“Ours is a match made online, literally–we actually met on Match.com,” Taryn Williams says about her first encounter with Chris Waters.
Taryn had just graduated from UCLA and joined Match.com, looking for a new place to meet people. Chris decided to give online dating a shot, as it was difficult to find time for dating with his busy work schedule as a legal professional in downtown Los Angeles. After a few months of emailing back and forth, the two exchanged phone numbers and quickly found that they had a lot in common–so much so, that their first phone conversation lasted seven hours.
“OUR FIRST DATE WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT; AND WE BOTH DELETED OUR MATCH PROFILES THE NEXT DAY!”
“We stayed up talking until 4am and Chris was so tired, he missed our first date which was supposed to take place the following afternoon,” Taryn describes. “I forgave him, and our first date was love at first sight; and we both deleted our Match profiles the next day!”
Four years later, Chris asked Taryn to buy a nice dress for a date night in San Diego. After picking her up in a limousine, the couple was an hour into their ride when Chris started playing “So Amazing” by Luther Vandross (one of Taryn’s favorite songs) and popped the question. Rather than going to San Diego, the limousine detoured to a surprise engagement party Chris had planned, complete with Taryn’s favorite food, close friends and family, a live band, and a DJ.
The wedding planning process was headed by Taryn’s dad, a wedding planner, and the couple booked their wedding–which would take place on Valentine’s Day–at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego. Inspired by the Grand Del Mar’s old world décor, they decided to incorporate a Spanish Mediterranean theme with a color palette of deep reds, creams, gold, and a little bling.
Wanting their guests to enjoy the Grand Del Mar’s five-star dining experience, a four-course meal was served which included Dungeness crab cakes, mirin-glazed Chilean seabass, and beef tenderloin. The couple’s three-tiered wedding cake also featured a lemon-scented vanilla sponge layer with fresh berries, and a milk chocolate sponge layer with caramel mousse and dark chocolate ganache.
After the newlyweds shared their first dance and cut the cake, they both changed into a second outfit. The bride traded her Inbal Dror wedding gown for a sparkling Terani Couture party dress, and the groom switched to a custom, old Hollywood-inspired white tuxedo. The groom also had a dozen red roses and a card presented to his and Taryn’s mothers, in honor of Valentine’s Day.
“It’s hard to choose one favorite moment from that day, but our two favorite moments from the wedding were the first look and the first dance,” says the bride. “In both those instances, it felt like we were the only two people in the world; I could see my future in Chris’ eyes, and I knew that marrying him was the best decision I could have ever made.”
The rest of the night was filled with dancing and laughter, as the newlyweds celebrated with 175 of their closest friends and family members.
“We both consider it the best day of our lives,” Taryn says. “We would like to thank all the vendors–especially our wedding planner (thanks Dad), our photographers at Dapper Images, and our videographers, the Geldermann Team.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Fairmont Grand Del Mar, San Diego, CA; Floral Design: Jose’s Floral Couture and Design, Los Angeles, CA; Invitations: Delights & Invites; Wedding Dress: Inbal Dror; Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss; Photography: Dapper Images Boutique Photography, San Diego, CA
