Jenna Reeves and Tim Lopez are just like any other couple. “We were introduced the same way most [people] meet in Los Angeles: filming a reality TV show,” Tim jokes. As a member of the band, Plain White T’s, the guitarist/singer joined the short-lived NBC dating show Ready for Love back in 2012. “The first time we met was on a big stage in front of a live audience,” describes Jenna. “So it was incredibly memorable.” The two were placed on opposite sides of a wall, and Jenna was instructed to take one minute to speak about herself to a gentleman she couldn’t see. After hearing the mystery woman mention that she was from Austin, Texas – where he was also living at the time – Tim elected to keep her on the show. “She came around the corner and I saw her for the first time. She was absolutely stunning!” he recalls. “I gave her a hug and properly introduced myself – and then she was dragged off by a producer.”

After the show wrapped, the duo struck up a proper romantic relationship. On a Christmas 2014 visit with Tim’s family in Santa Barbara, the soon-to-be groom masterfully set a romantic scene for a very important inquiry. “Looking back, there were so many signs that he was going to propose that went completely unnoticed,” notes Jenna: Tim, hardly a morning person, waking her up for a very early walk on the beach coupled with his prepared picnic basket did not set off any bells in her mind. After strolling through the picturesque seaside area, the pair stopped to sit and chat with one another, when Tim suddenly asked if Jenna wanted to get married. “He got onto his knees […] and as what was happening started to sink in, I began to well up, and I actually got on my knees, too!” confides Jenna. Fetching a box with a ring – designed by Tim and custom-made for his beloved – from his pocket, Tim officially popped the question.

When it came to the coordinating process, the lovebirds were grateful for the help of Tim’s sister and mother, who work as professional planners. “I found that I did not have a lot of opinions on some of the design elements, like flowers or cake decoration,” the bride says. “Luckily, my mother- and sister-in-law have exceptional style, so I was comfortable giving them creative freedom on all the little things I never thought twice about.” As for the involvement of the groom, Jenna wanted them both to have equal say. 
“We definitely approached it as our day, not just the bride's day and we wanted our wedding to represent the both of us,” she explains.

The morning of July Fourth was warm and bright. The bride walked through the ceremony space in a lace fit-and-flare gown featuring an elegant Queen Anne neckline and keyhole back. She clutched a posy of creamy white garden roses, fresh bay leaves, and olive greenery, while her bridesmaids – clad in soft grey cocktail dresses – carried bouquets of the same bay leaves and verdure, but with added accents of blue thistle, ivory sweet pea, freesia, and lisianthus blooms. The aesthetic of the courtyard perfectly matched the blended concept that Jenna had desired. “Since the venue was a very old, Spanish historical adobe, we thought it would be relatively easy to blend our Texas and California looks together,” she muses. “My hope was to minimize the use of bright colors and rely mostly on foliage to embellish the arbor. We added a mix of large agave plants and rusty stars to line the aisle.” As a lovely surprise to guests, the officiant involved friends and family by requesting they repeat their own vow: that they would always support Tim and Jenna’s marriage. Besides the communal commitment, however, the service focused the bride and groom solely on one another. “The ceremony is the one part of your wedding where it's just the two of you – everything else kind of fades away and you stand face to face making the most monumental commitments of your life to one another,” Tim observes.

Regarding the following celebration, the bride and groom decided to forgo the obvious red, white, and blue theme of the holiday in favor of a more casual “floating” motif with plenty of different areas, including food trucks, multiple bars, small vignettes for seating, and a teepee-covered lounge area. The free-form design allowed guests to eat wherever and whenever they pleased, and gave them the freedom to dance the night away with the new Mr. and Mrs. Lopez. The entire location featured a smattering of alabaster perennials that gave off a freshly picked vibe – a perfect complement to the simplistic beauty of the event. “The reception was a reflection of us: not stuffy, not pretentious, but fun and relaxed,” Jenna informs.

The evening ended with a bang as revelers gazed at the fireworks display put on for Independence Day, which gave Jenna and Tim some time to reflect on their nuptials. “I remember how Tim's voice sounded during our vows, I remember his face and how intently he was looking at me, and above all, I remember how it seemed as though he wanted to lean in and kiss me throughout the service.” Armed with wonderful memories, the newlyweds charged into their future with open hearts.