This Lush Micro Wedding Was Planned in Just Three Weeks

After meeting on a dating app in 2015 and bonding over a shared love of Star Trek, Iann Ivy and Cameron Rost ended up with a double proposal: Iann proposed to him first, at her favorite spot in Manchester, England, where she had studied abroad, and Cameron them proposed to her at the Marrow Fine jewelry flagship store when they picked up Iann's custom engagement ring. "It was nice because we both had a special moment," says the couple.

Iann, a photographer, and Cameron, who works in IT at Apple, planned to get married on August 14, 2021, at San Francisco City Hall. "When COVID-19 hit, Iann's full-time event management job in tech was impacted, and since some of our friends are based abroad, we were trying to think of a way to move forward," says the couple. They chose to move their wedding up by a year, trading City Hall—closed due to the city's health guidelines—for Cameron's parents' backyard. "We wanted a location that was stress-free, intimate, and outdoors, since Iann loves natural light in her own photography work," they say.

In just three weeks—and with a budget of $5,000—Iann designed a ceremony and luncheon with a "lush and romantic" garden rose theme. "As a photographer, I had a great network of vendors, all women-owned business that I could trust with the aesthetics I envisioned," says Iann. "I'm very particular with how I wanted our wedding day to look and feel." Exactly one year before their planned date, on August 14, 2020, the couple tied the knot in front of 18 in-person guests—and dozens more who watched over Zoom—before sitting down to a catered barbecue lunch followed by strawberry cake. "We would say to focus on what the wedding is about," says the couple, "which is two people making a lifelong commitment and who found a home in one another."

A floral invitation card from Basic Invite previewed the day's décor. "It nodded to the color palette and the rose garden theme," says Iann. "I added a gold wax seal from Artisaire to elevate the envelope and use for the favors."

With too little time before their ceremony to shop for a new gown, Iann wore the David's Bridal wedding dress she had chosen for her original plans at City Hall. "Since City Hall has amazing architecture, I wanted this voluminous ball gown, but I think the dress still worked well in the garden and gave the romantic effect I wanted. Plus, it has pockets!" she says. Iann's white-and-pink bouquet mixed classic and modern elements, including dry palms, Italian ruscus, and bunny tails with blush garden roses, neutral phlox, hydrangea, and orchids.

Cameron chose a peak lapel tuxedo from The Black Tux, which he wore with a white shirt, black bow tie, and Nisolo oxfords. His boutonnière—a sprig of fountain grass—added a modern accent to the classic look.

He also wore his favorite cuff links—a timeless pair of silver LEGO bricks. "He's loved LEGOs forever," says Iann.

A stone path in the backyard led toward the spot where Iann and Cameron exchanged their vows. "Even though it was a backyard wedding, my goal was to elevate the space and make it look lush and romantic," says Iann. Rows of baby's breath along the aisle "made it feel like I was walking through clouds," she says.

Iann sourced a handprinted photography backdrop from JRD Artshop, and flanked it with overflowing arrangements of roses and foliage. "The easiest [part] was working with my florist," says the bride of Urban Flora. "We both have worked on styled shoots and she knows how I love modern-meets-vintage, and she really did a standout job."

Harpist Lara Garner set up her instrument on a rug with a rose-pattern border, with a statement floral piece in front. She played "Aerith's Theme" for Cameron's processional and "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" for Iann's. "Walking down the aisle to the harp music felt super special and magical," says Iann. "The harp version was really special as I walked through the flowers down the aisle."

Iann and Cameron opted not to see each other before the ceremony, saving their first look for the moment the bride stepped out of the house. "You can still create a beautiful moment in these uncertain times, you just have to be flexible, a little creative, and have fun with the process," says the couple. "Not everything will be what you thought your wedding day would be like, but the person of your dreams will be waiting for you down the aisle." 

After Cameron escorted his mother and Iann's to their seats, the bride processed in on her own. "I was very clear that I wanted to walk solo down the aisle," she says. "I made the choice to marry Cameron and I wanted to walk to my future husband just as I am."

The duo wrote their own vows for their backyard ceremony, officiated by Nikolaus Hohmann, a close family friend who had served as Cameron's parents' best man at their wedding. "A quote from mine was, 'I vow to love you unconditionally even when I think you're too optimistic than the situation warrants,'" says Iann. "My vows also included a quote from Spock to reference back to our first date talking about Star Trek. Cameron's standout was, 'I vow to stand beside you in times of uncertainty and to stand with you in the face of adversity.'" 

One of Iann's favorite moments of the day was seeing the surprise wedding band that Cameron had chose for her. "I had no idea, and I did a double take because it was the one we tried on at the jewelry shop just to see what it looked like when we picked up my engagement ring," she says. "I loved that he remembered it."

Despite a last-minute login problem with Zoom, the couple were able to stream their ceremony and first dance to nearly 60 people from England, Canada, and the United States. "We are considering having an in-person five-year anniversary celebration to see our loved ones all together in the future," says the couple.

Before relocating inside for lunch, the couple shared their first dance to Jessie Ware's "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," which the harpist accompanied. The couple describes it as a "nod to England, which Iann considers her second home."

The newlyweds and their guests sat at a single long table Iann styled herself. Small bouquets of ivy on the chairs had served as aisle markers during the ceremony—a playful reference to Iann's maiden name, Ivy, which the couple combined with Cameron's for their new married name: Ivy-Rost. Roses, baby's breath, and delicate leaves helped create a classically romantic atmosphere. Iann sourced pink rose urns, vintage gold candle holders, and pink wine glasses from Etsy to add layers of texture and interest.

Instead of renting tabletop décor, Iann bought the pale pink linens, forest green napkins, and gold-and-white place settings. "Cameron pretty much gave me full creative lead on our theme, but we both love pink and it really represented the gentle and kind nature of our personalities," says Iann.

Along with a selection of local wines, Iann and Cameron offered their guests a Champagne toast. "We bought a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque for our toast, which matched beautifully with our theme," says Iann.

Outside, a room divider was swathed in linens and centered behind a golden bar cart, which held a photo of the couple, sweet bites, bottles of wine, and their cake.

Mijji Cakes provided a petite strawberry confection with organic strawberry compote and vanilla buttercream. Gold detailing and dried baby's breath accented gold fondant lettering took the place of a cake topper.

Photography, Jenny Soi
Event Planning, Iann Ivy
Catering, Rudy's BBQ
Flowers, Urban Flora
Stationery, Basic Invite
Calligraphy, A Piece by Elyse
Cake, Mijji Cakes
Harpist, Lara Garner
Bride's Gown, David's Bridal
Bride's Accessories, Vera Wang veil; Jimmy Choo shoes; Fischer's Fine Jewelry necklace and earrings; Twigs and Honey hairpins  
Hair and Makeup, D+A Bridal  
Groom's Suit, The Black Tux
Groom's Shoes, Nisolo
Bride's Rings, Marrow Fine
Ceremony Backdrop, JRD Artshop
Groom's Ring, Cartier
Tabletop, Etsy
Wax Seal, Artisaire
Wedding Painting, Joshua Spieker