An Elegant Garden Wedding in Monterey, California

Mary Sharp (27 and a teacher) and Wes Martin (27 and a education administrator) met in high school and even went to senior prom together, but never dated until years later. Wes popped the question on his 27th birthday at sunset at Shell Beach Cliff in California. He proposed with a bags of M&Ms, since Mary's new initials would be "MM" if she took his last name. After Mary said yes, they celebrated their engagement with champagne overlooking the ocean. They chose the Dallidet and Adobe Gardens in San Louis Obispo, California for their wedding, and went with a rustic outdoors theme. Mary and Wes incorporated lots of their own plants into the wedding, using their succulents as boutonnieres and weaving other plants into their bouquets and centerpieces. Mary and Wes also sent their guests home with unique creations they called "corkulents." "We drilled a hole in a cork, filled it with sand and planted a succulent from out own garden in it," Mary says. "We glued a magnet on the back so our guests could 'watch love grow.'"The food and drink were informal at this DIY affair. Mary and Wes served only wine and beer, and Mary provided the reception entertainment with a custom Spotify playlist. The couple also opted out of serving an elaborate multi-course meal, and served several small appetizers instead. They finished off the evening with a heart-shaped lemon tart covered in raspberries in place of a more traditional wedding cake, baked by Mary's mom.