A Californian Love Story
What could be more romantic; the ocean crashing on the shore, sea birds gathered on the waves, live music on the sand, a ceremony so atmospheric it took our breath away. Congratulations to Stacey and Aaron, it was a privilege to hear your love story, and thank you for letting us share your most special day...
Where was your ceremony and why did you choose this special place?
The first time we ended up in Cambria it was an accident. We were on a road trip and we made a hotel reservation in a small town called San Simeon to spend the night and break up the long drive. We got to that hotel around midnight and they had given our room away! All the hotels around are small and don’t have 24/7 staff. We couldn’t find a room anywhere and were driving around looking to no avail. We ended up having to just pull over on the side of a road and sleep in the car for a few hours. We woke with the sunrise, got out of the car and found ourselves in the most magical spot called Moonstone Beach. We took a walk and fell in love with it.
What kind of ceremony was it?
We had a private Shamanic blessing and ceremony in a nest of trees on a cliff overlooking Moonstone Beach on Sept 29, 2023 which was also the day of the full moon (special significance). We’ve spent a lot of time over the years near those trees just looking at the ocean.
Did you mind that it wasn't typically sunny?
The full moon really impacted the weather and the ocean that day; it was surprisingly windy and foggy which made it even more magical. After our private shamanic ceremony, we had a ceremony on Moonstone Beach with friends and family. There were thousands of birds in the sea behind us and according to our guests, they calmed down a bit during our ceremony and then parted and flew off as the ceremony ended and we walked out.
We know Emily made your ring of course, can you share any other makers or creatives involved in the day, your dress for instance?
My wedding planner was Amanda Beazly of A Perfect Day, Cambria Nursery did our flowers and my dress is BHLDN. My hair somehow stayed flawless even with the crazy weather thanks to Donna Gast - a magician with hair and make-up. Jill Sargeant and Gordon Grajek (Overnight Oats) played music at the reception, who also were a part of our proposal. A cool band called Bremen Town played our ceremony. Our processional song was “The Rainbow Connection” which has been a favorite since my childhood as Kermit the Frog sang it for Miss Piggy and the recessional was “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty
We had our reception in the garden of our favorite restaurant called Robin’s
How did Aaron propose?
Aaron and I walk often on a beach close to where we live in San Diego and so he planned to propose to me there.
He had his niece and sister set up a picnic and hired Jill Sargeant and Gordon Grajek to play our favorite song (also our first dance song “If I Told” by Courtney Marie Andrews) as we walked up and then they played as we enjoyed our picnic on the beach. He had also planned for a hot air balloon ride that day but a hurricane off the coast of Mexico was impacting the weather so they had to cancel. Instead, he did a last minute pivot and we did a small private plane ride up the coast instead. It also was a full moon that day - he knows that full moons are special to me.
What attracted you to Emily’s designs?
I wanted Emily’s rings because of their raw beauty. I love that everything she does is inspired by the sea. I’ve also always been an ocean loving girl, no matter the weather put me on a beach and I’m at peace. I find my center there. Because of the rawness of her rings, not only does that remind more of nature but it also reminds of the beauty of imperfections and relationships have a lot of really beautifully imperfect moments that can deepen connections if handled with loving care.
Thank you Stacey for sharing your story and our heart felt wishes for a life of love and happiness to you both.
Stacey chose Emily's Shoal Stack design as the starting point for her ring. She wanted something that would always remind her of the ocean, so sapphires in teals and greens were a must, Stacey also liked the idea of including a mix of white and rose gold. Emily and Stacey chatted over Zoom, discussing how this design could be customised to suit Stacey, picking out sapphires and adjusting elements for Stacey's slender fingers. The result is a one-of-a-kind three ring stack, customised to be unique to Stacey, that she enjoys wearing everyday in different combinations. Most importantly we love what she has to say about it being a reminder not only of the ocean but also of the beautiful imperfections in relationships that can deepen connections if handled with loving care.
Please get in touch if you would like to chat about your own customised ceremony or engagement ring.
