Cozette and Chad, two Los Angeles creatives, celebrated their marriage with a chill, DIY ceremony and reception on a family ranch in Oklahoma—a beloved escape from their bus city life in LA. We’re using “DIY” loosely, because while, yes, the couple executed much of their own wedding details, the bride is an interior designer and the groom a custom woodworker and what they “did-themselves” is pretty, darn professional. The vibe was super chill, and Cozette designed the graphic-rustic florals and enlisted help in the form of family and friends to create string together an ombré of carnations for the ceremony backdrop. Chad made several serving boards from various wood species that were stamped with our custom C+C brand. We’re definitely loving the way Grey Collective member Anna Lee Media captured the relaxed summer mood of this wonderful backyard bash!
What made the wedding special and unique?
We wanted our wedding celebration to be intimate and simple. Our goal was to throw a great party for our family and friends with the added bonus that it was also our wedding ceremony.
We were very fortunate to be able use a family property for our venue that was both very private and personally significant; it’s a welcome respite we enjoy during every trip to Oklahoma and an escape from our city life in Los Angeles. The end result wasn’t overly extravagant, but it was beautiful, and personal, and everything we wanted. All was made even more special by the effort and great lengths that our friends and family went to helping us pull off our DIY soirée that we spent only four months planning.
We were also blessed with a brightly fantastic Super Moon.
Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!
For many years my wedding gown vision was inspired by a Dolce & Gabbana runway show that was endless flowing ruffle tulle skirts and chambray denim tops.
After a bit of searching, I fell in love with a tulle skirt from BHLDN’s separates collection, however it was from a past season and no longer in stores. I was lucky to find both the skirt and coordinating corset top available on the resale site Oncewed.. The discounted price fit our budget and I was able to have it let out to fit! In a nod to the D&G inspiration, I paired the skirt with a denim top during our pre-ceremony cocktail hour so that the whole outfit was revealed later.
What were some touches added to make it personal?
I love making floral arrangements and always knew I would style my own wedding. I enlisted my mother and a few friends to string together an ombré of carnations for our ceremony backdrop while I made my bridal bouquet. The colors I settled on were whites, pale peach and pinks, and subtle Aqua blue accents. Long Ruscus garlands were used as table runners and my favorite flower used was the peach Juliette Garden Roses; I wore one in my hair and put one atop our cake. Chad made several serving boards from various wood species that were stamped with our custom C+C brand. The contrast of those boards and the rustic farm tables against the vintage stemware and mercury glass votives was the perfect marriage of our two aesthetics.
We also brought a bit of coastal California to Oklahoma by serving freshly baked Olallieberry pies for dessert. A nostalgic nod to my (Cozette’s) hometown.
What was the most memorable part of the day?
It’s impossible to pick one moment or part of the day that stands out above the rest. Our ceremony was perfectly special and sentimental, but also the part of the day we planned for the least. Going in with no expectations or rehearsal made it fun and authentic. We had a Bride & Groom processional, walking together to Van Morrison’s Into the Mystic. The song was longer that we expected and we all had a good laugh, lightening the mood as we waited for the end of the song. We each wrote personal vows and our officiant was our dear friend John, who quoted lines from Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy, which was a perfect addition to our not-so-conventional approach.
By the end of the evening we had four generations dancing together to a playlist that we left entirely up to our DJ, Dakota, who is our close friend and also Chad’s business partner. He played songs that were forgotten favorites that brought back great memories of our seven years as a couple. We were the last two people left under the disco ball hanging in the trees at the end of the night.
Tell us how you met and became engaged.
We both work in the interior design industry in Los Angeles and met at a networking function for design professionals. (Cozette is an interior designer, Chad is a custom fabricator, woodworker, cabinetmaker). Our third date was a weekend trip to Carmel-by-the-Sea to ring in the New Year with Chad’s close friends. We returned home as an official couple.
Six years later we were looking for a bit of an escape and decide to return to Carmel for a “Carmel-iversary”. We stopped for a supposed impromptu hike in Big Sur on our drive north and while relaxing on the trail, Chad surprised me by proposing in our camping hammock. The ring was disguised inside a handmade walnut box with messages stamped all over the outside, similar to a special wood cube he had made me for a past birthday. This new box opened up with the words, “marry me” stamped inside. A teary red wine toast in paper cups followed and we got married the following fall.
Photographer: Anna Lee Media // Event Styling & Floral arrangements: Bride // Invitations: elli // Venue: Private Ranch, Mustang, Oklahoma // Bride’s Dress: BHLDN from OnceWed.com // Groom’s Clothing: Bonobos // Hair & Makeup: Blo. // Farm Tables & Benches: Kahoy Studios // Vintage Stemware: Grassroots Vintage Event Rentals // Catering: Running Wild // Natural Light Labeled / Branded Fruit: CITRUSMARK // Olallieberry Pie Filling: Linns of Cambria, CA.