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After much persistence from a co-worker who swore her nephew, Joshua, and I were destined to get married, I agreed to go on a blind-date. It was not good. In fact, it went down as one of the worse blind dates I had ever been on. After two years of no contact with Joshua, but still a diligent persistence by his Aunt, Joshua and I agreed to meet again. This second-first date found us both on a path of making positive changes in our lives and pursuing our passions. It was perfect timing. We never looked back from that point.

After one month of dating, Joshua bought me blue, Christian Loubouton peep toed shoes. I knew I was going to marry this man… and not just because I had found a man who liked to shoe shop. I vowed not to wear them until our wedding day. We were engaged 5 months later.

When it came to planning our wedding, there were a few non-negotiables – being married by my father who is a pastor, having an abundance of white flowers, and having our big day in a beach city. Joshua and I are lovers of boutique hotels, so The Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara was the perfect location. The minute I walked into the hotel I was pleasantly bombarded with the architecture, décor, color and patterns that ardorn the lobby. The rooftop had stunning views of the mountains and the red-tiled roofs Santa Barbara is famous for. It would be perfect for the chic yet whimsical wedding that Joshua and I wanted to create.

Joshua and I prefer more intimate settings. We wanted our big day to reflect this. On that day we were surrounded by 75 of our closest family and friends. Our wedding invitations set the tone for the blush color and Spanish-style floral pattern that we carried throughout our wedding day; in the programs, escort cards, menus and the three bridesmaid dresses that were custom made.

For our ceremony, we had a candle line aisle and a four post canopy dripping in white hydrangeas and orchids. We wanted a sit-down dinner in the ballroom to feel more like a dinner party rather than a reception. We had guests sit at either square or rectangle tables draped in matte satin beige linens and embellished with sweet centerpieces (created by the amazingly talented Jackie Combs of Jackie Combs Floral Design) of white vases with an array of white flowers.

A seperate ballroom for dancing housed a white dance floor, white couches and even more white flowers. We know that the smallest details created the strongest memories for us. From my blue shoes, to our custom Lakers groom cupcakes. From our “first-look” pictures to the custom made bracelet I wore. From taking communion for the first time as a couple to having my seven nieces and nephews a part of our ceremony. These are all memories Joshua and I will cherish for the rest of our lives.

Photography: The Youngrens / Flowers: Jackie Combs Floral Design / Event Design: Jackie Combs Floral Design / Ceremony Location: The Canary Hotel / Reception Location: The Canary Hotel / Shoes:Christian Louboutin / Cake: Montecito Confections / DJ: AMS Entertainment / Hair & Makeup: TEAM Hair and Makeup / Rentals & Lounge Furniture: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: Wildflower Linens / Lighting:LBPS Events / Invitations: Bella Figura / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lauren Bradley