First meeting through mutual friends in 2016, Abbey Brogan and Chris Creighton starting dating long distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles. After six months, Chris got a job opportunity back home in Philadelphia and asked Abbey to join him on the East Coast. Thankfully, she got a job in New York City a few months later, and the two maintained their long-distance routine for a few years – this time on the opposite coast. 

While visiting Abbey’s family in Lake Tahoe, California, Chris got down one knee and surprised Abbey with both of their families waiting to celebrate, a surprise to the bride-to-be. “Tahoe is a very meaningful place for me and my family, and it meant the world to get to celebrate the engagement there with both of our families – and lots of toasts and tequila,” she smiles. 

Though the couple planned to get married in August 2020, pandemic restrictions required the pair to pivot. However, even over the course of two years and three different wedding dates, Abbey and Chris’ wedding-planning team made the process “as painless as possible,” confirms the bride. She was also thankful to plan the details of the day alongside her mother. “I got to work hand in hand planning with my mom, which is just something I’ll forever be grateful for.” 

Shortly after getting engaged, Abbey and Chris knew they wanted to host their wedding reception in the backyard of the bride’s parents’ home where Abbey grew up. “We ultimately wanted something that felt inviting and personal to us,” she shares. Continuing with that sentiment, the couple chose to be married by Chris’ family’s priest, who has married everyone in his family and flew in from the East Coast, in a church surrounded by friends and family. 

“I asked my brothers to step in as my men of honor, and they handled all of the MOH responsibilities seamlessly, from planning my bachelorette to attending to my train and veil, and holding my bouquet during the ceremony,” Abbey shares. The family traditions continued with the bride walking down the aisle on her father’s arm – and as Abbey and Chris walked up the aisle as husband and wife after the nuptials, Chris surprised Abbey by having their golden retriever Utley waiting for them outside the church. 

“My happiest memory was dancing hand in hand with Chris surrounded by all of our favorite people.”

The gorgeous garden of Abbey’s childhood home served as the inspiration for the day. “We deferred to neutral tones and décor, really allowing the garden to shine through,” describes the bride. In lieu of a tent, umbrellas adorned with greenery accentuated the dreamy setting, and organic wood tables and chairs, linen tablecloths, and garden florals added to the “Summer Garden” vision. Table settings showcased layered natural woods with neutral striped linens, pewter chargers and silverware, and handmade ceramic dinnerware for a laid-back, yet luxury look. 

As Abbey and Chris entered the reception, their upbeat first dance to “Saturday Sun” by Vance Joy started the festivities as everyone joined in. “The song depicts the start of our relationship perfectly and set the tone for a happy, inviting, love-filled wedding reception,” the bride smiles. The rest of the night was spent celebrating to the sounds of a live band who performed a curated playlist that kept guests dancing all night long on the dance floor over the pool. “My happiest memory was dancing hand in hand with Chris surrounded by all of our favorite people.” 

Since their wedding day was also Chris’ birthday, Abbey surprised her new husband with sparklers and a special birthday cake fit for the ultimate Philly sports fan, decorated with the logos of his favorite teams – the Eagles and the Sixers, towards the end of the night. Friends and family also sipped the couple’s favorite spirit from a specific bar that was just for tequila tasting. “We still get messages from people saying how much they loved that!” affirms the bride. 

At the end of the night, an In-N-Out Burger truck surprised loved ones with a welcome late-night snack. “It was a fun nod back to my Southern California roots and a special treat for all of Chris’ family and friends who traveled in from the East Coast!” the bride adds, sharing the entire celebration was everything they imagined and more. “The whole weekend – from rehearsal dinner to welcome party to wedding reception – was filled with so much love and happiness. It was absolutely worth the wait.”

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