After a cross-country move to “The City by the Bay”, Kristina King was introduced to Tanner Hogan by a mutual friend. Later on in their relationship, Kristina was happy when Tanner suggested she meet him at a wine bar… where they just so happened to share their first date. Walking in, she noticed it was completely empty and was about to comment on that curious fact when Tanner surprised her by getting on one knee and asking Kristina to spend her life with him. He had secretly rented out the space and hired a photographer to capture the proposal.

For the wedding, the bride returned to her hometown in Southern California in order to get married at the same Catholic church that hosted her parents’ ceremony. “We knew religion would be an important part of our ceremony,” confirms Kristina, who was gorgeous in a classic designer gown from The White Dress. Tanner was also raised Catholic, attending Catholic schools for 16 years. His high school president flew out from Omaha to officiate the service. “Everyone still talks about his sermon, as he perfectly portrayed our personalities and told great stories of our relationship,” the bride praises.

The event venue and beach club for the reception was once again where the parents of the bride had celebrated their own nuptials, and Kristina and her mom worked together with Tessa Brand of Tessa Lyn Events to create a dreamy, yet still classic, wedding. “In the end, we said: ‘Just listen to Tessa’ – because she truly had all the answers and the day was 100% perfect to us!” reveals the bride. White and green florals with black and copper accents decorated the space. For a modern twist on the traditional aesthetic, “floating” floral hoop arrangements added dimension to the room.

While in a perfect world, the newlyweds would have liked a shorter engagement, the celebration of their marriage was otherwise everything they could have wanted. Kristina’s advice for couples planning their own weddings is short and sweet: “Enjoy the day!”