Wedding | Lindsay & Chris

Tell us a little about yourselves!

I’m a 29 year old tour marketing manager and ceramic artist, and Chris is a 32 year old product designer and photographer. We live in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles with our 3 cats and an abundance of plants.

We met 5 years ago via Hinge at the very start of the pandemic while living in Brooklyn, NY, and quickly fell for each other over a series of responsibly-distanced Zoom dates. When we first started talking, Chris was locked in to a move to San Francisco, and I had no plans of ever leaving Brooklyn. After a long weekend spent on the coast of Cape Cod, we decided our budding relationship was worth changing all our plans for.

In the fall of 2022, we packed up our cats and moved out west to LA. We got engaged a year later while on a week-long van trip around the national parks in the PNW. Chris proposed to me on a secluded mountain on a hike around Mount Rainier, and I proposed back the very next day, in front of the most beautiful waterfall we encountered in Oregon.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Although we both come from New England (Vermont and Massachusetts, respectively), and met in New York City, we wanted to bring our friends and family from back east out to the new life that we’re building in California. We decided on Temecula when we were searching for wedding venues in the LA and San Diego area, and quickly agreed that Tivoli had everything we were looking for: stunning scenery, Spanish and Italian architecture, and winding gardens you can get lost in.

Long after finalizing the contract, we found out that the township’s name was actually Rainbow, CA, which was an adorable added bonus.

How many guests did you have?

90.

What was your budget? 

We went into it aiming for $40,000, but it ended up a little over $50,000.

Tell us about your outfits.

Lindsay: 

While I tried on loads of designers, it seems obvious that my ceremony dress wound up being Vivienne Westwood, who perfected the art of combining edgy with classic. I originally thought I’d choose a more-dramatic ball gown, but just as I was about to end my search LOHO Bride announced a VW trunk show. The moment I tried on the Nova Camille I knew it was the one — the structured corset and intricate draping were to die for! I paired it with a custom lace mantilla veil from One Blushing Bride, and the ever-iconic Manolo Blahnik Carolynes because I could think of no better time to channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw.

I found my Kamperett reception dress thirdhand on Still White, sold by a bride who wrote me the kindest note telling me about her experience getting married in the dress, and how the bride before her had done the same. I plan to continue the tradition with the next lucky bride who gets to feel as beautiful in the dress as we all did.

Chris: 

My suit was custom made by Hall Madden, who I found through a friend’s recommendation after getting his own groom’s suit a year prior. I knew going into it that I wanted my suit to be a shade of brown, for a natural feel that would fit in with the venue’s greenery. It only took one meeting and three fabric books to find the perfect light brown herringbone fabric. We settled on a three piece suit with a brown floral tie. Both the suit (inside-breast) and dress shirt (wrist) have my initials monogrammed. The jacket has a custom floral lining to round it off. 

Right before finalizing our florist’s contract, Lindsay & I realized that we didn’t actually want boutonnieres…instead, I searched Etsy and found a set of lapel-chain pins for myself and the bachelor party to wear. Theirs all had black gems, while mine had a white one.

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

We aimed to maintain a low-stress attitude without compromising our shared vision for the wedding. Every facet of our wedding was intentionally designed to represent us as a couple, and we truly had a blast crafting even the most minute details. We tackled everything together and nothing was decided without the other person’s input, which luckily wasn’t very difficult since we were so often on the same page!

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

We really wanted the entire day to feel like an “elevated garden party”: soft springtime colors, whimsical florals, family-style dinner, and long farm tables to create a communal feel. We encouraged our guests to come in flowy, dreamy outfits, and everyone definitely came through. Tivoli is so beautiful in its own right that we wanted to complement the space rather than overpower it. Our florist, Stephanie from Sun Grown Florals, went above and beyond to make our vision a reality.

Any tips for couples getting married?

While not everything is always easy, it’s important to remember that wedding planning should be more fun than stressful! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have all of your loved ones together, celebrating the life that the two of you have built. Express your story in the little details, but don’t be afraid to also literally tell your story in your vows.

Also: practice your first dance many, many times in advance. We almost forgot to do that.

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

I can’t say enough good things about our photographer, Jess Livingston! Prior to our wedding, she shot our engagement photos and she always gets the perfect shot so effortlessly and naturally. We plan to continue having shoots with her however possible in the future!

We also have to shout out our amazing planner, Stephanie Gutierrez from Trademark, who stepped in at the very last second after our original planner left the company. She was amazing and we can’t imagine having anyone better to lead us through the day.

Photographer: Jess Living Photo @jesslivingphoto | Planning: Stephanie Gutierrez from Trademark Venues @trademarkvenues | Flora: Sun Grown Floral @sungrown.florals | Ceremony and Reception Location: Tivoli Italian Villa @trademarkvenues | Photo Booth: LA Photo Booth Rentals 

@laphotoboothrentals | HMUA: Emily Lynn & Co. @emilylynnandcompany | Catering & Beverages: 

Trademark Venues @trademarkvenues | Cake: Hazel & Jade Bakery @hazelandjadebakery | Entertainment: DJ Maestro @official_djmaestro | Ceremony Dress: Vivienne Westwood

 @viviennewestwood from LOHO Bride @loho_bride | Reception Dress: Kamperett @kamperett | Suit: 

Hall Madden @hallmadden | Veil: One Blushing Bride @oneblushingbride | | Rings: Laurie Fleming Jewellery from Catbird, Leith Clark x Catbird @catbirdnyc, RG @rgtheshop & inherited from Grandfather |  Earrings, Ceremony- & Bridesmaid Necklaces: Untamed Petals @untamedpetals | Pearl Bracelet & Reception Necklace: inherited from Lindsay's grandmother |  Reception Jacket: Reformation x Kacey Musgraves @reformation | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik @manoloblahnik & Hall Madden @hallmadden | Lapel-Pin Chains: Tie and Attire