Wedding | Faith & Collin

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We are both from Orange County, California, and grew up going to the same school, but never crossed paths. Later in life, we met through mutual friends, and from the beginning we were inseparable. We spent a day together and then every day after that for the past 8 years. We really have grown up together, and through every phase of life everything has felt really aligned and in sync. Falling in love and finding so much security in each other has brought a real sense of peace in our lives and it helped us both grow so much individually and together. We both have backgrounds in construction and interiors, which initially connected us as it felt like our lives just made sense together, but we quickly realized that was just a small part of the connection and similarities that we shared.

As time goes on, our bond just continues to deepen. We’re always encouraging each other and building towards a life together in an intentional way. On our seven-year anniversary, Collin proposed at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. It was private, simple, and completely us. Honestly, I (Faith) took off running with wedding planning immediately following the proposal. As my interest in growing my business and exploring event design has evolved in the past year, planning our wedding felt like the perfect opportunity and the right time to start. I really saw it as a chance to create something meaningful, an experience that reflects the calm, secure, and unconditional kind of love we share.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We ended up having our ceremony at a chapel in Orange, California, and our reception at our home about ten minutes away. There were a few reasons behind that decision. When we first started looking at venues, we kept running into a lot of rules and structure that just didn’t feel like us. We’re both really relaxed when it comes to hosting, and we didn’t want the day to feel overly scheduled or restricted, especially when it came to things like music, food and drinks. Those are some of our favorite parts of life and such a big part of our relationship, so it was important to us that we had full freedom to choose our vendors and be intentional about those details. Once we realized that, we started going back and forth between renting a house or finding a unique space we could transform. But after looking at every option, it just clicked that hosting it at our home felt the most right.

We live in Collin’s childhood home, a 1930’s house in a quaint neighbourhood in Orange County. It has

so much character and history and being able to slowly work on everything while balancing full-time jobs made the whole process feel more natural to us. We also liked the idea of having a clear separation between the ceremony and reception. We wanted the ceremony to feel more traditional, and the reception to feel like an elevated house party. So, finding a separate ceremony space became important.

Old Towne Orange, where Faith was born and raised, felt like the perfect place. The chapel there is such a staple in the community for weddings, even Faith’s parents considered it for their wedding in 1998. Although it has been around for years, it still feels like a hidden gem. It has this quiet, European feel that’s simple and calming. The second we walked in we both knew it was the one. We booked it right away and didn’t look anywhere else. The vibe just felt right.

How many guests did you have?

The guest count was around 120. To be quite frank, after about 80 we stopped counting because it started to feel a little overwhelming knowing it would be in our home. Once the wedding happened, though, we realized it was the perfect amount and honestly there was room for more.

It was so surreal especially for me (Faith) as I walked down the aisle seeing faces of childhood friends I had not seen in years with our friends, friend’s parents, family friends and our families. It was such a special feeling having all our worlds come together in the same room. And all our guests made the day so special.

What was your budget?

We kept our budget conservative. We had a lot of ideas in the beginning that we had to scale back, and with that challenge it became even more important for us to focus on the overall experience, making sure everyone felt comfortable, well-fed, and had drinks flowing. Even though a wedding is a once in a lifetime event, we wanted to be realistic about what felt comfortable for us financially. That meant making some compromises on florals, décor, and extra reception vendors, and really focusing on where we could make the most impact and where it would make sense to cut back.

Tell us about your outfits.

Okay, so I (Faith) will tell you about the outfits since I picked them out lol. For my dresses, I had two. I tried going the traditional route and shopping for modern wedding dresses, but the whole process just didn’t feel right for me. I kind of knew from the start that I didn’t want a typical, modern bridal look. When my best friend and I planned a trip to New York, it was partly just for fun, but I also knew I had to book an appointment at Farmer’s Daughter to try on vintage dresses. The very first dress I tried on ended up being the one, even though it was nothing like what I originally imagined. I thought I wanted more of a 90s-style wedding dress, but this one completely surprised me. It was a long-sleeve gown from the 1930s, and it fit perfectly. It felt so chic, timeless, and effortlessly vintage, and it matched the venue in a way I couldn’t ignore. We both instantly knew it was the dress. During that same visit, I had picked up a second dress that fit the Valentine’s Day theme, but after sitting with it for a bit, I realized it just wasn’t quite right. Then Farmer’s Daughter posted another dress that felt like the ceremony dress’s perfect counterpart, almost like a deconstructed version of it, and I immediately ordered it. That became my second look.

I’m a huge shoe person, so finding the right pair was really important to me. I tried on so many options, even bought and returned a few, but nothing felt special enough. Of course this is a problem only a tipsy mall trip can fix. I walked into Alaïa and saw the most perfect pointed-toe clear heels with a patent leather heart-shaped toe. I have genuinely never loved a pair of shoes more – they were so unique and absolutely perfect for a Valentine’s Day wedding.

After the excitement of finding my outfits, it was time to focus on Collin’s. Naturally, we waited until about two weeks before the wedding to really get moving on that. With help from his friends and family, and a little online shopping while I was at work we pulled together a look that complemented mine perfectly. He wore a classic double-breasted suit from SuitSupply, paired with Saint Laurent patent leather shoes, a vintage tie from his best friend’s dad’s collection, and a sacred heart pin to match his groomsmen. Our outfits felt so true to who we are, and they really made the day feel even more special. When you feel good in what you’re wearing, it changes everything and I’ll always love how unique and personal both of our looks were.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The most important aspect for us when it came to planning was creating an experience for our friends and family that felt authentically us. With how much wedding content is constantly out there, it can get overwhelming and honestly, a little confusing trying to figure out whether something just looks pretty or if it creates a meaningful guest experience and navigating that was hard at first, but when we would ask ourselves what would we want to do from a guests perspective and what would matter from that point of view we were able to start to narrow our ideas and create something that felt real.

From the beginning, we knew we wanted our reception to feel more like a house party than a traditional wedding. That really guided so many of our decisions. Instead of a formal sit-down dinner, we had food going throughout the night (yakitori and other Japanese- inspired sides) so guests could eat whenever they wanted. We also had an open bar and a playlist curated by us and our friends, which was perfectly timed to match the energy we wanted at different points in the night. We were also really intentional about creating little moments where guests could pause and take everything in. One of our favorite elements was the wishing tree. A station with cards and pens was near the entrance to write well wishes, and throughout the night people kept adding to it. It was so special reading through them afterward, some people even went back multiple times to leave more notes.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we also replaced a traditional guest book with a Valentine card station. This not only gave us a really personal way to connect with our friends and family, but also created an activity for guests to enjoy, especially since we didn’t have a formal seated dinner. And of course, a photo booth makes any party. It gave us the best opportunity to capture fun, candid moments with everyone, and seeing all the different combinations of friends and family come through was so fun and meaningful. Overall, every detail came back to the same intention: creating a night that felt natural, interactive, and truly reflective of us and the people we love.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

The main element that guided so many of our design choices was the fact that our wedding fell on Valentine’s Day. For us, having a theme and not being afraid to lean a little bit tacky with it just makes everything more fun and memorable. We fully embraced it. There were hearts everywhere, and we tried to incorporate something love-related into every design detail. From subtle touches to more playful elements, it all tied back to that Valentine’s energy.

We didn’t want anything to feel too serious or overly polished – instead, it was about creating something that felt joyful, and a little nostalgic. Leaning into the theme gave us so much freedom creatively, and it made the entire space feel cohesive, festive, and full of personality.

Any tips for couples getting married?

As far as wedding planning goes, something to remember is nothing is as serious as you think it is. It’s so easy to get caught up in the details and feel like everything has to be perfect, but when the day comes, those things rarely matter as much as you expect them to. Prioritize creating a good vibe above all else. Focus on how the day feels for you and for your guests, rather than stressing over every small detail. The energy, the joy, and the moments you share are what people will remember. Have fun with it. Be playful, be present, and let yourself fully enjoy the moment. It all goes by so quickly, and the best thing you can do is soak it in.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

All of our vendors were so amazing and really spent the time to make sure our vision came to life. Our florist Avery from  Aqua Flora really worked with me to get the florals perfect and spent the time to adjust and pivot when needed, and our photographer Simone Arasimowicz perfectly captured the day and it felt like she captured every emotion through her photos!

Photographer: Simone Arasimowicz @simonearasimowicz | Planning: Faith Hauffe @faithhauffe | Flora: Aqua Flora @aquaflora_design | Ceremony Space: Chapel of Orange | Hire: Sunny Celebration Co. @sunnycelebrationco | Makeup Artist: Morgan Vandergriff @morganvandergriff | Hair Stylist: Purposely Messy (Styling) @purposelymessy; Fran Elmore (Color) @frandoesmyhair | Stationery: Smythson Cards, handwritten by the bride | Dress: Farmer’s Daughter @shop.farmersdaughter | Suit: Suit Supply @suitsupply | Veil: Etsy @etsy | Engagement Ring: Vintage | Shoes: Alaïa (Faith) @alaia & Saint Laurent @ysl | Wedding Party Attire: Bridesmaids own choice