In August 2002, nine years after their first evening of dancing and laughter (they met at an L.A. nightclub), Heather Saginor and Devin Klein decided to take the next step. While supposedly stopping to meet some friends for drinks on their way to a weekend in Santa Barbara, the couple sat at the Bacara Resort & Spa lawn overlooking the bluffs and Pacific Ocean, and Devin popped the question. As another surprise, they ended up staying at Bacara for an amazing weekend together.

As Heather felt the marriage proposal was magical, they agreed they wanted the same feeling and atmosphere for the wedding ceremony. They searched for a location that would provide an oceanside ceremony and indoor reception, and after a lot of research, they realized that the Bacara was exactly the place they were trying to match. The Presidential Suite Lawn, just a hop, skip and a jump from the shore, was the ceremonial site, providing an unexpected view of dolphins jumping in and out of the ocean just prior to the ceremony, and the sparkling colors of sunset against the water. The bride and groom were deeply touched to receive pre-ceremonial blessings from their parents and grandparents, in their unique way. Heather asked Devin’s mother for permission to use his deceased father’s wedding ring, and was privileged to use it in her wedding. In addition, her great-grandfather’s tallis was used for the chuppah; and guests were invited to read the seven blessings, in which the rabbi reads a blessing in Hebrew, then a guest reads it in English.

The wedding colors were taupe, soft white, and ivory, with accents of green and chocolate colors. The bride wore a Monique Lhuillier gown with a white and ivory rose bouquet. The men all wore chocolate cosmos boutonnieres, and the bridesmaids wore bouquets of chocolate cosmos, white and ivory roses, and green hydrangeas.

After the ceremony ended, Heather and Devin were driven on the back of a golf cart up to the reception site. The quiet evening sky, lit up with countless colors – from blues to reds – brought Devin to make one more proposal to his new bride. He asked her to stare out to what was in front of them, and know that he loves her, and to remember to enjoy what lies ahead of them.

The Bacara Resort’s ballroom was more than ample for the 150 guests and elaborate decorations. The balconies were flooded with candlelight, a roaring fireplace glowed between the foyer and the ballroom, and sheer organza draping (continuing with green and chocolate accents) was used to bring the room together, creating a wide, long rectangular dance floor. A “centerpiece” was created with the placement of a real live oak tree in the ballroom!

The evening began with the first dance to the song “Come What May” from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack. For the father/daughter dance, Heather chose Faith Hill’s “You’ll Always Be a Part of Me”, because she considered it to be the perfect song for a bride who considers her “step-father” to be her father. The guests were treated to simple, vanilla flavored cakecutting wedding cake, but the real treat was a large dessert buffet, which included chocolate chip cookies, chocolate-covered strawberries, tarts, pies, and more!

It was truly a magical and romantic evening, abundant with blessings from family and friends, and spontaneous moments of joy, wishes, and one-of-a-kind sunsets.