June 13th 2016
Murrieta, California
Melissa & Jamie describe themselves as a couple who are “pretty out of the box, and like to do things differently.” So, Jamie says, when it came time to plan their wedding, they knew it would be unique. “We both like to talk (a lot) and laugh (a lot), and we value finding the meaning and authenticity in everything we do. So first and foremost we wanted our special day to be a really good time and feel like us every step of the way.”
Melissa is not comfortable being vulnerable in front of people, so the brides thought it would be fun—and necessary—to open up the ceremony with a shot of whiskey to loosen Melissa up, as well as signal to the guests that they were in for a wild ride that evening. “Every guest had a shot glass hidden under their chair, and so we all did a quick toast at the beginning of the ceremony, which really broke the ice and got things off to a festive start.”
Throughout the ceremony, the brides were both so overwhelmed that they kept trying to kiss each other prematurely. “Our officiant had to remind us that there was no kissing until the end! Then when she went to pronounce us wife and wife, she accidentally said, Mr. and Mrs., which if you know her, and you know us, was actually one of the best moments of the whole night.” Melissa and Jamie had a great sense of humor about the mix-up.
“The entire ceremony was so totally us, mistakes and all,” say the brides, who rented out a beautiful estate in wine country for a weekend of festivities with their families. “Staying on site made the whole weekend so intimate and easy,” says Jamie. “We had a gourmet burger food truck cater the reception and a vintage ice cream truck roll up for dessert, which really brought some fun character to the wedding.”
Jamie and Melissa did almost everything themselves. They named the tables after Dave Matthews Band songs, and gave out personalized spice jars as favors. The brides wanted their day to be fun and relaxed, “basically a big giant party with all the people we love.” They are both grateful for the love that surrounded them that night, and report that the party was still going strong when they went up to bed round 1am. “We heard from a lot of guests that they had the biggest hangover of their lives the next day. That is exactly what we were hoping for, mission accomplished!”