Derek + Brett by Kelsey Cowley

We wanted to embrace the history and character of Lake Arrowhead Lodge.

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

We’re Brett and Derek, and we live in Los Angeles. We’ve been together for about nine years.

We’re happiest in the little rituals of everyday life: playing pickleball, finding a great Korean or Chinese restaurant, spending time at home with our cats, or planning a trip somewhere new. Our wedding reflected a lot of that. More than anything, we wanted it to feel like we were inviting everyone we love into the life we have created together.

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

We met in Los Angeles about nine years ago, and our first date was over tea at The Rose in Venice.

Our relationship came at an important point in both of our lives. Being together gave us the space to imagine a future that perhaps neither of us had completely pictured before. What began as a first date over tea became nine years of building a life together, and eventually brought us to Lake Arrowhead to get married surrounded by nearly everyone we love.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you?

The design unfolded gradually. We did not begin with a set vision. Maher guided us piece by piece, and we developed a “yes, and” attitude because we trusted his creativity!

We wanted to embrace the history and character of Lake Arrowhead Lodge. The Main Lodge dates to the 1920s, when it was the North Shore Tavern and a clandestine gathering place during Prohibition. The setting also had a much more personal history for us. Derek had been a counsellor at Bruin Woods there during his UCLA days, and some of his happiest memories were made at the resort. Many of our guests had been counsellors alongside him, so it was incredibly special to bring everyone back together there in celebration.

There was also a thread of home throughout the design. The leopard rug on the ceremony stage, the curtains behind the band, and the colourful rainbow house escort display all helped create a sense of home. We even had our first dance to “Our House” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It felt as though we had created a home in the mountains for the weekend and invited everyone we loved inside.

The florals felt serene and calm, but also magical, alive, and organic. They appeared to grow directly from the earth, almost as though they had popped up from the ground just for our weekend.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

We loved watching the wedding reveal itself throughout the planning process. Some of our favourite ideas were things we never would have imagined on our own.

Our biggest advice is to hire people whose taste and judgment you trust, and then actually trust them. Giving our vendors the freedom to surprise us made the process more fun and the wedding better than anything we could have planned ourselves.

Welcome Party

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

We were incredibly lucky with our entire vendor team. Maher Haroun was the creative force behind the weekend. He understood what we wanted it to feel like, even before we could completely articulate what we wanted it to look like.

We had always admired the sense of movement in Kelsey Cowley’s photography. Her images feel organic and alive, and nothing feels stiff or overly posed. We are both a little camera-shy, but Kelsey made us feel relaxed and bold. Looking at the photos now, we can feel the energy of the weekend in every image.

Flowers by Karis created florals beyond anything we could have imagined. The way the flowers seemed to grow directly from the earth made them feel completely at home in the landscape.

Our yoga teacher, Dawn Stillo, also created one of the most special experiences of the weekend, grounding us and bringing everyone together on the morning of the wedding.

Was there a favourite moment or two that you will treasure always?

It is almost impossible to choose. Standing together during the ceremony and looking out at roughly 140 people who had travelled to Lake Arrowhead to celebrate with us was overwhelming in the best possible way.

Another favourite was yoga on the lawn Saturday morning. From where we were practising, everything was happening within the same field of vision. Friends and family were playing pickleball nearby, others were coming back from boat rides on the lake, and people were enjoying the resort all around us. We ended the class with everyone coming together in one giant group hug. It was one of those moments when we could simply look around and see all of these different parts of our lives together in one place.

For a few days, it felt like we had created our own little world in the mountains. We kept looking at each other and asking the same question: “How did we get so lucky?”