Ali + Luke by Ana Galloway - Together Journal

Seeing her challenge her own perspectives and mine helped me see she was somebody I could move through different stages of life with.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

Luke and I consider ourselves creative and expressive people. We work in creative fields, Luke is a writer at an advertising agency, and I work as a project manager in a design studio. We love to see live music together and discover new bands and artists. We are constantly looking for the next concert or show, whether it’s an acoustic set at a bar or a DJ set. Every year, we make each other new playlists for our birthdays with all the music we’ve made new memories with or reminds us of each other, but we are both hopeful romantics. We love going to the movies – always splurging on the luxury recliner seats and large popcorn. We live in San Francisco, CA- so we spend a lot of our free time exploring Golden Gate Park, the coast of California and local restaurants. Luke loves to paint, and Ali loves interior design and creating a space. We also share a passion for travel, art and interior design.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We have known each other for years. We met back in college in our advertising program. My best friend (shout out Wilsynn Wheat) introduced us one day, and we both left that first encounter feeling a spark that caught us off guard. I thought Luke was super cute, a dreamy, smiley boy. I (Luke) was stunned by Ali’s radiant aura and by how she carried herself. Luke wanted to avoid the friend zone, so shortly after the meeting, he asked me out, and we casually went on a few dates.

Sadly, the timing wasn’t quite right as I was preparing to graduate and moved to San Francisco shortly after. But our story didn’t end after I moved to SF and Luke moved to DC. We stayed in touch, casually finding excuses to talk and sometimes meet up when we were in each other’s city. After some time of staying connected and becoming good friends, Luke made his way to California with a new job. We reconnected again and realized there was something real between us. Fast forward 3 years, and here we are 🙂

When did you first realize that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

Ali: For me, I knew Luke was the one waiting in the In N Out line in southern California. Justin Bieber’s new song “Lifetime” was playing in the car (which is a song all about spending your life waiting for that person you want to spend your life with). At one point in the song, I just remember looking at Luke and getting a little weepy- the words in the song resonated so much to what I felt for him.

Luke: The moment Ali talked about above was a shared experience, it was a moment of realizing, “oh wow, I’m really ready to take this the distance, Im all in for life.” But realizing Ali was someone I could spend the rest of my life with came over time. It was through her gentleness and patience that we got to know each other. Seeing her be willing to grow and stretch. Seeing her challenge her own perspectives and mine helped me see she was somebody I could move through different stages of life with.

Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…

This last fall, I knew I didn’t want another holiday season without Ali as my wife. So I prepared to propose in December, just before Christmas. Buying the ring was special. I’ve never made such an important purchase and felt that good about it. Ali saw me after and asked why I was smiling so much. My only answer was, “I’m just really happy.” Golden Gate Park had always been where I knew I would propose. It was a cloudy morning, I devised a clever plan to take Ali on a last-minute date before Christmas break. We took a row boat around Stowe Lake and listened to our favourite music. We walked to the music concourse, one of our go-to spots. Mr. Cool went out the window as I transitioned from ‘special date’ to the proposal. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said yes the first time, but to make sure I heard correctly and so she could remember it, I got back down on my knee and asked again.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.

Mood: We wanted our wedding to feel intimate. We were inspired by the feeling you get when go out to dinner with your closest friends, where you feel held by the ambience and familiar laughter. Warm, was a word we used a lot of how we wanted people to feel. Being in Hawaii, there was a temptation to lean casual, but we were intentional with having people dress up in vibrant colours and wanting people to look and feel their best. Ali is a very empowering person and wanted other people to feel sparkly and shine at the wedding too. And last but not least, we wanted to dance!

Style: We wanted to find a balance between letting the natural beauty be the star while also adding elegance that made the space feel elevated and special. One of our favorite details was seeing the ribbons on the chairs down the aisle, they blew in the wind and mimicked the ocean which was really beautiful.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?

Our photography. We both come from creative backgrounds and can be really critical. Ali did an insane amount of research and digging through Instagram to find our photographer. We wanted the photography to feel natural and elevated. We wanted someone who could capture the raw emotion and take a more documentary approach while also giving us this elevated editorial look. We had calls with several photographers and vetted them; Ana was an easy choice after we met her over Zoom.

We knew our photography was going to be the one thing we would have forever. We don’t regret our decision at all. Our imagery brings us so much joy. Ana did the most incredible job of capturing the way the day felt. The images are pure joy to look at.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

There was a crew to set up the tent and tables, but aside from that, everything else was on us for set up. We were doing everything ourselves, so it was an all-hands-on-deck effort. The wedding party was amazing. It was a beautiful scene to look out across the property as we were getting ready and seeing all our people buzzing around, getting things done and bringing our vision to life. Luke’s sister was an incredible day of coordinator for us. We both have a background in advertising and production, so we were able to use our professional experience to have things planned out, mood-boarded, and communicated ahead of time.

Just as everything was getting set up we got hit with a tropical downpour. It was this moment of letting go and accepting that we had done everything we could to prepare. It was a moment of beautiful chaos. Looking out and seeing everybody spring into action, moving cushions and tables and all the decor out of the rain. The downpour passed, and the sun came out. It felt like this lovely cleansing before the ceremony.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

We wanted a touch of glamour and timelessness. Luke’s tuxedo brought his Rat Pack dreams to life. He has always loved that old school aesthetic which is why he opted for the cummerbund and bow-tie. He got to go shopping for it with his best man in Chicago at the Polo store. His favorite detail was the Gucci shoes with the bamboo bit, it was he way of giving a nod into the island style.

Ali’s dress was so elegant and classic. Ali’s favorite moment of her look was her veil. Alis second look was her Ronny Kobo dress. She had been eyeing it for months but it was out of stock and out of budget. When her father in law learned about this dress she had been eyeing it was his wedding gift to her, so when it was back in stock Ali decided to go for a second look that allowed her to dance freely.