Austin and Vivian met during a group meeting for their Christian ministry at Stanford University. They quickly bonded over their small-town roots—she’s from suburban Oklahoma, and he’s from rural Colorado. After graduating, the two remained together in Northern California, where they began their careers—he at Farmers Business Network, she at Education.com. (“Basically, Austin makes sure farmers are treated fairly, and I help make fun math and reading games for kids,” Vivian says.) It wasn’t long before Austin popped the question, surprising Vivian with a ring at the end of a morning hike to a seaside cliff in Marin. 

The outdoorsy duo decided to hold their May nuptials, centered around faith and family, at the Los Altos History Museum, which is located in one of Santa Clara Valley’s last remaining apricot orchards, an aspect especially appreciated by Austin, given his love of agriculture. “It was important to us to have a venue that was welcoming and homey,” Vivian explains. “It felt like a little piece of home in the crazy urbanness of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.” With help from event designer Bri Childs, the couple created a weddingscape that epitomized California casual yet still seemed distinctly their own. “Our wedding felt warm (even though it ended up being pretty cold for a spring day), intimate, fun, meaningful, and a little bit goofy,” Vivian says.

Real Weddings

“I ended up getting a simple dress from BHLDN,” says the bride, who was drawn to the gown’s comfortable fit and fluid chiffon skirt. “People said it was perfect for me.”

Vivian adorned her locks with an orchid and hellebores.

The bridesmaids wore mismatched blush dresses from BHLDN, Lulu’s, Macy’s, and Show Me Your Mumu. 

Pops of red were incorporated at the last minute. “Our florist, Kelsey Brain of With Flourish, was the best,” Vivian says. “She was super gracious and dealt with multiple changes in colors and ideas.”

Vivian accessorized her look with dainty druzy bracelets from Kendra Scott.

Austin wore a navy suit with a pink bow tie—a contemporary classic. “With the help of our videographer, he learned to tie a bow tie on the day of the wedding!” Vivian laughs.

The couple snuck in “elements of goofiness and fun” wherever they could. “A set of gag ceremony programs, with lines like ‘Vivian and her dad parachute in,’ was hidden in the stack of normal programs, which were still pretty silly,” Vivian says. “My mom mistook the real programs for the joke ones. Oops!”

Vivian walked down the aisle to the worship song that she had been singing when Austin realized he was falling for her.

“We loved communion and praying together at our ceremony,” Vivian says. “It helped ground us, and it reminded us of why we were getting married and the importance of this celebration.” 

“We hung a tapestry calligraphed with a Bible verse that is meaningful to us to reflect how our faith is central to our marriage,” Vivian says.

Personalized muslin sachets filled with soil and succulent seeds made for Earth-friendly favors. 

The chair swag was a nod to the couple’s first date—a viewing of Star Wars in Vivian’s dorm room. The newlyweds also entered the reception to the Star Wars theme song.