Even though Melissa and Jason both went to high school in the Bay Area and attended college in Los Angeles, it wasn’t until they each moved to New York City in 2007 that they met at a mutual friend’s birthday party. It was in New York where they dated, fell in love and got engaged.
But when it came to planning their wedding, they knew it would have to be back in California. They chose the beautiful Bacara Resort for their outdoor ceremony and ballroom reception. “Bacara has always been a special place to my family and me, and I had always dreamt of being a Bacara bride,” Melissa said. “As beachy California kids, we loved having the crashing surf behind us at the ceremony, gorgeous 180-degree ocean views from the reception, and having all of our family and friends stay in one place at this beautiful resort.”
Melissa isn’t shy to admit that she loves tulle and confetti – and the more the better. “I grew up as a dancer, and my love for tulle cannot be understated,” she said. “So we chose to have tulle runners on our long family tables and a tulle overlay for our sweetheart table (along with my enormous tulle wedding gown).” The reception was capped off with a big white confetti explosion.
Melissa and Jason also wanted their wedding to give back in some way. Melissa is the executive director of the ONEHOPE Foundation, which donates 50% of profits to causes such as childhood hunger, clean water, breast cancer, and the fight against AIDS. The foundation offers wines that are matched with different causes. Melissa and Jason included a bottle of ONEHOPE sparkling wine in each guest’s welcome box, and also served ONEHOPE at their rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. By the end of the wedding weekend, their use of ONEHOPE wines had provided 1500 meals for children in need.
For brides currently planning weddings, you can have your wedding become a ONEHOPE Wedding. Click HERE to get more information. For everyone else, click HERE to purchase ONEHOPE wines for yourself or as gifts.