Josh and Mollie Part 1- the process and design inspired by the story

It all started with a boy who likes snakes and reptiles and a girl who loves dogs and horses

Photography by Ellie Koleen

Horses and Snakes you say? What? And Why? Well as they say, opposites attract. Horses typically hate snakes and snakes bite the horses….what a hot mess. WELL……truth be told this provided a really good story. And like all good stories they usually derive from a long line of stories and together they makeup a LIFE and a personality and SOUL. I always say this but I believe a wedding without a story and details without meaning are like a person without a soul. The SOUL is the secret sauce and the details and storytelling are the vehicle. I love the thrill of the hunt in digging for the best juiciest and often funny quirky details that make up the story of a bride and groom. I had a very long questionnaire that I had Josh and Mollie fill out and it was my platform for extracting meaning stories and design direction to insure I best represented them and their personalities. It is the most fun part of the planning and you can really go anywhere with such details. I spent a lot of time thinking about them individually but also leaned on the colors they loved in addition to even the hard parts of their journey. These 2 met on a website called “Plenty of Fish ” and had their first date at Barnes and Noble and Mollie decided to test Josh’s humor and asked him to read a children’s book in silly voices and he passed with flying colors ! So fun was a big part of their relationship form the beginning which made my job easy.

Mollie is my little sis and most of our childhood was spent emerged in all sorts of shenanigans but mostly me being the older, bossy sister and swindling my sister into dressing up like a man, a robust old lady, a farmer and went as far as doing makeovers and tweezing almost all her eyebrows off. She was and has always been my pet guinea pig of sorts but mostly out of love. We are 6 years a part so naturally she always drew the short straw so to speak but did so with enthusiasm and giggles but now blames me for making her the butt of my antics. She is best kind of “good sport” there is and always the first to be willing to play games and the last to fall asleep. Her laugh reverberates through walls and towns possibly but its memorable and you know she is in the house and the life of the party. She will give the shirt off her back for anyone but would not just walk away as she seeks to help others beyond the material surface. She loves with wide open arms and generously even through pain and having that love taken advantage of in moments of sorrow. She has dedicated her life in service of others in the form of volunteering many years for the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization and has raised dogs that are a life changing help to the blind. She has dedicated her time to an equine therapy program to help the disabled ,both children and Veterans and has made a career of occupational therapy. Her life is about giving. Being the youngest child is often the hardest as sometimes you are last to do big things and a wedding was a dream she had and though she was the last, I was determined to not make her the least. It will be the last wedding of this generation in our family and therefore we saved the best for last. When I first met Josh I remember thinking gosh this guy is so attentive and really focuses his conversation on the person he is speaking with. He was thoughtful about how he spoke and genuine in his gestures. I immediately knew this was a good guy although soft spoken and a little shy. Never mistake shyness for a lack thereof but a quiet intelligence and sincerity. Josh has a level of patience I admire and a skill of being able to talk to anyone with authenticity. His humor is a match for Mollies in every way along with his love of animals although his pertain to a species most of us are not entirely comfortable with namely a snake called starburst and a knack for studying reptiles of all sorts. His dream job would be to be a reptile curator at a zoo. A Match of opposites made in heaven. They have been on an adventurous journey together and love the outdoors so it seemed an appropriate sub-theme for their day.

Together, Josh and Mollie represent opposites in many ways but also compliment each other in others. They love to laugh together, go hiking, kayaking and are both self proclaimed “foodies” who love some good Southern food but also have a taste for anything Asian and will try just about anything. They love sweet and spicy drinks as I think it actually represents their personalities quite well. Joshs favorite color is dark blue and Mollies is a teal blue. They also value family deeply and wanted to honor them in different ways throughout their wedding day. They both love to play games and their all time childhood favorites are clue and scrabble and are avid video game players so of course these had to make an appearance as well. Mollie loved the idea of green everywhere and wanted lots of natural foliage for her wedding day, candles and romantic lighting. For both of them, the ceremony was the most important as their journey in life is represented best through the sermon that was given along with meaningful music and lyrics. The message of Christ remained at the forefront the entire day and by golly HE was there from beginning to end. We saw Him in the flowers, the birds singing, the setup, the music and the voices and conversation and the smiling faces through the candlelight. It was just as imagined.

The planning of this day was extensive and time consuming and so so joyful. I began planning their wedding 2 years prior but sadly Covid caused them to have to delay along with a very difficult parting of ways between them to only be brought back together by God through redemption, self work, trials and a lot of hard work. They came back stronger and more ready to have a long awaited wedding. So their day reflected this waiting and the joy was felt by all. My initial inspiration was based on Earth, water, nature where the deep ocean meets the land sprinkled with whimsy and incorporating elements of the Central Valley of California. Central California is often dry and barren and its really hard to find a location that checks all the boxes but ultimately Westwood barns became the place I felt I could transform as it was a beautiful natural blank canvas and Mollie always wanted to get married under and Oak tree. We had searched up and down California for a venue with an oak tree that was affordable but it felt impossible until we found Westwood Barns and they had a most beautiful oak tree. I built the entire wedding based on Mollie and Joshs personalities and the outdoors taking cues from the location. Location is everything folks! It is the canvas for the story you are about to tell, so make it good I say.

I used their favorite colors to create a working color palette of blues and greens with hints of terracotta and actually designed their leaf wrap on their invitation 2 years prior so those items were the jumping off point.

I created a mood board that grew into the event design of over 30 pages that outlines every detail. Everything had a purpose and if something did not fit within the narrative or the branded design it gets omitted. This includes even attire that the whole family wears for photos and the attire the Choir wore (they got the best dressed award as they styled themselves like pros). Every element has a job to tell and a small part of a story and then together it becomes magic. Editing is key but also listening to the bride and groom is what dictates what stays and what goes. Details matter.

” I always say this but I believe a Wedding without a story and details without meaning are like a person without a soul. The SOUL is the secret sauce and the details and storytelling are the vehicle.”
Kelly Moore

The Looks

To streamline the color palette for all the bridal party members and family I created a style guide for an overall color look to insure the tones worked for everyone- a good balance of lights and darks. The Ocean colors played out in the form of mix and match bridesmaids dresses with each bridesmaid choosing their own style using a styling card that I created for each bridal party member based on their body type and skin tone. For the guys we didn’t want their suits to look “rented” if you know what I mean- baggy and saggy so we went with a really modern slim fit suit that looked custom as each was measured within an inch for the closest possible fit. Josh wore a suit that was purchased and then we altered it for a more custom fit, what a trooper as he did many fittings for me until we got the fit just right. Doesn’t he look dapper? It also was a sweet journey to watch Mollie discover her dream dress. She had originally set her sights on looking for a long sleeved gown as she was self conscious of the fit but after several trips to different local stores she tried on this dress and my mom and I immediately went “OH MY GOSH THIS IS IT”. She looked like a fairy garden goddess. This dress was absolutely meant to be as it fit within the garden natural theme we were going for and it fit her like it was made specially for her- she was a knockout. The apparel was a huge driving force in the entire direction the wedding took so it was a fun place to start.

Before and After- a vision goes a long way

It takes a village to put on a wedding- and I mean a VILLAGE. This wedding was small and intimate but consisted of a thousand parts. The main village leaders being my parents. They have put up with my grandiose ideas, crazy events, shlepping furniture and making structures from scratch for most of my adult life. They are the magic makers behind the scenes but more importantly they are the believers of the vision and they are the very reason each of us have had a wedding at all. They not only financed a large part of the wedding but actually helped with nearly every detail. They deserve a merit badge . They have believed in every dream I have ever had and they believed in Mollies dream and the dreams I dreamt for her. My brother also deserves a merit badge as he is my right hand when it comes to execution and my dear friend Carrie for leading the charge and all the people who came alongside to offer free help. There will never be enough gratitude for the community that comes together with love.