He gave me my “rock” on top of the Rockies in Banff on my birthday. Every day from the first day I met him has been a blessing and I cannot wait to feel blessed with his love and affection for the rest of this gorgeous thing we call, life. A life as breathtakingly beautiful as a cherry blossom on a beautiful spring day.

Photographer: Maru Photography / Venue: Vancouver

In 2013 after a particularly rough time, Jenn decided she needed some changes in her life and so she traveled, took thousands of photos, created art, and ended up opening her heart to someone quite unexpected. She had known Andrew, a friend of her brother, when they were kids, but hadn’t even seen him in more than a decade. It all started with a facebook conversation and soon they began chatting all the time.

Then Jenn went on a 10-day trip to England. “The time difference, and lack of texting abilities showed me that perhaps this guy meant a little more to me than I thought,” she later wrote. “And I don’t know if it was the time difference, or the miles between, but our talks turned deeper, and I saw a side of him that I didn’t know about. Depth, heart, respect, dreams, passions, love of God, kind of old fashioned, beautiful soul. He sent me pictures of the sunset every day, because he knew I couldn’t see them. And he would write. His words reached into a part of me that had never been touched before.”

A few weeks after her trip they met in person for the first time as adults and their relationship blossomed from there. “Had I really, finally, truly met MY “Mr. Darcy”?? It was then I decided to let go of all my fears and just trust this wonderful, sweet man who, with his words, actions, and attitudes, had unbeknownst to me, been chipping away the hardened protective pieces of my heart to reveal something soft, warm, loving, and ready. Ready to take a chance, take a leap – to tremulously give something so precious to life in the care of another – my heart. Time and time again, he showed me, and continues to show me, how much he cares for me, and accepts me for ME. Faults, failures, silliness, artsiness, day dreaminess, intellect, humor, passion, and all.”

Photography: Katie Snyder Photography / Venue: private residence / Dress: David’s Bridal “Galina” Collection – Beaded Sheath Collection with Godlet Inserts / Flowers: Jessica Mucci and bride made the paper flowers from “Pride and Prejudice” book / Catering: Affordable Catering in Peachtree City / Tables and Chairs: Church provided / Cake: Made by the Bride’s parents’ Sunday school class ladies / Cake Topper: Jessica Mucci, maid of honor / DJ: Greg McEvoy, A friend from church

From the Bride…

Before the Ring:
Vic and I met in Nishinomiya, Japan (a city in Kansai, btw Osaka and Kobe) in 2005. We’ve been together now for about 8 years, and actually met there as part of a university exchange program at Kwansei Gakuin University. We were both Canadians at the same “sister school” in Japan, although we were from different parts of Canada and attended different universities in Canada on opposite coasts of the country. He was a student from UBC, as he grew up here in BC, but I was born and raised in Ontario and was attending a school in New Brunswick from which I went on the exchange. Anyways, it was totally by chance that we met and fell in love in Japan, and continued our relationship when we returned to Canada, even though it meant doing a long-distance relationship for the final year of our undergrad degrees, before I decided to move out to BC upon graduation, so that we could be together.

The Proposal Story:
The proposal is kind of a funny story. You see, since we were together for such a long time before getting engaged or married, we had discussed it many times but we wanted to be financially stable first, with jobs and have a place of our own to call home. So, we bought a home together first, and then he knew I had a very specific idea of what I wanted for a wedding ring, and since I am a fine artist for a living, I actually designed my own engagement ring. Basically, I drew it up, and had my family jeweller in Ontario make it (Italian families tend to work with one jeweller for generations). My parents came out to BC for a visit from Ontario, and my Dad stealthily gave the ring to Vic to put into safekeeping and out of my sight until the time was right. Of course, I knew the entire time that it was hidden somewhere in our house. Anyways, it took him almost 2.5 months from that point until he finally found the right way and right time to propose…We went for a walk at UBC Japanese Gardens one day, and sat down by a really lovely koi pond. And then he opened up his knapsack and started pulling out photos of when we met in Japan, reminiscing about our first fond memories as a couple. I noticed his hands shaking, and that he was purposely distracting me to look at the photos and not at his fumbling hands, searching for the ring box in his bag. A minute later, he got on one knee, with tears in his eyes and a shaky voice, and he asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes and started crying like a baby.

Wedding Day Inspiration:
In terms of inspiration, we both wanted something simple but classically elegant. He’s really fond of the eggplant purple color we chose to incorporate, and I thought it would work really well with the royal blue accents and bright green. Originally, we hoped to keep the whole wedding to a simple, small event here in BC and another small event in Ontario for my extended family, all of whom would not be able to attend out here. But, in the end, it somehow turned into 3 full-on receptions, a MUCH bigger wedding than we anticipated. Our event on the Sunshine Coast, at the West Coast Wilderness Lodge in Egmont was our smallest event of the 3. There were 30 people at the ceremony and reception, and although we ended up having 2 huge receptions after that day, the event at the lodge was the low-key and elegant event we had initially hoped to do. The weather was stunning, and my dress had the classic and timeless appeal I wanted – something I can look back on in photos 20 years from now and still think is beautiful. So, I’ll never have one of those “What was I thinking?!” moments. We really wanted to have a focus on nature, and since I grew up in Ontario, and my family had a cottage near Muskoka all while I was growing up, the lodge immediately resonated with me, like a place I could almost call a home away from home, and it just felt “right.” The food was fabulous, the staff was friendly, and the lodge itself was immaculate. It couldn’t have been more perfect as a venue choice.

Photography: Modern Romance Productions, Inc / Venue: West Coast Wilderness lodge / Flowers: Les Fleurs de Fi / Hair: Tara Porter of Hair Matters / Makeup: Christina Visser / Seaplane: Harbour Air / Wedding Commissioner: Andrew Barker, retired RCMP Chaplain / cake: Clayton’s Bakery