Sarah & Daniel’s Northern California Coast Vow Renewal

Sarah and Daniel met the second semester of their freshman year of high school in Manteca, Ca. Sarah said that the moment they met, she knew she had found her husband. “I came home that night and told my mom that I met the man I was going to marry,” said Sarah. “She didn’t believe me.”

They became best friends first and remained close for a few years before they started dating. Their first date was at a 50’s themed diner in their hometown. They got hitched in Vegas six months later, four days after Daniel’s 18th birthday. “We were head over heels in love and didn’t care about anything else in the world,” reminisces Sarah. “It was the most romantic night of my life.”

On October 27th, 2018, Sarah and Daniel chose to renew their vows and reaffirm their love for one another in front of 30 of their nearest and dearest at Marin Headlands in Sausalito, Ca.

They chose Marin Headlands because it is their favorite beach and one of the most gorgeous locations on the Northern California Coast thanks to the stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. As an added bonus, cell phone reception is spotty up in the hills, which makes it intimate and uninterrupted. Perfect for a small wedding ceremony.

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Sarah and Daniel knew that the location would speak for itself, so they kept the decor simple. “It is incredibly breathtaking down at Rodeo Beach,” said Sarah. “And the fog added a haunting flare to the background.”

For decor, they chose to pay homage to their love of Harry Potter. Their cake topper read “Always,” in a delicate golden cursive script, referring to Severus Snape’s love for Lily Potter and the table runners were scattered pages from The Deathly Hallows topped with mini pumpkins and chocolates.

Sarah’s best friend performed the ceremony, which was a particularly special element for Sarah since she had previously officiated her friend’s wedding in July 2017.

The ceremony was utterly memorable. “We both had been waiting years to have a wedding surrounded by family,” explained Sarah. “We got to include our son in the ceremony and express to him how much love we have for him as well. It was a beautiful day full of moments I had been waiting for, for over 10 years.”

Sarah wanted to genuinely enjoy the entire experience of her wedding so she kept everything simple and easy and did not focus too much on any one aspect. “Our wedding was so intimate and small I didn’t have much stress planning it,” explained Sarah.

It was important for both Sarah and Daniel to stay under their $1000 USD budget so they DIY’d and shopped around for the necessities. The flowers were from Costco and Sarah’s mother handmade the bouquets from her rose bushes. They chose to use biodegradable palm leaf plates to pair with rose gold cutlery from Amazon and linens from Target.

Sarah’s advice to other members of the Big Bride Club is to remember the beautiful moments of the journey and do not lose sight of what the day is really about. Things can and will go wrong, but that does not mean anything if you are marrying the right person. At the end of the day the only thing that you will have left is your marriage and your pictures so give your focus to those. Smile and be happily in love.