Kimmy & Ryan

1. How did you two meet or how did he propose?: Ryan and I met through mutual friends while in Greek life at Arizona State University. We dated for 1.5 years before I left to pursue my stem cell PhD in Los Angeles at USC. After enduring another 2 years of long distance, we took a trip to Cancún, Mexico to enjoy some quality time together. What I did not expect was our beachside walk after dinner one evening where Ryan proceeded to get down on one knee and ask me to marry him! Since I was crying so hard it took me saying "Yes" twice before Ryan realized what I said. It was an incredible week playing on the beach, snorkeling, relaxing, and enjoying our engagement together!

2. How did you find your venue? Were you happy with it? We happened upon an open house at Orange Tree and immediately fell in love! Kristin was an absolute joy to work with, always willing to answer our numerous questions, concerns, and inquiries. Orange Tree was the perfect venue in every way. The grounds were beautiful for pictures, the Mariposa lawn was an amazing space for our lawn games during cocktail hour, and the Mariposa ballroom looked more incredible than anything we'd ever dreamt of (especially thanks to the ceiling draping, market lighting, and chandelier courtesy of Orange Tree!). Our guests were able to relax by the pool, play a round of golf after the wedding, and overall had an amazing time. We could not have asked for a more magical, WUNDERFUL day than we got at our wedding at Orange Tree!

3. Describe the theme or color scheme of your wedding, and what you chose for your table setting at the reception: Since our last name is "Wunder," the theme of our wedding was "It's a Wunderful Life!" My mother went above-and-beyond to come up with the most beautiful design scheme for our wedding, we were VERY lucky! We wanted everything about our wedding to be classic and elegant as our colors were ivory and black with gold accents. Our tables had ivory table cloths and chair covers, black satin runners, and each chair was tied with a black satin bow. We included gold votives on each table along with a kissing bell demarcating each person's seating arrangement (and to play on the "It's a Wonderful Life" theme). Instead of demarcating guests' table assignments with a number, we chose to use the names of places Ryan and I have visited and included a picture of such place(s) on each table. The crux of each table was the beautiful ivory and white floral centerpiece. Overall, the ceiling draping, market lighting, purple uplighting, and lighted monogram gave our ballroom the most magical glow. The room decor was an absolute fairytale that brought me to tears when we first saw it!

4. What piece of advice would you give other brides planning their big day? Some advice for other couples would be to find your voice and don't be afraid to communicate with your vendors what you desire for your wedding (eg. floral, reception song choices, etc.). They're the experts and will work their magic to make your desires come true! Also, hiring a day-of coordinator was the best decision we made, it made our day enjoyable and without stress! The most important advice we'd give would be to take time to step back and enjoy the wedding planning process as a couple. Although wedding planning breeds stress, remember what the big day is all about, that it is a celebration of you two and your love!