Dani and Jeremy met online on good ol’ Plenty of Fish. After chatting for a week or so on the interwebs, the couple met for the first time “IRL” at a local Tacoma, Wash. restaurant for dinner. Dani said that she was immediately drawn to Jeremy’s generosity, humor and charm. They have been inseparable ever since.

The couple were living together in November of 2017 when Jeremy proposed…sort of. Dani got suspicious when Jeremy rushed out to check the mail moments before some friends arrived for a game night that they were hosting. Jeremy tried to play it cool, but Dani noticed a small white box tucked between some letters. “All night long I was on edge thinking he was going to propose at any minute,” said Dani. “But nothing.” As soon as the last guest left, Dani could not stand it anymore so she asked Jeremy what had come in the mail. He slowly pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and said “you mean this?” Queue the waterworks from Dani.

They married on April 21st, 2018 at the Elope 253 Chapel in Tacoma, Wash. Dani lived in Tacoma when they first started dating and she liked the idea of having their wedding there as well since it was a great way to bring their courtship full circle. Originally, this easy-going couple thought that they would elope, but in the end they decided that they really wanted their friends and family to be there. So with a budget of $5,000, they invited 65 of their nearest and dearest to witness their union.

Dani found their ceremony venue while researching elopement packages and she felt that they really lucked out with their choice.

“It was such an adorable chapel,” said Dani. “Rochelle, the owner, made the ceremony so true to us and stress free, and our photos were part of the package.”

For the reception,  Dani looked for something with similarly chill vibes and she decided on the Old Town Music Society. The incredible panoramic views of the bay sold them, that, and the fact that they got to have their favorite restaurant, the Old Spaghetti Factory, cater. The view, the food, open bar and cake were major crowd pleasers.

They decided to base their wedding aesthetic around Dani’s dreamy rose gold engagement ring. They called it “Whimsical Romantic” and they incorporated grey, navy, shades of peachy blush, and smokey blues with lots of rose gold accents in their outfits and their decor choices.

A self-described “bargain hunter,” Dani made all of their decor herself.

She punched scrapbook paper to make 200 foot garlands, made silk flower centerpieces with glass tumblers and LED pillar candles, rented a 20-foot pipe and drape wall from which she hung curtain twinkle lights, tulle, garland, and hung rose gold balloons emblazoned with the text “Eat, Drink, and Be Married” for their dance floor backdrop. To keep things simple, she opted for disposable tissue table cloths. For the signage, Dani crafted custom anemone floral guest book and menus, which she displayed in Dollar Store frames, which she spray-painted rose gold to match their colors. 

The groom helped too! Jeremy built a backdrop frame for their small photo booth set up, which their guests loved. 

Dani’s romantic lace gown and rose gold belt were from David’s Bridal, her fun, bling-y shoes were from ASOS, the teal, velvet duster was from Forever 21+, and she made the veil herself. Jeremy bought his suit and vest at Macy’s, which were a score at $130 USD.

Dani’s favorite part of the day was the first kiss as husband and wife. “It was such a beautiful moment,” gushed Dani. Jeremy’s favorite was seeing Dani in her beautiful dress, “She looked stunning,” said Jeremy. 

If they were to do anything differently, Dani said that she would have cut down the guest list. “We tried to keep it as small as possible without offending anyone,” said Dani. “If I were to do it again I would have kept it at the 25 we could seat at our ceremony and not have opened it up to more people at the reception.”

Her biggest advice to other members of the Big Bride Club:

“Do what you want. Invite who you want, wear what you want, eat what you want.”

• Photographer: Melanie Faun

• Venues: Elope 253 Chapel & Old Town Music Society

• Caterer: Old Spaghetti Factory