1. Real Weddings

Ondrea & Jason: A Traditional Wedding in Huntington Beach, CA

Bold accents of tangerine, gold, and merlot gave this wedding extra flair. The Bride Ondrea Shearer, 28, elementary school teacher The Groom Jason Re

Bold accents of tangerine, gold, and merlot gave this wedding extra flair. The Bride Ondrea Shearer, 28, elementary school teacher The Groom Jason Reed, 37, CEO The Date July 15 Striking up a conversation with a beautiful girl at a bar can be tough. But keeping the girl interested enough to marry you is a feat worthy of recognition. When Jason Reed spotted Ondrea Shearer at a bar, he watched from the sidelines as many guys approached her and were promptly turned away. Bravery has its rewards, though, since the two were inseparable once he finally worked up the courage to speak to her (despite forgetting to save her number in his cell phone and having to walk back inside the bar to ask for it again!). A year later, Jason surprised Ondrea in their newly purchased home with roses, candles, and a marriage proposal.

The ceremony took place just before sunset in a hotel courtyard overlooking the Pacific Ocean. An Old World stone arch covered in exotic flora stood at the end of the aisle where the bride and bridal party walked alongside a reflecting pool. During the ceremony, the bride’s and groom’s only siblings (they each have one sister) each placed a single rose into a vase to signify the two families coming together as one.
The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
The Hair
A slight hair disaster forced Ondrea to start from scratch at the last minute but gave way to a gorgeous, natural look, with a side bun and cymbidium orchids added in for color. “There were many tears and concerns about what to do so close to the start of the wedding, but it was the best thing that could have happened,” she says. The bride did her hair herself with the help of her maid of honor.
The Accessories
The Accessories
The centerpieces at the reception burst above guests’ heads in large, full arrangements of dark pink Asiatic lilies, bells of Ireland, burgundy hydrangea, Exotica roses, green cymbidium orchids, burgundy hanging amaranthus, ivy, and Italian ruscus.
Ondrea wore a strapless dropped-waist gown accented with diamond beading and a dramatic trumpet skirt. Her six bridesmaids wore strapless, floor-length dresses in a coral color.
A four-tiered white cake was topped with Exotica and burgundy roses and a silk ivory ribbon with pearl beading at the base of each tier.
Jason and his four groomsmen, including his best man, looked classic in black Ralph Lauren tuxedos with black dress shirts, black satin ties, and pocket squares.
The Guest Book