A Modern, Romantic Pink-and-Gray Destination Wedding in San Diego, California

"A dash of technology, a splash of tequila, one Southern California summer, and two pups. That's how our story started," Tera says. It was a MySpace post from a mutual friend, trying to help Tera find a place to sublet when she jetted off to San Diego for an adventure. Wes offered his place as a sublet but the timing didn't work out. Tera found a place nearby, and, soon after, they ended up at the same birthday party. After a bit of tequila and a lot of dancing, they were smitten. So were their dogs when they met on the couple's first date in the park. They were inseparable all summer and fell in love, making it official six years later on October 13, 2012, not far from where their romance began in San Diego, California.

The bride's best friend and bridesmaid, Tamra Evonne, created the couple's save-the-date, which boasted a wash of watercolor over the details of the upcoming fete. The other side featured an illustration of the bride and groom holding hands and the leashes for their beloved dogs, with a background of San Diego's notable locations for the couple. A banner read "Join us where it all began for our new beginning."

The bride worked with Maude Press on the letterpressed invites, which were tied together with gray tulle and mailed in gray envelopes lined in neon pink.

The suite was just one nod to the bride's love of art and the couple's venue—The San Diego Museum of Art—and their eclectic, cool, and California style. Tera worked at the museum when she first met Wesley, and the venue is also in the same park in which their first date occurred.

Tera was radiant in a French lace Monique Lhuillier gown with a distressed satin ribbon detail. "I wanted something beautiful and classic that could be passed down through generations," Tera says.

Wesley sported a gray Black by Vera Wang tuxedo with a skinny charcoal tie.  

Studio Castillero photographed the wedding, and snapped photos of the couple together at a few locations prior to the ceremony.

The bridesmaids wore different dresses in a variety of textures. Two gals added neon pink belts with crystal accents. And the "mate of honor" added a pink pocket square to tie him in with the rest of the group.

A cluster of garden roses, painted succulents, dahlias, tuberose, ranunculus, astilbes, jasmine, snowberries, and proteas was arranged by The Floral Lab to complete the bride's ensemble.

Wesley picked out a mix of pocketknives made from antler and horn from Gold Bug—each uniquely crafted and equipped with tools like a corkscrew. He gave them to his groomsmen as a thank-you gift.

Copper wire was wrapped around the stems of the boutonnieres.

Before the ceremony, guests gathered for a garden party in the park under the California sun.

Deconstructed carnations, delphinium, and snapdragons and small vases of the same blooms lined the staircase up to the ceremony, along with LED candles.

A large canvas painted in a rose gold was topped with white vinyl lettering for the program at the foot of the staircase.

Tera's stepfather officiated the service, putting his background in broadcasting to good use and crafting a personalized ceremony with the couple. Sonnet 17 by Pablo Neruda and Marriage Joins Two People in the Circle of Its Love by Edmund O'Neill were recited and vows written by the bride and groom were exchanged.

On reflecting back on the walk down the stairs holding hands with her new husband, Tera wishes she could bottle the emotions and joy she was feeling in that moment to keep forever. "I was squeezing Wesley's hand so tight, smiling so hard," she says. "I was floating and in that moment, time and the world stood still. All of our loved ones' faces swirled around me dizzily. All I could feel was my swelling heart and I could feel his too."

Tamra Evonne also created 10 custom paintings to reflect Tera and Wesley's relationship. A gallery tag was created for each, with unique titles for each, like "Dear Chicago; 2007-2011; acrylic paint on canvas" as a nod to where the couple lived. The canvases were displayed on a large wood board and under each one, guests' seating assignments were listed. Small replicas of each painting were placed on small easels on the corresponding tables.

Hot pink vinyl transfers on the floors guided guests to the reception area.

Lights were strung overhead for dinner in the courtyard between the sculpture garden and the museum, where the 150 guests dined on an eclectic menu of chicken fried steak biscuits, blackberries and burrata, Mexican hot dog bahn mi, Mexican brown shrimp with salad, chicken enmoladas with tortillas, and short rib sliders with tater tots.

Handira Moroccan wedding blankets were cut into runners for a bit of texture and shine down the middle of the long tables.

Several different chairs were used for dinner seating: neon pink ones, ivory bentwood chairs, industrial metal chairs, and basic white folding chairs.

White compotes were filled with garden roses, ranunculus, dahlias, snowberries, hydrangeas, and jasmine anchored the tables.

Copper bud vases held small arrangements of roses, snowberries, and scabiosas.

Paintbrushes dipped in pink paint and paint chips printed with each guest's name sat atop each plate.

Copper joints strung on neon cording made for modern and shiny garlands on the backs of the bride's and groom's chairs.

Another portion of the reception area's floor featured a quote by Ralph Watley: "In the art of love, one must be concerned, not with just the painting, but with each gentle stroke, that completes its beauty."

Mid century furniture from Yeah! Rentals arranged near the dance floor.

The sun set over Balboa Park, with big pink clouds abound.

The sculpture garden was dressed up and personalized with Tera's take on Christ and Jean Claude's Central Park installation of The Gates. The modern art installation was done in pink and copper.

The newlyweds served one of their favorite desserts, créme brulee, instead of a traditional cake.

Ramekins of the sweet treat were stacked high to resemble a tiered cake, with candles placed in between them. Because the couple couldn't do the normal cake cutting, they instead made a wish and blew out some candles together before the dessert was served.

A bevvy of desserts—cookies, brownies, mini cakes, etc.—were displayed in baskets on a table anchored by a white umbrella trimmed in pink. The station felt like a Moroccan bazaar.

To tie in the custom illustrations from their save-the-date, the couple set up an art station asking guests to color them in.

Even the couple's dogs, Oliver and Mona, were colored in.

The Nouvelle Vague cover of Modern English's "I Melt With You" played as the newlyweds hit the dance floor.

A custom neon "you & me" sign hung near the dance floor.

Another vinyl denoted the dancing area.

A Jackson Pollock-esque splatter painted backdrop was hung in Studio Castillero's Amigobooth. The artsy touch was a fun way to continue the wedding's color palette and play into the art museum locale.

Photography: Studio Castillero

Location: The San Diego Museum of Art

Event Planning: Tori Hendrix of Sitting In A Tree

Catering: Campine Catering

Flowers: The Floral Lab

Videography: Aqua Vivus

Stationery: Maude Press; Tamra Evonne

Calligraphy: Kelle Anne McCarter of Designsgirl

Music: Todo Mundo; The Flashdance

Rentals: Yeah! Rentals; Casa De Perrin

Hair and Makeup: 10.11 Makeup

Transportation: The Old Town Trolley Company

Lighting: Classic Party Rentals