Matt + Kira by Jenna Powers - Together Journal

I was so drawn to his natural ability to connect with people and make everyone feel included and seen. He also makes me laugh like no other which I love about him!

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
KB: I work in economic consulting and my husband Matt works in TV advertising. We live blocks from the beach in Santa Monica and love being outdoors enjoying the sun when we aren’t working. Matt loves golfing and is an exceptional cook–I truly scored in that department! We love spending time with our families here in LA and in San Diego and were fortunate enough to have 8 grandparents between the two of us at our wedding. We wanted to honor and celebrate them since they all mean so much to us.

When did you first realise that this was someone, you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
KB: I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Matt during our two years of dating in college. Not only was Matt becoming my best friend, but he was also friends with so many people on campus. I am quite introverted and prefer to have a small group of close friends, but Matt made time for everyone. We couldn’t walk across campus without stopping multiple times for Matt to chat and catch up with friends passing by. I was so drawn to his natural ability to connect with people and make everyone feel included and seen. He also makes me laugh like no other which I love about him!

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding…
KB: Matt and I really wanted the style of our wedding to be a reflection of the two of us as a couple. We wanted to be intentional in choosing vendors and design elements that felt personal to us, and not just fall in the trap of doing what we saw other people doing. We wanted our wedding to be timeless with a lot of neutral tones as that reflects both of our styles in everyday life. Our wedding planner Laura took our ideas of what our wedding would look like and translated them into a cohesive and unique design that was better than what we could even imagine! We especially loved our dramatic hanging floral installation coupled with the whimsical ikebana-style table arrangements. I also loved the way the bridesmaid dresses came together and loved that they all got to pick their own dress that fit their style.

What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
KB: I am so happy that we decided to go with a wedding planner for more than just day-of coordination. We were unsure if we were going to hire one or not, but as soon as we spoke with Laura from Moon Velvet design, we knew it was a no brainer. Her eye for design is second to none, and she came up with such a unique and personalized design for us. She also made sure all our vendors were on the same page to execute her vision. She helped us with creating our timeline, booking vendors, staying on budget, designing every detail, and she made sure the wedding day was flawless! She brought a sense of calm and confidence to every step of the planning process, and I now recommend everyone hire a planner if possible when friends ask!

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
KB: I got my dress from the Dress Theory in San Diego. I was shocked to find out that my favorite dress from the appointment was less than $1,000 and happened to be exactly what I had in mind! As time went on after purchasing my dress, I started second guessing my choice and was nervous that it was too simple. I saw photos of the gorgeous Ines Di Santo Robin train and fell in love with it but couldn’t find it in any bridal shops near me.

Luckily, I saw a girl that lives near me wearing it in her wedding photos on Instagram, shamelessly asked if I could rent it, and she said yes! It worked out so perfectly and brought the entire look together. I loved that it sat on the elbow and thought it was a fun alternative to a veil.