Wedding Gloss: Real Wedding - Heather & Stephen Walrath

Alex Neumann Photography

Names
Heather & Stephen Walrath

Date
June 4, 2010

Location
Thousand Oaks, California

Engagement Story
Stephen's master plan to propose at the D.C. Tidal Basin during the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in April 2009 was thwarted by the horde of excited tourists that flock to town each year just to see the blooms. Moving on to "Plan B," he proposed over cake and champagne from their favorite bakery, which was even more personal and special.

Before the proposal, Stephen's dad honored him with the ring that belonged to his grandmother, Jan, who sadly passed away several years earlier. As Stephen and Heather started to envision their engagement, wedding and life together, they hoped to find a way to honor her memory while also celebrating their own history as a couple.

To do so, they decided to have his grandmother's diamond placed in a ring setting of Heather's choosing. Today, this very ring, which is both an heirloom and also uniquely her own, sits in the center of her beautiful wrap-style wedding band.

Wedding Visions & Dreams
Heather calls her wedding-planning blog Bicoastal Bride because that’s exactly what she was! Following their engagement, Stephen and Heather spent more than a year planning their wedding in Heather's hometown of Thousand Oaks, Calif., while juggling their busy lives in Washington, D.C. Stressful? Sometimes. But by working together, staying organized, and relying on the amazing help of their families and friends, they set out to create a fabulous day that would be fun and memorable for everyone.

In keeping with their “less is more” style, they envisioned a classic yet personalized 75-guest celebration that would be both simple and elegant. Beginning with a Catholic ceremony at Heather's childhood church, and followed by a reception at the beautiful Los Robles Greens Golf Course, their “California romance” wedding would allow them to stay true to themselves and their budget while sharing the moment with their closest family members and friends.

Wedding Realities
After pouring so much love and effort into making their day special, seeing it all come together was truly incredible for them. Throughout the day, Heather felt overjoyed and proud that she was lucky enough to not only marry her dearest friend, but also see the fabulous results of the two of them working together so closely throughout the past year of planning. Their grape, white and silver color scheme was lovely, and it perfectly reflected their love of California’s lush wineries, which they also tied in by using corks as escort-card holders, California postcards as table names, and wine bottles as décor.

Their vendors truly went above and beyond for them, as well, and Heather was blown away by just how beautiful and well-organized everything was throughout the entire day. In fact, the only glitches occurred during their ceremony, first when the church’s coordinator started the processional before Heather was ready, and then during the liturgy, when the priest skipped over Heathers sister’s reading. But their guests hardly took notice, and were quick to tell them how much they loved their short, sweet and heartfelt ceremony. Heather and Stephen also received many kind compliments about their choreographed first dance, Mexican buffet, signature sangria, and the upbeat dance music that had both young and old on the floor partying the night away!

Congratulations to Heather & Stephen Walrath on a beautiful wedding, fabulous memories and a life full of bliss and romance!