This Bohemian Wedding with a Beach Aesthetic Took Place Inside an Iconic San Diego Ballroom

After meeting on Hinge, Darby and Nathan chose a Coronado coffee shop for their first date—which turned into their first meal, and then dessert. "We walked around with our coffee, talking and laughing, and we ended up getting lunch together, as well. Then we walked around more, and got ice cream, too!" says Darby. "It turned out to be about five hours, but we felt like no time had passed."

With Darby living in San Diego and Nathan based in Virginia, the couple maintained a long-distance, cross-country relationship for four years, until Nathan proposed in October 2020. "He surprised me by popping out behind a rock at one of my favorite spots in San Diego, Sunset Cliffs, and asked me to marry him," says Darby. "I didn't even know he was in town! Once I realized what was going on, I said yes!"

Though the couple began planning their nuptials while COVID-19 restrictions were still in place, they were able to secure their date—November 20, 2021—and hold their wedding without rescheduling. With 180 family and friends flying in from all over the country, they decided to host their ceremony and reception at the iconic Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, California—near the location of their first date. "The Del is so iconic and special, and it was always a dream of mine to get married there," says Darby. "We thought if folks would be traveling for the wedding, they might as well travel to lovely, sunny San Diego."

Darby and Nathan personalized their day with nods to key aspects of their relationship: a religious ceremony officiated by Nathan's father, a Lutheran pastor; Bible quotes adorning seating and the escort wall; signature margaritas—a cocktail the couple perfected while in lockdown; and an array of travel-sized favors in a nod to their years of cross-country visits. "I wanted it to feel like us," says Darby. For their first dance, the couple chose Ben Rector's "It Would Be You." "This song came out towards the beginning of the pandemic and is all about no matter what happens, being with your person is all that matters," says Darby. "We've been through so much as a couple, and that's how we feel—that we could go through anything, as long as we did it together."

A "boho island" aesthetic in shades of green, blush, and cream tied together the couple's invitation suite from Cecile's Paper Co. Adding texture—via the invitation wrap and the blind-impressed pattern on the back of the card—previewed the layered materials Darby and Nathan chose for their tablescapes.

Darby chose an entirely custom wedding dress from Olia Zavozina, deciding on an A-line silhouette, long-sleeved lace top, and satin-faced chiffon skirt; the illusion back was lined with delicate buttons. "Olia is known for making custom gowns; she can piece together different sections to craft the perfect one," says the bride. "Her team helped me put together every detail of my dream dress and it was named the 'Darby!'" Drop earrings from Judith Bright, heirloom jewelry from her great-grandmother, and borrowed heels from her mom polished her wedding-day look.

Her bouquet, from Native Poppy, was a naturally-formed collection of roses, lisianthus, orchids, and anthurium in understated neutrals—accented with pops of bright yellow in a nod to the tropical palette of the reception.

Bridesmaids in pale pink BHLDN numbers carried small bouquets accented with emerald foliage. "I wanted the dresses to look like they went together, but I wasn't set on having all of the bridesmaids wear the same dress," says Darby.

Nathan and his groomsmen donned traditional black tuxedos from The Black Tux. "We wanted to stay simple with these!" says Darby.

The groom wore Gucci shoes that belonged to his paternal grandfather, and a watch and cuff links from his mother's dad. "His grandfather always wore a custom suit, matching tie and pocket squares, and Gucci shoes," says Darby. "Nathan wore his other grandfather's cuff links and watch, special items he held onto after he passed away. These were all such meaningful details."

During Darby and Nathan's official first look, "We prayed together, took lots of deep breaths, and laughed about how crazy it was that it was all really happening. We felt so grateful to have some time together to be grounded and settled into the moment before the ceremony," says the bride. But that moment wasn't their first meeting of the day. "We accidentally ran into each other in the hotel coffee shop around 7 a.m. the morning of the wedding—oops!" says Darby. "We saw each other from across the room, panicked a little, then hugged and went back to our rooms. Some might say that was bad luck, but it was so random and sweet that we considered it good luck."

Their miniature labradoodle, Nola, joined the family-only bridal party, wearing a festive floral collar.

The couple chose the hotel's Vista Terrace, with its ocean views, for their ceremony. "Our faith is most important to us, and we wanted that to be woven throughout the whole day," says Darby. "We wanted the ceremony to feel like it was an outdoor chapel." Flowers in a rainbow of muted tropical shades lined the aisle leading to the arch, while white, pew-inspired benches were interspersed with acrylic chairs. 

On the back of the pews, the couple included lines of scripture from 1 Corinthians.

Native Poppy draped an altar frame from Backup Backdrops with abundant greenery and blooms in shades of pink, peach, and orange, while a cross on top of the frame signified the couple's Christian background.

Darby and Nathan invited even the youngest members of their family to join the bridal party, including three flower girls in dresses designed and sewn by Nathan's mom. "The junior bridesmaids wore champagne-colored dresses that they chose themselves, and the ring bearers and Nola's helper wore sweet little suspender outfits," says Darby. "The junior bridesmaids helped the ring bearers down the aisle, and I think the boys made it with only a couple tears!"

The flower girl trio's crowns were on pretty display as they watched the proceedings in the front row.

Nathan's father, Roger, a Lutheran pastor, officiated the couple's traditional religious ceremony—just one of the ways the couple incorporated their faith into their wedding weekend. "We had a moment the day before the wedding where we realized that Psalm 66 in the Bible would be our wedding passage," says Darby. "It jumped out at us and we were so moved by how much it connected to our story."

The pair's modern cocktail hour took place on the terrace; Darby and Nate snuck away for portraits before rejoining their guests for the tail-end.

In lieu of a traditional guest book, the couple laid out an oversized white Bible, asking guests to highlight their favorite passage and tuck in notes of congratulations and good wishes. "As a wink to our long-distance relationship, we had a Fete Fone, where guests could leave voicemail messages for us to listen to after the wedding," says Darby.

For their signature drinks, Darby and Nathan chose two margaritas—a favorite cocktail from their time together during COVID lockdowns in 2020. "Our signature cocktails were 'Sea You Soon Margarita,' a wink to what we'd always say to each other when we were dating long-distance; we'd joke that 'soon' was very subjective," says Darby. They also served a 'Hola Nola' mocktail margarita, named for their dog.

Seared ahi tuna was playfully presented in foiled cones and distributed during the interlude.

As guests entered the reception, they were greeted by a display of custom-wrapped candles that also served as table assignments. "We love the scripture about God being 'a light for my path,'" says Darby, which inspired the escort candles.

The soaring ceilings, elaborate molding, and wide windows of the hotel's Ocean Ballroom provided the couple and their guests with a dramatic space for the dinner reception.

Citrus trees brought in by the couple's florist were surrounded by colorful florals, creating a beach-inspired, tropical vibe in the traditional space.

Carefully curated tablescapes include a thoughtful variety of colors, materials, and textures: pale pink glassware and plates, woven chargers, gold flatware, rustic wood tables, taper candles surrounding lush centerpieces, sunny checked napkins, and scalloped place cards.

Two multi-tier cakes from Hey There, Cupcake anchored the couple's dessert table, where a selection of bite-sized sweets included caramel cheesecake, churros, sugar cookies, and party cake cupcakes.

Darby and Nathan also referenced their years as a long-distance couple with a display of take-home travel items for guests to choose as favors: hairbrushes, luggage tags, miniature body products, toothbrushes, and more.

The pair's full-piece band, Ben Mallare Entertainment, were "so fun and talented," notes Darby.

After a sparkler-lit departure from the reception, Darby and Nathan savored their first quiet moments alone as newlyweds. "Our time in our getaway car after our grand exit from the reception was really special to us," says Darby. "We finally had time to breathe after the most extraordinary day, and we got to ride around, drink some water, enjoy the sights of Coronado, and ground ourselves in the moment to really take in what we'd just experienced."

Photography, Rebecca Yale Photography
Location and catering, Hotel Del Coronado  
Event planning, Amorology
Flowers, Native Poppy  
Videography, Current Films  
Stationery, Cecile's Paper Co.
Cake, Hey There, Cupcake!
Music, Ben Mallare Entertainment 
Rentals, Amigo Booth; Backup Backdrops; BBJ Linens; Casa de Perrin; Fete Fone; Folklore; Found Rental Co.; Hostess Haven
Bride's gown, Olia Zavozina
Bride's accessories, Olia Zavozina veil; Gucci shoes; Judith Bright earrings
Hair and makeup, Danielle Ryan Beauty  
Bridesmaids' dresses, BHLDN  
Groom's attire and menswear, The Black Tux
Transportation, Rolls Livery Service
Rings, Brilliant Earth