Our Wedding Story
It all started with a surprise engagement in May 2019. Brian laid out some romantic notes and candles lit a path for Tonya to the back yard. She said yes! Brian had pulled off the perfect intimate proposal.
We quickly set out to plan our dream wedding. We knew we wanted to host our friends and family in a natural setting, with plenty of room for everyone. Roaring Camp in Felton turned out to be the perfect spot. With our venue booked, we started lining up all of the special details. For Brian, a critical detail for the wedding was the food. Adventurous palates is something that we share, and he had his heart set on unique local Food Trucks. We knew this would be one of the trickier details, given Brian’s penchant for doing a little too much research (and the general flakiness of playing food truck phone tag). Fortunately by January the trucks were booked, the menu was set, and it seemed like smooth sailing from there.
But then COVID reared its ugly head. Tonya spent a few months in denial, but by early June we knew the original plan would have to change in a big way. With the help of our amazingly supportive friends and family (big shout out to Aunt Linda!), we were able to plan something that still allowed us to tie the knot and keep some of the memorable moments alive. However, 2020 wasn’t done with us yet...
The weekend before the wedding the lightning storms hit, and by the time we were driving towards Aptos on Wednesday smoke had started to blanket the greater Bay Area. This felt like yet another test of our patience and resolve, so we shared a few tears and a few laughs and tried to remain optimistic. We followed news of the fire and headed into our Wedding day a little weary but excited none-the-less.
Brian waited anxiously down by a stream in a nearby park. Then, Tonya tapped him on the shoulder for our "first look" and we shared a wonderful private moment. Later, at Tonya's aunt and uncle's house, we exchanged personal vows and enjoyed a few hours of celebration. Brian was still able to enjoy his food truck dining experience (special grilled cheese sandwiches from The Happy Anchor). Tonya even surprised him with fresh raw oysters! We shared our first dance, cut the cake and enjoyed the remainder of the evening chatting with guests. Despite everything that led up to the big day, it still ended up being the dream wedding we always hoped for.
We would like to thank everyone that helped pull our special day together. We couldn't have done it without all your support! We'd also like to thank ALL of our friends and family for lending your care and understanding with the changing situation. It breaks our heart that you all weren't able to be there in person, but we look forward to celebrating with each of you in due time.
Finally, a special thanks to all the fire and emergency personnel who put their lives on the line to protect Santa Cruz county. We can only hope that moments of love and commitment are part of what you fight for. We would like to join others who can in contributing to the long road of recovery ahead. Community Foundation: Santa Cruz County
