Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
For most of his life, Roque wanted to travel to Nantucket, Massachusetts. (It was the setting of his all-time favorite TV show growing up, Wings.) So when his two-year anniversary with Jenn approached, she surprised him with a long weekend on the island. Roque was in heaven, and after a romantic dinner the night of their anniversary, they were back in their hotel relaxing when he pulled out a ring pop and asked Jenn to marry him. Sentimental and low-key, the proposal was very much them.
Whenever the pair had previously talked about their future together, Jenn stressed the importance of their engagement being feminist and practical, while also being romantic and meaningful. Somewhere along the way, they agreed that she would pick out her own ring, that they would pay for it together, and that having the ring wasn’t necessary in order to make things official. So Jenn was delighted and surprised that Roque opted to go to the dollar store and pick out something that reminded them of being ‘90s kids.
A few weeks after that momentous trip while scrolling into oblivion on Instagram, Jenn found jewelry designer Casual Seance, who coincidentally had a design called “ring pop” in which a stone is placed above the band in a way that mimics the eponymous candy. It was perfect, and Jenn reached out to have one customized with an iridescent lilac quartz stone set in gold.
With the engagement ring and engagement both filled with sentiment (and color), the wedding would be no different. As Jenn is a wedding photographer herself, she’d been thinking about her big day well before Roque popped the question. And so, the wedding planning kicked off almost immediately, and a date was set for 51 weeks later.
Jenn and Roque’s love story took a front seat in every aspect of their celebration, starting with the setting. They chose to host their wedding at their 1927 craftsman home in Fresno, California, because it’s the core of their relationship. It’s where they fell in love, had their first kiss, and spent all of their time and expressed most of their creativity during the pandemic lockdown. Plus, Jenn finds herself at various venues on the regular for work, and wanted a setting that was all her own. Hosting a backyard wedding felt right to her and Roque. It was a sentimental choice first and foremost, but also one that would naturally create a laid-back atmosphere.
“Immediately after we got engaged, we got to work on renovating the exterior of our house so that it would be worthy to host the wedding I had been dreaming about. I had this vision of color and lights and music filling up our backyard, our front porch drenched in florals, with our favorite people gathered together all in one place. I could see it. I could feel it. But I knew it would take a lot of labor, a lot of money, and all of our free time. We essentially spent every weekend for the year leading up to the wedding breathing new life into our home and leaving nothing untouched: new paint, new landscaping, tile work, concrete work, a new fence, new outdoor furniture, new lighting—the list goes on. The renovation was hard work, but in the end it exceeded all our expectations, and now we can look around at our home and we know it was a vessel for joy.” —Jenn, bride
It took a while for Jenn and Roque to narrow down their design ideas. A proud maximalist at heart, Jenn wanted to do all the things. In the end, the design direction became “folk art meets pop art.” Jenn loves folk art because it reflects the cultural life of a community, and incorporating community was of high importance in their wedding. Combining that vision with pop art gave the pair the ability to incorporate elements like neon lights and abstract shapes—and to think further outside the box.
Jenn thought about how the wedding could have a lived-in feel so that it was eclectic but still felt natural—as if the inside of their home was just on display outside. All of the design choices were intentionally and sentimentally made, and often layered with the talents of local friends and makers. (For instance, the soirée included a candle holder made by a neighbor and vases made by a glass blower who went to Fresno State).
Guests also played a part in the form of their attire. They were encouraged to wear their “wildest, most colorful, most avant-garde lewk that you think Billy Porter would rate a 10/10.” Loved ones showed up in a variety of color-blocked and monochromatic ensembles inspired by the couple. Even the couple’s miniature pinscher, Max, wore a vibrant, floral bow tie.
About a month before the engagement, Jenn had reached out to Anna Zajac and asked her to hold the wedding date. Anna was always Jenn’s first choice for a wedding photographer because of her amazing portraiture and candids, as well as her appreciation of bold color. That early outreach ensured that Jenn and Roque could lock her in before another couple snagged her.
“I’ve known Anna for years and I always felt like she was a kindred spirit in terms of our shared aesthetic, and she also embodies ‘Midwest Nice’ which made me feel so comfortable being on the other side of the camera (and Roque too!). Her portraits of us are the best we’ve ever had. She made us feel so relaxed and so seen, and she got artsy using the tunnel streamers to make our portraits look extra dreamy.” —Jenn, bride
Jenn then secured another important vendor to her: florist Inessa Nichols of Inessa Nichols Design. Jenn knew what an incredible floral designer Inessa was after working with her on many weddings over the years and trusted her completely. Full creative freedom was granted. The only thing Jenn shared with Inessa was the wedding’s color palette and design board. As a result, the florals were a surprise for Jenn on the wedding day.
“Inessa was my most desired wedding splurge, and I was so grateful that her team traveled from Los Angeles to Fresno for us. I genuinely cried happy tears when I saw the completed floral installation on our house for the first time. It was lush and layered and filled with surprising elements. Inessa bedazzled the palm leaves and it was so much more than I could have ever imagined! I have always considered her florals to be an ephemeral experience that can only exist for one day, as they are works of art, but this was beyond anything I had ever seen her do before and it truly blew our minds. I felt like I was on Planet Inessa, and it was the happiest place to be.” —Jenn, bride
Jenn and videographer Karah Lee had documented many weddings together—Karah creating wedding films and Jenn capturing still images. Over the years, they developed a friendship too, and when it came time for Jenn to consider her own wedding vendor team, she knew she’d ask Karah, who was working for Shark Pig at the time. Karah filmed the celebration on Super 8 film as a gift to the couple, and in true Shark Pig form, it was edited to be fun, playful, and something the happy couple could revisit to feel the true spirit of their vibrant outdoor wedding.
The next vendor decision also came easily to Jenn. There was only one DJ she considered hiring: Matthew Rubino of The Flashdance. She believes him to be the best in the industry and masterful when it comes to playing playful, surprising sets that perfectly blend pop, hip-hop, R&B, soul, indie, and ’80s jams—lots of music that people want to dance to all night long (which they did).
For the newlyweds’ grand entrance into the reception, “Ante Up” by M.O.P. played, with Roque passionately moving all the chairs out of the way as they made their way to the dance floor. Once there, the pair shared a dance to a cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” by Mariachi El Bronx. The song came to the couple randomly on a Spotify shuffle, but as soon as Jenn heard it, she knew it was the perfect energy for their first dance song. They trained with a local dance studio for two months, learning a choreographed cha-cha routine (and bonding along the way).
On and off throughout the evening, a sing-a-long unfolded. Lyric books were printed out for everyone, as a way to keep them hyped up and engaged. A highlight for Jenn was everyone going for it to “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, who noted that she bet people could hear the song from blocks away.
“Karaoke is cool, but group karaoke (sing-a-longs) is a more fun, communal experience that really brought our friends together.” —Roque, groom
The bride and groom asked their friend Bradley to officiate the non-religious ceremony, which told Jenn and Roque’s love story and illustrated the intentions of their marriage. There was not a dry eye in the yard. Adding to the thoughtfulness, guests were given a single bloom to hold onto during the ceremony, as a way of holding onto the memory of loved ones no longer joining them—and in particular, Roque’s father.
“As a feminist I never really liked the idea of being ‘given away’ by my dad. My dad has always felt the same because to us, the tradition has always felt steeped in patriarchy. I had seen a few weddings where the couple walked down the aisle together and I always liked how that symbolizes equality and partnership, so that’s what Roque and I did. I was very emotional when we walked out when I saw all of our community of friends and family on our front lawn for the first time. I cannot overstate how much it meant to me that everyone we loved was there, in one place, to witness our ceremony.” —Jenn, bride
After making it official, biodegradable confetti shot into the air, followed by the couple sharing their love and their neighborhood with a festive parade before returning to the house for the reception.
Jenn is a huge fan of Flouring LA chef Heather Wong, a baker based in Los Angeles known for her avant-garde cakes. Similar to what the couple did with their florist Inessa, the only thing they shared with Heather was the celebration’s color palette. The result was a hand-painted, two-tier confection that was almost too beautiful to cut. The newlyweds did slice into it, but individual cake bars (in flavors like taro coconut, devil’s buttermilk chocolate, and lavender lemon marble) were also set out for guests to easily pick up and enjoy. Having served the cake bars at their engagement party, Jenn and Roque felt they were a no-brainer to have at the wedding too.
About seven months before their April 23, 2022, wedding, the invitation design began. The couple turned to friend and graphic designer Lauren Hunzinker, who leaned into a theme of “color vibrations” for the stationery. She incorporated a rainbow of hues to create a refined-yet-bold color palette that operated as a reference guide for all other aesthetic decisions. Jenn wanted the invites to feel more like a festival poster instead of a typical card, and the result was a statement piece that prepared guests for how colorful and fun the vibrant outdoor wedding would be. Lauren also sourced blue envelopes that matched Jenn and Roque’s house exactly.
A hand/moon logo was designed and used everywhere from cocktail napkins to photo books. The motif symbolizes something Jenn heard during a wedding speech she was photographing that made her think of Roque: “Love is like holding moonlight. It’s rare, and not everyone gets to touch it.” Their neighbor even surprised them by creating a massive version of the motif using reflective material, and hung it between the trees across the street.
The couple skirted tradition by skipping a standard sit-down dinner. While their backyard is a good size, it’s not quite large enough for standard table seating for 100 people. So instead, they rented colorful lounge furniture and cocktail tables from Let’s Party Prettier, whom Jenn had met at a wedding vendor showcase in Fresno that summer. The eclectic selection included rattan chairs, velvet couches, and equipale chairs (commonly seen in Mexico) that suited the cocktail-hour style reception and honored Roque’s Mexican background. Folks organically stood or sat where they wanted.
Since Jenn is in the wedding industry, she was at ease planning everything herself. She knew who she wanted to hire early on and felt confident in putting together the timeline. Monthly to-do lists were developed, a budget spreadsheet was created, and a 17-page document was prepared to visualize all of the details and setup. Roque was a full partner in the planning too. Jenn had the vision, but he put in just as much work and supported her every step of the way.
But after thinking they could handle everything themselves, and hoping to tap a few industry friends to help with some logistical tasks, Jenn realized that those friends would want to celebrate as guests and that help would be best found elsewhere. Looking back, Jenn and Roque are so happy they hired Carley Ansell and Lindsay Nakayama from Round Town Events to oversee all of the production.
“No matter how competent and organized you are, it is impossible to be fully present on your wedding day without the help of professionals. Carley and Lindsey gave me the greatest gift by allowing me to be fully present while they did all the invisible work to make sure everything ran smoothly and our vision was executed flawlessly.” —Jenn, bride
One thing Jenn really wanted to incorporate into the vibrant outdoor wedding was an immersive art experience. During their travels, she and Roque enjoyed various art installations in museums and public spaces. She had filed those memories into an inspiration folder and hoped to create something similar in spirit on their big day. They hired Erin Elyse Long, who dreamt up a larger-than-life idea to transform some simple garden arches sourced on eBay into a 16-foot long tunnel installation made of papier-mâché, streamers, paracord, thread, and neon lights. Erin took inspiration from Salvation Mountain in the California desert (a famous work of folk/land art by Leonard Knight) and made it her own.
For two weeks, she was the artist in residence, working on the “Tunnel of Love” in Jenn and Roque’s driveway. Dozens of friends got in on the action too, building pillars, hanging streamers late into the night, and painting abstract shapes.
“There were so many hands that contributed, fully encapsulating the spirit of folk art that we and Erin envisioned. Our guests interacted with the Tunnel of Love as they made their way from the front yard where the ceremony was to the backyard for the reception, heightening their senses and creating a memorable experience that was talked about beyond the wedding day.” —Jenn, bride
“When I had my first wedding call with Jenn, we discussed her plans to create something special for her and Roque’s wedding day. I am inspired by their life together, and the idea came to me after our conversation in the form of a daydream. To make an installation about love is challenging—trying to capture the essence of a feeling that can’t always be seen. But sometimes we are lucky to see love expressed in many different ways. My hope was that this installation acts as a portal between Jenn and Roque and the extraordinary community that surrounds them. And that as people walk through, they would have an apperception of love, and as they leave the tunnel, they would bring that light and love out into the world and share it with others.” —Erin Elyse Long, artist
Another local artist, Anna Maecie, was also hired to work her magic. She painted a 60-foot-long mural on the fence surrounding the house. The artwork was her interpretation of the sun and flowers, two symbols in folk art that resonated with Jenn and Roque.
The couple tried to be intentional when buying or creating elements for the wedding. They wanted things to live on and be appreciated within their home well after the event was over. The tunnel was no exception, and amazingly, they were able to keep it for six months and repurpose it into the Tunnel of Terror for Halloween. The neon sign with the hands and moon logo is still on display in their house, as is other signage Erin made. Jenn dried a lot of Inessa’s florals and filled vases with them, and all of the serveware is regularly used for other gatherings and parties. And one more fun element became a permanent fixture: the slab in the backyard that Jenn painted mint green and purple with their initials in the middle, which served as the dance floor.
After the ceremony, guests meandered between the front and back lawns drinking a variety of aguas frescas and margaritas, beer, and wine (from Mobile Margaritas), while eating from a beautiful charcuterie spread as well as vegan-friendly tamales from local restaurants the couple frequents: Fig & Honey and Casa de Tamales.
Roque grew up in a farm town in the Central Valley of California where taco trucks were a necessity for farm workers’ meals. This made hiring a food truck feel like a natural thing to do for the wedding too. Practically speaking, it was also a way for the bride and groom to avoid setting up a full-service kitchen at their home, as the truck is essentially a mobile kitchen. Fresno-favorite Dab Tacos was the couple’s food truck of choice, which was a big hit for everyone at the wedding; all the guests raved about the food, which included carne asada fries and chicken mulas.
And to round out the sweets on offer, a selection of ice cream-filled coolers (painted to match the wedding) was set out by the cake. Ampersand (Jenn’s favorite ice cream shop) provided 100 individual scoops pre-packaged in small cups, in the flavors of vegan rocky road, strawberry mojito sorbet, mint chip, Madagascar vanilla, and coffee.
Two replacement vendors were the final additions to the couple’s vendor team. While the couple had found a mariachi band months prior, that ensemble canceled as the parade was outside their scope of services. They found Mariachi Madera, who was down for everything, and the bride and groom were soon back on track for that portion of the celebration. The musicians’ accompaniment of the parade provided a soundtrack to a fun portion of the day—which was also a practical decision, as it allowed the food truck to set up and the front lawn to be flipped to provide more seating for the reception.
A hair and makeup artist had also been secured earlier in the planning process, but due to a family emergency, they were unable to keep the commitment. Jenn was referred to Tiffany Simons for makeup and Skye Robles for hairstyling, and was thrilled with both of them. Of course, her look was befitting for the vibrant day, with her pale purple hair set in soft waves (and perfectly matching her lilac Temperley London gown and Roque’s floral shirt) and her makeup accented by a bold red lip.
“I'm not very particular when giving direction to hair and makeup artists, as I so rarely get dolled up, so I trusted their expertise. My only request was to make my eyes look big, and Tiffany used this gorgeous lilac eyeliner to make them pop. She also surprised me with the bold red lip—which is not something I've ever really done—as a way to play off of my earrings, and I was obsessed with how that turned out. I now rock a bold red lip in that same MAC color all the time when we go out. For hair, I told Skye to give me soft curls and lots of body, something that would be timeless and fit with the dress. I had my hair colored by my longtime stylist in L.A., Tanya Ramirez, the week before. She's been doing my color professionally for 10 years now, but I've been dying my hair various colors since sixth grade!.” —Jenn, bride
