A Nature-Inspired Wedding At A Private Estate in Rancho Santa Fe, California

Julianne Esmele and Richard Fowler first met at a New Year’s Eve party in 2008, when a cab mix-up led to them sharing a ride home.

“I actually thought he wasn’t so nice for trying to steal my cab,” Julianne says. “However, when I found out he just had a little too much to drink and needed a way home, I was more understanding. He was a gentleman for taking care of the cab fee, and invited me out. Little did I know we would hit it off right away and fall in love.”

As a couple, Richard and Julianne’s favorite vacation spot was Hawaii. For six years, the two took an annual vacation to the islands – but Richard decided to change things up for the next trip. While watching the sun rise at Lanai point, overlooking the ocean, he got down on one knee and proposed.

Although the typical wedding planning process involves a great deal of work, the couple had the help of wedding planner Lisa Lippe.

“If it wasn’t for Lisa, who helped guide us through everything, it wouldn’t have been possible,” Julianne explains. “She made our special day a dream come true.”

The actual wedding day was overwhelming, but in the best sense. After some initial nerves leading up to the bride and groom’s first glimpse of each other at the ceremony, the entire celebration was filled with love and happiness.

For the décor, the wedding was held in a transparent tent lined with twinkling lights above that resembled the stars. Organic centerpieces of purple, peach, blue, and white flowers were arranged to look like sea-inspired trees sprouting from the tabletops. Complete with touches of gold, the florals were the perfect fit for the couple’s “enchanted forest” wedding theme.

One of the evening’s highlights was an elaborate prank the groom’s brothers pulled on all the guests. During their speech, they tricked all the guests into thinking the lead singer of One Republic was performing when, in fact, it was just a lookalike. Amusingly, everyone had their phones out to record the performance until they figured out they had been tricked.

“Everything turned out so perfect, but we were a little sad when it was over,” says the bride. “It’s true when they say cherish your dearest moments, because they go by so fast. We both woke up the next morning with tears still in our eyes, thinking of how amazing our wedding was.”