A Purple Rustic Wedding at the Red Horse Barn in Huntington Beach, California

Karisha Gutierrez (22, a nurse) and Kevin Escalante (23, a controls technician) were in high school and started dating right before Kevin graduated and left for the Marines. Their relationship remained strong, and five years later celebrated their anniversary together by going out to dinner in Santa Barbara, California. At the end of the night, Kevin got down on one knee, and the rest has been history. The couple had their wedding at the Red Horse Barn in Huntington Beach, California that allowed them to have the ceremony and reception at the same place. Kevin and his groomsmen wore their uniforms for the wedding ceremony to acknowledge their time in service, and the bridesmaids all wore dresses with different shades of purple. The only white decor throughout the whole wedding day was Karisha's dress, and the rest of the accents were in purple, blue and gray. "We both love the outdoors and wanted to incorporate a rustic feel," says Karisha. "We didn't go crazy with decorations, but really tried to integrate pieces that would complement and enhance our surroundings. Overall, we tried to create a more relaxed environment to encourage people to enjoy themselves."