“I first knew Marcus was the one the night he surprised me by filling the entire house with candles and cooked dinner with me. For most girls, that would have been enough to send them head over heels. But what really did it for me was when he put on music, and he started playing a song by this really obscure band that I love. I was shocked that he knew who they were, and when he told me he loved that band too, that was when I knew he was the one for me.”
Marcus and Lara’s Fess Parker wedding in Santa Barbara was filled with lots of laughter, love and fun, with all the best views and backdrops Santa Barbara has to offer. The duo chose the Fess Parker because it “was the perfect mixture of everything we wanted for our wedding: a gorgeous outdoor venue with a view of the ocean that we didn’t need to add much design or décor to, with great food and a beachy vibe. We could add our own personal little touches without having to go crazy, and we would not have changed one single thing about the day of the wedding. It was the perfect day we always imagined!”
“I gave Marcus a watch. It is an old-fashioned looking watch that you have to wind daily, but it’s made of glass so you can see all of the cogs and springs working inside. I had our wedding date engraved on the back, and I got him a set of matching cuff links that have little cogs and gears on them. He’s been wearing the watch every day since the wedding, and he gets lots of compliments.”
“I gave Lara her favorite perfume. It was actually the very first smell I remember when I met Lara, it is very distinct. I remember when I introduced myself to her, in a dark “18-and-over” club on a cruise ship to Cabo, I smelled her perfume and it reminded me of sweet flowers, almost like part honeydew and part citrus. It’s the same smell I smelled on our wedding day. She hasn’t had that perfume in some time, so I thought that day would be the best day to reintroduce that wonderful smell back into our lives.”
Lara and Marcus had their First Look at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. They were just a little bit excited 😉
“I knew Lara was the one the first time I revealed the true depth of my dorky side to her. We were taking a walk and I went on a rant about how inaccurate some superhero movie was, and how the comic book was way better. I didn’t realize how dorky I sounded until I stopped talking, and I fulling expected her to look at me like I was a huge weirdo. But she didn’t make fun of me, she was actually interested and started to ask me more questions about comic books and superheroes. She loves me more for my quirks and weird eccentricities, and that makes her the perfect one for me.”
The wedding party then joined us at the Courthouse.
Marcus gave his groomsmen matching wooden watches.
“I decided to let all my bridesmaids all pick their own dresses. I wanted them all to feel comfortable and confident in their dresses, and they all have such different body shapes that I knew it would be impossible to find one dress that would look good on everyone. So I gave them some color ideas, and told them that the only requirement was that their dress be long. Once they all had their dresses, I picked matching bowties for the guys, and the result was exactly what I had envisioned!”
“What I love most about Lara is that she loves me no matter what. She is my rock, my light house, my guide through this thing we call life. I’m lucky to have her and I don’t know what or where I would be without her.”
The Fess Parker wedding ceremony took place at the Rose Garden, overlooking the palm trees and ocean.
“My favorite part of the day was the moment I saw Lara walking down the aisle. I had no idea how much the moment would change me. I felt a lot of emotions at once and just so much pride and joy knowing that this beautiful, strong, loving, funny, intelligent woman said yes to spending her life with me. That moment is something I will never forget.”
“We wanted the wedding to feel beachy, but we didn’t want to hit our guests in the face with a beach theme. That’s why we decided to go with a color palette of blues and greens, rather than picking specific colors. My Pinterest board had a lot of shells and sand and glass and coral, and think we were able to find a happy medium of “beachy-goodness” while still keeping it elegant and timeless.”
From Lara, “My favorite part of the day was seeing everything come together so perfectly. Wedding planning is done in little bits and pieces, and you don’t know if all the choices you’ve made along the way are going to work together until you see it all at the wedding. Luckily for us, all our little details came together beautifully, from the table linens to the cupcake stands to bridesmaids’ dresses. It was a magical night and I would not have changed a single thing.”
The amazing advantage of a Fess Parker wedding is the proximity and view of the ocean, without all the sand. It really is the best of both worlds!
When it was time, we made our way across the street from the Fess Parker wedding to catch some beach sunset photos. What’s a beach-themed wedding without beach photos, after all!
“What I love most about Marcus is his big heart. He would do anything for his friends and family. He genuinely feels for and cares about the people in his life, which I feel like is a rare thing today. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and isn’t afraid to go out of his way for the those he loves. That is one of the reasons I fell in love with him so fast: I could tell how much he cared about me. His love for me has made me see myself is a more positive light and made me a more confident person, and he does the same thing for all those he cares for. It’s hard not to want to be around him forever, and I just feel lucky that he chose me to love him back.”
We kicked off this Fess Parker wedding reception with some special dances, which led into open dancing.
“We are most looking forward to all the adventures that married life will bring and enjoying all of the firsts: the first big purchase, the first solo trip to a foreign land, the first home, the first little person to share a bit of both of us. To put simply, we are excited to share all of life’s adventures with the person we love most.”
Congratulations, Lara & Marcus! Here’s to everything you’ve celebrated thus far, and to all your upcoming ‘firsts’!
Wedding Professionals:
Wedding Venue: The Fess Parker Resort
Photo Venue: Santa Barbara Courthouse
Coordinator: Amazing Days Events
Photographer: Karen D Photography
Hair & Makeup: Fairytale Hair & Makeup
DJ: DJ Zeke Entertainment
Florals: Grass Roots Wedding & Event Florist
Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen
Cake & Cupcakes: Crushcakes Cafe
Wedding Dress Designer: Enzoani
Wedding Veil Designer: Cori Pierce
Wedding Shoes Designer: Badgley Mischka
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Friar Tux
With grins this big at their Santa Barbara Courthouse engagement photoshoot, I can’t wait for Darren & Caitlin’s Camarillo wedding! 
