Love Story - Katelynn (EN)
Your Love Story
Tell us about your meeting, where it all started ...
Shadi and I met outside of a bar in Pacific Beach here in San Diego where we are both born and raised. We were mingling amongst a group of mutual friends and after ordering everyone a rideshare home, Shadi’s first official words to me were "Giant Kate, get into the Lyft!" It was at this romantic bellowing that I followed (and really never stopped). We found ourselves together again that same weekend when we were partners together in a movie trivia game where Shadi displayed his encyclopedic knowledge that led us to multiple winning rounds. It was obvious this man wasn’t only extremely thoughtful, but also extremely smart. I thought to myself; not only do I feel taken care of by this man, but he has so many winning qualities as well. After that weekend I made the first official move; asking for Shadi’s number from a friend and reaching out. We started hanging out regularly between breweries, music festivals and shows, and eating our way through our favorite city. We share a joint passion for fun and adventure, and have learned to care for each other through thoughtfulness and continuous laughter and love.
Your moodboard
What was the color palette for your wedding, your decorative inspirations?
Our ceremony and reception took place at my in-law’s house in El Cajon which is a beautifully landscaped, sprawling property with gorgeous trees and greenery. I had begun planning with the intention of keeping things earthy and soft, but halfway through didn’t feel like those colors captured the spirit of me or my husband. We redirected to a bright and colorful palette; which ended up looking phenomenal! My bridesmaids were asked to pick whatever dress they felt the most comfortable in, with my two requests being that they each wore a different color and the color of their dresses be bright. We procured our own colorful florals and had a ton of fun picking out unique flowers and arranging bright bouquets and table settings. My husband is Palestinian, so it was important that we incorporated his culture into our wedding. We used olive branches, which are native to Palestine and hold significant meaning, for several touches including the setting at our sweetheart table, groomsmens florals, and seating decor. We even sent each of our guests home with olive oil and Za’atar from Palestine. Overall I couldn’t be happier with how the bright colors turned out; and I think they really set the tone for the spirited and fun reception we had in mind.
Your dress
How did you live your experience with us, how did you choose the dress?
I loved every moment of my dress experience with Christina! Prior to dress shopping, I had looked online and already wasn’t seeing anything that looked like me or even interested me. I booked some appointments and felt like everything I tried on was the same, or that I had already seen it on other brides. I wanted my dress to be unique as well as make me feel the most comfortable. I had come across Christina Sfez on Instagram while I was browsing for a friend’s wedding, and I instantly knew I wanted to make an appointment. From the moment I walked in it was all my dress dreams coming to reality. It was honestly so hard to choose what I wanted because I loved every single dress I put on. What made it even better or harder was that I was told I had full freedom to mix-and-match any of the styles, giving me the freedom to find exactly what I was looking for. Christina was so patient and encouraging of every idea I came up with. We ended up piecing together the top of the Adele dress with the bottom of the Paola dress. Truly creating the dress of my dreams! Each time I went in for a fitting I would leave and almost instantly email Christina asking if we could add something; we ended up giving the skirt a slit, and on my final fitting I decided I wanted to add a cape. I am so happy with how it turned out! I got endless compliments about how amazing it looked and unique it was. I can’t say enough how in love with my dress and the experience of creating with Christina I am.
Your song
The song that instantly reminds you of your marriage, your love?
Music is such an important part of my husband and I’s relationship. We’ve seen many live shows together since we started dating and are constantly sending each other new songs and artists. So as you can imagine, we were the bride/groom that curated a playlist for our DJ :) It was full of songs we felt represented our relationship, memories with our friends and families, and songs that reminded us of each other. The song I walked down the aisle to was “I Will Be There” by Odesza. It’s a song that I told Shadi I would walk down the aisle to, which is something I shared with him within the first month of us dating. Finally being able to live through the moment I had been dreaming about for so long was incredibly special. Our first dance was to “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” , a cover by The Macarons Project. Shadi has sung that song into my ear while I rest my head on his shoulder countless times during our relationship whenever I’ve needed support. We even included a first dance song with all of our guests, “We Are Your Friends” By Justice. We decided to have our first dance after our mother and son dance, and father and daughter dance, and right before we opened the dance floor to all of our guests. We wanted to feel like we were getting a special moment with all of them as well, and it really turned the party up!
Your souvenir
What is the best memory of your wedding?
Outside of marrying my husband, and exchanging our vows, the best part of our wedding was probably our entrance. We came out to a traditional Palestian drummer (and family friend) drumming along to a Palestinian song. We made our entrance weaving through our guests as they stood up and clapped along. Once on the dance floor we invited everyone to join us to have a pre-reception dance party. Everyone danced around us as our drummer drummed and the music played. It was really nice to have this unifying moment with everyone we love and care for.
Your tip
What advice would you give to future brides?
Don't sweat the small stuff! It’s so easy to get carried away by all the “things” you see on social media and the pressure to create the perfect day. I suggest to focus on how you want to feel. The day is already going to be perfect because it’s centered around you and the person you love. The other “stuff” and “things” are just more work and stress that take you away from what the day is meant to be about. Have you and your partner pick out three things you each feel you absolutely need, and as long as you make those things work and feel important, the rest will fall into place. Also, surround yourself with the people and vendors you truly want to spend the day with.
Your vendors
Which vendors did you choose for your wedding?
We absolutely had the best vendors!
Catering: My husband's number one wish was to have tacos at our wedding, after touring the city finding a company that met his standards we went with the amazing Salud. They worked with us to create the perfect menu. Our guests as well as us were over the moon happy (@saludtacos)
Late night tacos: Albert at Tatas Y Tortas quite possibly the best hot-dog I have ever eaten (@tatastacosytortas_21)
Day of Coordinator, who my husband and I were lucky to have a previous relationship with; the amazing Jenn Best at Best Kiss Weddings. They are an amazing team that goes above and beyond and I can’t recommend them enough! (@bestkissweddings)
Spray Tan: Bridget at Sundays Sunless Tans (@sundaysunlesstans)
Hair was done by the most talented and funny hairdresser Kat Mulvaney at Salon Bordeaux (@katmulvaneyhair) (@salonbordeaux)
Make-up was done by Angelene Garcia, a literal angel on earth. @looxbylena
Getting ready photos taken by my best friend/bridesmaid/photographer Julia Stine (@juliastinephotography)
Wedding Photographer: as well as friend Sabrina Kisella took the most breathtaking photos that I look at daily. (@sabrinalynnphoto)
Videographer: Myran Cumigad at Devotion Creation
Bartenders - For Real Bartenders (@forrealbartenders)
Dj - DJ T-Roc (@dj_troc)
Flowers were purchased at Wholesale Flowers and Supplied and arranged by family and friends
Dress and Designer: Christina Sfez
