Ashley & Teo's Constellation Inspired Wedding at Nan Couts Cottage

On May 19th, 2018, the stars aligned as Ashley & Teo FINALLY said "I DO"! These two have always been draw to stargazing, so it only felt natural to design their wedding with a cosmic theme. This constellation inspired wedding will blow your mind! Ashley and Teo are calling it, "A Night Under The Stars".

[Check out the feature on Green Wedding Shoes]

Sharing some words from the bride and groom on how this unique, and amazingly detailed celebration came to life...

How They Met 

Teo and I met 5 years ago on OkCupid.  The only reason I joined it was because it was free! Neither of us were looking for our next great love, but that’s how most great love stories start, right? He immediately caught my eye on OkCupid not because of his photo (though he was SUPER cute) but because of what he wrote. He was the only guy who didn’t comment on my looks right away; he responded to a part of my profile and we started a conversation to get to know each other better. Once he knew pink was my favorite color, he even found a video on Youtube explaining the science behind it and sent it to me. It was the sweetest gesture! When it came to our first date, we talked so long at dinner that we almost missed our movie! We then made up any excuse to keep the date going- coffee, dessert, and then we drove to a park near my apartment and talked for hours under the stars.

After 2 1/2 years of dating and another pug later, Teo received an amazing job opportunity across the country in Connecticut, and thus we embarked on a long distance relationship for two years. We traveled back and forth multiple times while juggling full-time jobs, dogs, part-time school, dance rehearsals, and thousands of miles. It was incredibly difficult, but we both wore “Love Knows No Distance” bracelets the whole time we were apart as a great reminder of how much we meant to each other. In the end, the sacrifice was worth it. At the end of my last semester, Teo flew to San Diego to visit and surprised me with a proposal! He got down on one knee in the very park where we would talk under the stars.

Location and Venue details

Teo and I both knew we wanted to get married in San Diego since that is where we met and fell in love. We had several locations in mind after our initial search, but they always fell through either due to cost or vendor requirements. My mom found Nan Couts Cottage after searching online, knowing we wanted an outdoor ceremony and a place that we could execute our celestial vision. Once we were ready to book, we learned that a gorgeous, fig-covered brick arch known as The West Terrace was attached to the La Mesa Recreation Center in the same park! It was the perfect backdrop for our ceremony. We took a leap of faith by booking the cottage. It wasn’t what we originally had in mind, but it was absolutely the perfect canvas for our theme. Remember, scaling back doesn’t have to mean compromising your vision! You just have to get a bit creative

Wedding Inspiration + DIY Magic

Teo and I have always been enamored with constellations, the universe, and the beauty of space. We always sat in our park under starry skies, and  felt our love was cosmic. Therefore, infusing a celestial theme into our special day felt right.  Since I was planning an entire wedding from the East Coast, simplification was the name of the game. I would find items and repurpose them in order to keep my DIY time to a minimum while still exuding style and our starry theme.

   

  

Dress

I knew I didn’t want to wear white and since pink is my favorite color, it had to be included somehow. I searched high and low for months on end, but I couldn’t find anything online that I wanted. So, I started searching evening gowns, prom dresses, and other non-wedding categories to see what I could find. I then found Fame and Partners’ website where the first image I saw was the Claudie gown: a pink and white gingham taffeta dress with fabric overlay and boned bodice. I was in LOVE!

  

Favorite Memories from the day

Bride: Teo’s vows. Hearing him express his love, gratitude, and honor of being my husband was the most meaningful and touching moment of my life.

Favorite Memories from the day

Groom: The speeches. I was floored when I heard my best man’s speech and the Maid of Honor’s speech. They brought tears to my eyes and I will be forever thankful for those moments of love.

Advice for brides planning now

Pick 3 items that mean the most to you when it comes to your wedding. For us, it was hiring someone to do the work on the day of the wedding, good music, and good food. Those were the areas where we focused our funds. It made it easier in the long run to create a budget and not feel like we were scrimping in other areas. Also, be flexible! We added our ceremony arch and videographer last minute, but it was worth it. Be open to the process and trust your gut.