Tulsa Bride – Julia & Chris
COUPLE’S NAMES
Julia & Chris Byington
Wedding Date
28 May 2016
LOCATION
Our wedding took place at Nestldown, California, in the redwoods of Santa Cruz. The location was chosen because we both love the redwoods (we used to take drives in the redwoods when we were dating in high school) and loved the fairytale charm of the tall trees and beautiful flowers everywhere.
GUEST TOTAL
150
PHOTOGRAPHER
Kate Harrison, chosen for her truly candid style. We didn’t spend hours posing, instead, she captured special, small truly candid moments.
BRIDE’S DRESS
TULSA gown, Bo & Luca Tulsa. Simple, elegant with feminine, floral touches.
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES
The bridesmaid dresses were Weddington Way, blush pink chiffon and my bridesmaids could choose their styles.
ENGAGEMENT STORY
Our engagement story may not necessarily have any big bells and whistles, but it was absolutely perfect. Just the two of us, in our apartment. It was a complete surprise, we were hanging out in our room and he got quiet and pulled out a piece of paper and read me the sweetest speech. After, we got pizza and enjoyed the evening the two of us with our “secret” before telling our families and friends.
WEDDING THEME
Our wedding theme was vintage-inspired and classic with pops of color. We wanted the setting to stand out and be the focal point.
WEDDING RINGS
My engagement ring is an art deco platinum diamond ring from the 1920s, my wedding band is a platinum ring with pave diamonds, and his wedding band is a classic gold band. Both wedding bands are from Tiffany & Co.
WEDDING FAVOURS
Our favours were “make your own” candy bags! We had a candy bar, instead of cake, with little bags and lots of loose candy to take home.
FLOWERS & BOUQUETS
I wanted the flowers to feel like colorful, romantic wildflowers with lots of greenery to go with the outdoor redwood setting. There were dahlias, anemones, daisies, and lots of greenery such as air plants.
WEDDING SONGS
Our first dance was “Love Song” by 311. This was the song he sent me in middle school because it reminded him of me. True story. The rest of the music was varied and represented some of our favourite genres, from the Beatles to Taylor Swift.
FOOD & DRINKS
Our food and drink were a mix of our favorites and represented both of us. I’m a pasta-loving vegetarian and he is a carnivore so we had food such as pesto pasta and short ribs served family-style. Our signature drinks also represented us. He collects whiskey so his drink was a take on an old fashioned. At the time, I was into gin drinks so mine was a lavender gin and tonic.
HONEYMOON
We had our honeymoon in Croatia. We wanted to find a place with a good mix of beaches to relax on and places to explore. Croatia was definitely the best of both worlds. We did a Game of Thrones tour in Dubrovnik (we’re nerds), laid out on white peddle beaches, swam in caves, and drank Aperol Spritzes by the water.
GIFT REGISTRY
We had gift registries at multiple places such as Macy’s, Crate & Barrel, and Zola. Funny enough, our most used gift since we got married has been our drip coffee machine!
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
There were so many memorable moments, but a few highlights were: Wedding dress shopping with my mom and my sisters. My Beatles themed tea party bridal shower. The quiet moments at the top of the stairs alone with my dad right before everything started on the day-of (I walked down a staircase vs an aisle into the ceremony.) When Chris and I accidentally kissed at the beginning of the ceremony because we got caught up in the moment. Riding into our reception on a mini train. Dancing with my bridesmaids. Throwing the bouquet so hard that I had to re-do it because it flew into the bathroom.
ADVISE FOR BRIDES-TO-BE
After the ceremony on your wedding night, take 5-10 minutes with your new husband or wife to reflect and write down all your favorite moments that happened during the day. Chris and I did this and now we remember so many little things years later that we might not have.
VENDORS & SUPPLIERS
LOCATION: Nestledown
CATERING: Toast
DJ: Big Fun DJ
Photographer: Kate Harrison
Florist: Asiel
Hair & Makeup: Nancy & Jessica