Emily & Jacob's Wedding - Tara Lauren Real Love Tara Lauren

Amidst the vibrant blooms and twinkling lights in Paso Robles, on a day filled with love and laughter, Jacob and Emily’s story of friendship and budding romance culminated in a celebration of a lifetime, surrounded by 400 cherished souls. Their love story, born under the stars of a college town, blossomed into a breathtaking modern, colorful celebration leaving guests in awe of the completely transformed reception space as they danced together for the first time, complete with chandeliers adorned with greenery and personal touches.

Of her MARINA gown, EMILY said: “My wedding dress, was not even close to what I thought I wanted to wear on my wedding day. I had a completely different vision walking into my first bridal appointment, I wanted a fully beaded dress, square neckline and thick straps. I remember browsing the rack, and I kept going back and looking at this beautiful dress. I think it was about the 3rd or 4th time I did this, that the stylist convinced me to try it on. This dress was everything I had ever dreamed of, and so much more. The delicate floral embroidery detailing on the sleeves, combined with a stunning train, had me speechless. It might be cliche to say this, but in that moment, I had never felt more beautiful than in my dress.”

Names: Emily & Jacob

Wedding Date: 03.25.23

Guest Number: 400

Wedding Location: Atascadero Bible Church & Rava Wines and Events

Photographer: Ellie Koleen Photography

Tell Us Your Love Story

How did you meet?

I met Jacob my freshman year of college in San Luis Obispo, through a mutual friend that we had. Our first introduction, was none other than the farmers market, that happened every Thursday night downtown. My roommates and I, met up with Jacob and his roommates and we had a great time! We all hung out at his college house afterward, where he eventually asked me to marry me, and I didn’t say no, like the first time he asked me out on a date! We became very close friends almost instantly, and felt like we had known each other our whole lives. After a few months, the encouragement of our mutual friend, and a week apart, Jacob asked me out again, and this time I said YES! We started dating on April 1st, no it wasn’t a joke, and yes our anniversary is April Fools. After we started dating we became more inseparable than ever, and have loved every minute of it.

How Did He Put A Ring On It?

Almost three years after we started dating, Jacob decided to pop the question at none other than his college house where we had first met!

Where did you draw inspiration from?

When planning my wedding, I knew I wanted it to be as colorful as possible. I wanted a modern elegance, that would never fade out of style, and I wanted it to reflect Jacob and I inside and out. I have been involved in the wedding industry for a few years now, and knew that it was a priority to make sure to have a few unique touches for our guests.

What made the wedding personal to you?

It was extremely important to me, to keep our guests in mind while I was designing our wedding. I wanted them to know how grateful we were, that they took the time to celebrate our special day with us. For our place-settings, we designed menu cards, that had each guest’s name at the top. During our reception, one of our family friends told us how special they felt, for doing this simple touch to make them feel important.

What were you most nervous or excited about?

I was so excited to see the transformation of each space from my head to reality, specifically with the reception space! The hanging chandeliers above the dance floor, the transformation with our ceremony florals and so much more. I think my absolute favorite part was how our florist, Sweet Memories transformed our cake table with our ceremony arch. I think there’s a photo somewhere in our gallery of my reaction to seeing this for the first time, absolutely jaw dropping!

Now, the most important part – the Dress!

Tell us about your dress?

My wedding dress, was not even close to what I thought I wanted to wear on my wedding day. I had a completely different vision walking into my first bridal appointment, I wanted a fully beaded dress, square neckline and thick straps. I remember browsing the rack, and I kept going back and looking at this beautiful dress. I think it was about the 3rd or 4th time I did this, that the stylist convinced me to try it on. This dress was everything I had ever dreamed of, and so much more. The delicate floral embroidery detailing on the sleeves, combined with a stunning train, had me speechless. It might be cliche to say this, but in that moment, I had never felt more beautiful than in my dress.

What stockist did you get it from?

I purchased my wedding dress from Ivory Bridal Boutique in Fresno

What was your most memorable moment from your day?

Jacob and I did a “first reveal” of our reception space, and I cannot recommend that enough. This was our first time alone together after the ceremony, and we wanted to share a quick private dance before mingling with our guests. I was caught speechless, the overwhelming emotions of hard work and utter happiness, as well as thankfulness to all of our vendors to make our special day better than we could have imagined!