Jennifer & Robert: A Traditional Wedding in San Diego, CA

It was July of 2004 when Jennifer Mower was scouting out locations just for fun and fell in love with El Cortez, an 80-year-old former suite hotel sitting high atop Cortez Hill. She and longtime boyfriend Robert (Rob) Bennett had discussed getting married but had only come up with the month and year: September 2005. Well, on that particular July day, Jennifer was in luck. The ultrapopular venue had space available on September 10! “So I told Rob about it, he said okay, and suddenly we had a date,” Jennifer says. The Bride Jennifer Mower, 28, commercial interior designer The Groom Robert (Rob) Bennett, 27, accountant The Date September 10 But there was still no ring. The couple went ahead with the planning -- discussing themes, shopping for a dress, sending invitations -- for an entire year before an official proposal. When Jennifer came home from a trial hair appointment one day, she immediately took it down so Rob couldn’t see what it would look like. When he asked how it went, Jennifer grabbed her veil, put it in her messy hair, and said, “Doesn’t it look great?” They joked with each other as she walked toward their bedroom to put it away, and when she opened the door, she saw candles and flowers everywhere. Jennifer turned around, and Rob was on one knee, officially asking her to marry him. “We think it’s cute that when he asked me to marry him, I was standing there crying in my veil!” Jennifer says.