Blue Beach Wedding with Quirky Fandom Details

September 11, 2020 Megan Hageman

Q+A with the Bride and Groom:

If you had to summarize your wedding in five words…
Beachy, Nerdy, Relaxed, Fun, Heartfelt

One sentence sum-up of the wedding vibe:
Our Santa Barbara wedding was a nerdy, beach-formal affair.

Where we allocated the most funds:
Catering. We love food and wanted our guests to have many choices to enjoy the evening their favorite way! Our venue gave us the opportunity to each pick a food station of our liking. I picked street tacos with rice and beans, and Scott chose a homestyle station that included mac n cheese, short ribs with risotto, and pork and gouda sliders. Top that off with churros and donuts for dessert and everyone had something to their liking.

Where we allocated the least funds
We decided we wanted to customize our wedding and include the fun, nerdy themes from the get-go. Our save-the-dates and invitations were designed by my sister Shelley, and we bought envelopes and stamps on Amazon to keep the cost low. We also had everyone RSVP on our website to save on the extra cost of postage and envelopes.

We also spent very little on our attire, in comparison with the overall budget. My dress was from BHLDN, shoes were purchased on Etsy, and I had a custom veil made. With alterations my whole look cost $1700. Scott’s custom suit from Indochino, his wooden bowtie, and his shoes in total cost $750.

What was totally worth it?
The time spent on all of our personal details and infusing our personalities into the design and decor. Remembering the day and looking at the photos, it was totally us! Our handmade signs, lego boutonnieres, fantasy travel poster table names, Survivor hidden immunity idol hunt, and our handmade driftwood arch (courtesy of our dads) told our story perfectly.
We also did a receiving line immediately after our ceremony right on the beach. Seeing everyone individually for a quick hug right after we tied the knot was very special for us and our guests. It’s also a nice way to acknowledge and thank everyone for coming.

What was totally NOT worth it?
We honestly couldn’t think of anything! And I think the reason is, we decided certain things weren’t worth the time or money during the planning process. We had many other activities and decor plans mapped out, but as we got closer to the day we streamlined and simplified by cutting some of those things that didn’t matter as much to us. We also felt, with the time we had left, it was better to give 100% to the things that really mattered instead of having things that weren’t totally thought out or finished.

A few things that helped us along the way:
Working together; we couldn’t have done this all on our own! Our parents helped us tremendously (both financially and creatively). Along with our friends and other family members, we tackled addressing envelopes and crafting centerpieces and signs together. Our wedding planner Sarah, from Kindred Weddings and Events, was instrumental in keeping us on track during the planning process and helping us tackle any challenges and soar over every hurdle.

My best practical advice to my planning-self:
Stay calm, take breaks, and set planning time limits for yourself. Don’t try to tackle too many tasks in one night, because that will just lead to burn out and possibly poor decision-making. And I know it’s a tough one, but ask for and accept help from friends and family members! Planning a wedding can feel like adding a part-time job to your life, so help should always be welcome. Scott and I also agreed from the beginning that we would plan together and split tasks evenly, so no one feels like it’s all on one person.

Favorite thing about the wedding:
Our ceremony on the beach! Our good friend, who knows us very well, was our officiant and made it unique to us as a couple. We laughed and cried with our guests and since we made it an unplugged ceremony, we were all totally present together.

Something else I'd like to share:
If there is something that is so important to you that would make your day the absolute best, do not compromise! For us, having our bulldog Minnie at our wedding was non-negotiable and we ended up passing over a few amazing venues because they didn’t allow dogs. In the perfect ending to our new beginning, she walked down the aisle with Scott and snored right through our ceremony and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. This is your day!