Jami + Kevin by Anjali Nooka

We both love a vintage-looking cake.

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

Jami: Interior Designer, but I love being in nature. Big camper, hiker, fisher. And I love functional design, here in Tokyo specifically. (They were honeymooning/celebrating Jami’s birthday in Tokyo as we spoke) Kevin says to say I love yoga. *Kevin offering suggestions in the back* Yeah, I do love cooking as well, he’s like thinking of things for me. Horseback riding.

Kevin: He loves skateboarding, riding motorcycles, and fishing because of me. He loves taking care of me.

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

We met through mutual friends and were friends first. Sometime during the pandemic, he slipped into my DMs to hang out. It was very natural.

For me, I was delightfully surprised because we got along so naturally. We met in our late 20s.

Kevin: She seemed very mature and had her life together, had a real job.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

When we picked Allegretto, we had no strong tie to Paso Robles.

I’m a very hospitable person, and I just wanted to make sure everyone, like my grandpa, could make it. I wanted it to be easy for family in Southern California to be able to make it to a mini destination wedding. And the hotel was also right there, so it was easy.

That area (Paso Robles) always felt like a blank canvas. There was a lot that you could do there.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

We both love a vintage-looking cake. Kevin and I are big on thrifting and vintage items. The design of a vintage cake made me so happy. We found the ducks at a vintage store in the middle of Colorado. We pick up little things like that. They were on our shelf, and I was like, we should just use these. We’re not like swans, we’re more like ducks.

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

It was like battling one fire after another and trusting the process, hoping something beautiful would come out of it. The outcome was worth it in the end. But in the end, I would do it again.

I would suggest starting with a coordinator, or at least interviewing coordinators to understand what the wedding process is like. They know everything about every vendor and place, so if you’re not sure or what budget you can work with. They are a great resource you can start with.

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

I did lean a lot on Mady to answer the most random questions about weddings I had. I would never do this without a coordinator.

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

I had been following Wed Studio, and it was an unattainable dress at the time. Then I discovered Still White. 2 people were selling the dress from Wed Studio on Still White. One of the girls was not even close to my size, but I bought it off another girl who cancelled her wedding, and she was 2 inches taller and 2 sizes smaller. My tailor, Miss Tashina, was able to make it all come together.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

I always knew when we started talking about getting married. I always knew it (the proposal) would happen because we are so similar. I had a notes page with the link to the ring I wanted, with the ring size and everything. I was not marrying him for his ring aesthetic. His love language is just doing what I ask, and he didn’t surprise me with that, but he surprised me with the when and the where.

Signet diamond ring, not your classic princess cut. I’ve always loved chunkier and more masculine-looking rings. It suits me.

My wedding band is from the recommendation of a friend. Ochre Objects makes wedding bands that have a curve to them, so you can stack them with your engagement ring. I didn’t think about it until about 2 weeks before the wedding, but it sits perfectly (on my engagement ring). She was able to turn around so quickly for me to have a band on the wedding day.

Kevin is not a man of jewellery. I got him a simple gold band from a place called Make New York.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

I wanted Andrea from Sun Canyon Florals to be the main thing. I wanted it to look like it was drenched in flowers.

I wanted natural colours and whites for the ceremony, and a lot more vibrant and exciting for the reception. On our first call, we were supposed to talk vision for 30 minutes tops, but ended up talking for 2.5 hours. We just kept talking about how I wanted everything to not be so clean and crisp but more flowy and organic. She took my vision and ran with it.

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

It was so cool to see everyone together, group A and B being in the same place. It was so amazing, I wish I could hold onto it a little longer. And the weather was amazing.

Kevin said that when he turned down the aisle, his reaction was “This is what heaven must feel like”.

Our officiant, Mike, is one of Kevin’s best friends. When we got engaged, he asked to officiate, and we said, “Uh, ok”. He’s a class clown, sort of a personality. When we told friends they would laugh like it was a joke, so nobody was sure how it would go down or if he would rise to the occasion, but he did so well with his speech, and he really outdid himself and impressed us.

At the start of it, he said, “When Kevin asked me to marry him, this wasn’t what I was expecting”, and it felt so comforting to be in a more light and meaningful celebration instead of it feeling so serious and crazy.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

Honestly, everything went back to normal, and I’m so happy with how seamless life has been. The wedding for us was more of just a binding ritual of it all, but nothing has really changed.