An Intimate Wedding on the Water in California With the Couple's Own Yacht
Long before Darrin proclaimed, “I do, I do, I do” at their intimate wedding ceremony, he and Judy were just two people searching for a second chance at love. On New Year’s Eve in 2020, when Judy had been without her husband of 22 years for half a decade and a mutual friend wanted to set her up with someone she knew. And just three days later, Judy was on a date with Darrin. “Funny, we belong to the same club and lived just a couple of houses from each other, but had never met,” she says. “In fact, you could almost drive to his house from my house and not have the seatbelt ding go off.”
When the two decided to get married, bringing their personalities and personal tastes into the day was important, so they involved a team of vendors who could bring their vision to life. All of the wedding weekend events were tied into the sea somehow, with their welcome dinner on the sand outside of the Hotel del Coronado, and a wedding ceremony on their private yacht with a view of the water. Judy says, “[Natalie at Native Poppy], along with Heather and the Amorology team, transformed the welcome dinner to a festive beach party with all the right shades of soft pink in bougainvillea and peach ruffled lisianthus while calligraphed conch shells were given as favors, inviting guests to listen in for their seats. Dinner, dancing and fireworks amidst the flowing drapes of the cabana setting with the Pacific Ocean as our backdrop was romance at its best.” They even had special cocktails, like a Marry Me Manhattan and a Cranberry Kiss, inspired by the couple’s drinks of choice.
Starting the festivities off with a casual but elegant seaside dinner was the perfect way to spend time with their guests and make memories, especially since the following day would be spent on the water. To complement this intimate, waterfront ceremony, Judy and Darrin wanted something both simple and chic to wear on deck. “It is all about the back of the dress! I was looking for something elegant and timeless with a smidgen of wow,” the bride says. What fit the bill was a soft, white satin slip dress with a scoop neck and plunging back and straps embellished with pearls in a dramatic criss-cross in the back. For her groom, Darrin, he wore “black slacks, a dark sport coat with a subtle windowpane pattern and a crisp white shirt.”
Florals, according to Judy, set the mood for the entire event, and her team worked to craft an altar on the ship’s deck. She adds, “They outdid themselves again by turning our yacht into a garden over the water where garlands of flowers hung overhead in varieties of honey dijon roses, honeysuckle vines, white peonies and campanula bells.” To play off the blues of the sea, they added blue velvet chairs amidst the white banquet sofas and white boucle chairs, the latter matching the garland of white and cream florals at the ship’s bow. This included a mix of white peonies, honey dijon roses, campanula bells and honeysuckle vines.
The bride incorporated a special personalization in her bouquet as well, since both of her parents have passed and Darrin’s father. She says, “I attached two small lockets to my bouquet, one with a photo of my parents on their wedding day and one with a photo of Darrin's parents on their wedding. It was a small way of having them with us on our special day.”
The vows were one of the couple’s most memorable moments, with an emphatic declaration on the groom’s end. “Darrin really jumped the gun when it came his time to say his I do’s. He couldn’t wait, so before the minister could get through the do you’s Darrin interrupted him immediately with I do, I do, I do,” Judy says.
Soon, the ceremony space was transformed into a laid-back and picturesque reception spot, with views of the water and city skyline. The newlyweds had given their team at Amorology free rein to get creative with the space, taking full advantage of the intimate venue and its versatility. “I was not disappointed as they transformed an already beautiful space into a magical fairy tale,” Judy says. “They did an amazing job bringing in burl wood tables, beautiful custom napkins and florals with blue velvet chairs to play to the ocean.”
Guests dined under string lights with a menu curated by a private chef. As a nod to the couple who made waffles each Sunday, guests enjoyed a waffle ice cream bar after dinner, along with a menu of cocktails and drinks that held special meaning for the two of them, including a Seabreeze made with Fresca and vodka. The reception’s soundtrack was provided by Ryan Hiller, a musician who played live renditions of their favorite songs.
Both Darrin and Judy feel their “dream team” of vendors elevated their wedding weekend to something special. And their secret to truly enjoying the day? They add, “When the wedding day finally arrives, let the day happen. Don’t stress over anything that may not be exactly as you had planned. It will all end up being beautiful.”