What made the wedding special and unique?

We wanted to get married in a place that was meaningful and true to us. We couldn’t think of a more perfect place than Ty’s best friend’s parents’ house that he pretty much grew up in. Their Iowa estate was so charming and surrounded by the most beautiful trees and even a pond! We also made sure our wedding was full of personal touches to make it our own. Our “head table” was Ty’s parents’ first dining table after they got married, our head table candlesticks were Ty’s grandmother’s and my veil was Ty’s mother’s – just to name a few. I’m an antique dealer, so it was important to me that we incorporated antique pieces that were a part of our family’s personal collection. I was also lucky that Ty let me pretty much take the reins and plan the entire wedding. It was a labor of love, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We not only designed our own wedding invitations, but printed and cut every single one! We got great joy from knowing that every touch was hand done and curated by us. Most importantly, we wanted every guest to get a sense of “us” through all the special personal touches.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

It’s a funny story about the hunt for my wedding dress, actually. I initially wanted a black wedding dress because I didn’t want to look like every other bride. I’d scoured every bridal magazine and wedding dress show, and I just didn’t think a traditional dress it was for me. After telling Ty my vision was for the dress, he politely suggested I get a “fitted ivory” dress. I then realized that you should probably look like the bride on your wedding day. I luckily found Le Soie Bridal and found the perfect dress for our vintage theme.

What was the most memorable part of the day?

The most memorable part was probably me having a Freudian slip during our vows and saying, I promise to “control” you, instead of “console”. That was a good laugh. And of course, the best man speech. Ty has twin older brothers and their speech was priceless. They started by rolling up to the dance floor in a four-wheeler while Thin Lizzy’s song “Jail Break” played. Then they proceeded to “apologize” for all the things they did to Ty growing up. One of them being, tying him to a pole in his underwear and then leaving him. Everyone was falling off their chairs laughing, including us. They then ended their speech with a role play of how Ty and I met (acting as Ty and myself) that was unforgettable. We’ve watched their speech many times since the wedding and it still makes us laugh until it hurts.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Ty and I met while I was managing the vintage furniture store in Santa Monica in 2009. He had Yelped furniture stores and accidentally wandered in not knowing it was a girlie furniture store. He then feigned interest in a bookshelf we had for about two weeks, as it gave him an excuse to come in and see me. When I finally told him I couldn’t hold the shelf anymore, he came in and asked me out. He later admitted buying a bookshelf the evening we met from an office store for $40. We now own that special vintage bookshelf, as it was too meaningful to let go.

We got engaged in the south of France (Aix-en-Provence) after being there for a film festival that Ty was featured in. I had no idea he was planning to propose while we were away, which is strange, because I had even picked out my 1920’s engagement ring about eight months before. After leaving the film festival, (and he won!) we made a plan to spend a few days in a beautiful chateau in Aix. Just before we arrived, we were stopped at a light and two guys on scooter drove up to our car and quickly jumped off and tried to open our back door in an attempt to take our luggage. Thankfully, our doors were locked so nothing was taken – most importantly the ring in Ty’s backpack! Once we got to the Chateau we wandered through the gardens and came across this lavender field and that’s where he proposed. It was absolutely perfect and unexpected. We then decided on a “French Antique” wedding theme to incorporate our engagement into the wedding.

Ty & Britta from Cashew Productions on Vimeo.

Vendors: Photography: Alexandra Steele Photography // Day-of Coordination: Anticipation Events // Ceremony + Reception: Private Residence // Catering: Braise Catering // DJ: Kory Basset (friend of the couple) // Ceremony Musician: Evan Schneider (brother of the bride) // Cake: Jules Bakery // Hotel: Hilton Doubletree // Videography: Cashew Productions // Florist: Julie’s Fountain of Flowers // Hair: Nadia’s Salon & Spa // Officiant: Walker Fletcher (friend of the couple) // Vintage Furniture Rental: Covington & Co. // Rehearsal Dinner: Private Residence // Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss // Groom’s Tie: Burberry // Bride’s Dress: Le Soie Bridal // Bride’s Shoes: Alexander Wang // Bride’s Jewelry: Vintage // Invitation Calligraphy: Alexa Lane Arranaga