Nadia and Tyler are high school sweethearts, so when it came time to plan their wedding, a 300 count guest list was a natural choice for the pair, who wanted to include all of the individuals that were important to them through the growth of their relationship! While the bridesmaids were donned in glam sequins, Nadia still found a way to incorporate hints of a “hunting” vibe for her groom, but using a gold deer as their cake toppers and even hand sewing a camo garter, as a secret surprise for Tyler! We absolutely love the images of their big day, shot by Alexandra Wallace!
What made the wedding special and unique?
Our day was unique as we had an intimate guest list of 300 people who have seen us grow as a couple since we were in high school. This might seem ironic, but coming from two big families, and after dating through high school, college, etc every seat that was filled had meaning to us. It was so impactful to look around the room and see how excited our family and friends were to witness our marriage and celebration. You don’t come across high school sweethearts too often, so even just absorbing the idea that I was so lucky enough to meet the man of my dreams at 16 and now be married to him, was emotionally overwhelming.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
When I was gown hunting through magazines and Pinterest, I knew one thing for sure; I wanted sleeves. I see sleeved gowns everywhere now, but of course, when I was looking, they were scarce. So I started my search at a bridal store essentially a few blocks from where I lived. I picked out 10 that interested me, all mostly lacy and romantic with some kind of shoulder covering/embellishment. I ended up falling in love with a dress that hadn’t caught my eye initially, but once I put it on, it had everything I was searching for. I loved the illusion neckline that had a fairly deep-v (I actually thought my mom would veto the pick because of that, but she loved it), the pearl and crystal detailing throughout the chest and bodice, the fitted trumpet silhouette, and the lace open back. Everything was perfect and I looked just how I envisioned on the wedding day.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
Some things I did to make the day personal was design the ceremony program, table numbers, and napkin card inserts myself. I love meddling in graphic design so I was excited to make these stationary items exactly how I envisioned. My husband is a big hunter and outdoor enthusiast so I was thrilled to add a couple personal touches that he would enjoy. I searched for and wide for the perfect garter and finally came across a camo print. He was pleasantly surprised when he took the garter off to find it was camo. To continue the play on subtle hunting elements, I also ordered buck and doe cake toppers. They were perfect!
What was the most memorable part of the day?
The most memorable part of the day was walking down the aisle and spotting my soon-to-be husband with the most sincere and elated smile I’ve ever seen on him. Ive known I wanted to marry him since I was 16, but to have this moment was literally a dream come true. There are a lot of road blocks and challenges that come up when you date someone through formative years, so to be walking down that aisle in that moment was surreal.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
Tyler and I met in high school, in English class to be exact. I started off as flirting, the usual case in high school, but I knew he was a keeper when he brought me donuts and cold milk (in a cooler) for breakfast on Valentine’s day. We dated through high school, and were lucky enough to attend the same college. After college, we started new jobs and got our footing in our careers. After much persisting on my end, he finally sat me down in Sept 2013 so we could discuss the logistics of getting engaged. He asked me over and over if he proposed in December, maybe January, if that would be ok. This literally went on for 3 days and I assured him to do whatever he needed to do to feel comfortable with proposing. He apologized for being a pest and asked to go on a date to my favorite restaurant that weekend. I was being a little bit of a brat and begged to go to a new art bar downtown, but let down after a while since I appreciated his initiative to plan a date. That weekend, as we were moments from leaving his apartment, he frantically remembered he needed a jacket. Mind you, September is our best weather in California, so I did a little eye roll and added I’ll be fine without a jacket. The car ride over, he’s acting a little jittery, but I just play it off as him being silly. We get to the restaurant and as we are steps from the door, again he mentions the jacket. This time he left it in the car. I said, “seriously? We are almost to the door?!?” He gets his jacket and we make our way in to greet the hostess, who surprisingly seems like she’s expecting us. I’ve been to this restaurant many times, so this was a slight clue that something was up. BUT this whole time Im dismissing the fact this could be a proposal dinner since he just drilled into my brain that it wouldn’t be until December…maybe January. We sit down, I order a fruity margarita and oddly he says “I’ll have what she’s having.” Another flag. Once the waitress leaves, matter-of-factly Tyler states, I need to go to the bathroom, and he quickly gets up. Another flag. When he returns, Im intently trying to decided what I will be ordering for dinner as the waitress sets down the fruity margaritas, that I don’t even notice that Tyler is no longer in his seat. I look up to thank the waitress and realize that Tyler isn’t sitting next to me, but instead on his knee with a Tacori blue box in his hand. He begins to tell me how much he loves me, and then the water works start on my end. I really don’t remember what he said in that moment but I did hear “Will you marry me?” which I enthusiastically replied “Yes!” All the while, our waitress is taking pictures of everything. Apparently, when Tyler said he was going to the bathroom, he really chased after the waitress and asked her to take pictures after she dropped off our drinks. The whole restaurant cheered after I said yes, and our neighbors even fist pumped in approval. See pictures at tylerandnadia.blogspot.com.
Vendors: Photography: Alexandra Wallace // Venue: Santa Maria Country Club // Dress Store: A Heart’s Desires // Dress: Black by Vera Wang // Dress Designer: Casablanca Bridal Inc. // DJ: Edwin Ruano, DJ Ewrek // Floral Designer: Elegant Details – Floral Design // Band: Kenny Taylor Band // Invitations: Minted // Makeup Artist: Jessica from Pure Elements Salon // Hair Stylist: The Hair Lounge // Cake: The Solvang Bakery