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Meghan and Cheyne

Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego

By Ann Wycoff

Photography by True Photography Weddings

THEY TRAVELED TO NINE COUNTRIES in one month; unrolled 75 six-feet-tall hay bales in Sweden; herded hundreds of wild ducks in Vietnam; raced Formula One cars in Dubai; played volleyball in a waste-high bog in Estonia; counted out one million dollars worth of poker chips in record speed; and repelled face-first down Mandalay Bay in Vegas. And the entire time, these winners of The Amazing Race’s 15th season were never more than a few feet apart. Talk about testing the waters to see if you can face challenges as a couple. 

San Diego natives Meghan Rickey and Cheyne Whitney won seven of the 12 legs of the popular reality show. “We really worked together and were known as the team that was friendly and supportive,” chimes Meghan. So when the winners returned home with a cool million, they bought a house together near Kensington and started planning the wedding. While the couple met playing tetherball in elementary school, Cheyne’s crush had to simmer for several years until they went on a date six-and-a-half years ago when the timing was finally right. When it came to a proposal, a unique opportunity opened up after the couple appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Brides magazine approached Cheyne for a story, thinking they were already engaged, and then got creative with the groom-to-be. The couple flew to Temecula for a wine-infused lunch, then returned to San Diego for a stroll down memory lane—visiting their old schools and favorite spots. During a champagne and chocolate-covered strawberry snack, he handed Meghan a copy of the magazine and opened to a page that said, “Meghan, will you marry me?” As she accepted the ArtCarved ring, Entertainment Tonight jumped from the bushes having filmed the entire thing. Though Meghan was truly surprised, the camera-ready couple did an on the spot interview and the rest is history.

“We knew we wanted a San Diego wedding because our lives are here. We wanted it to be a big celebration since we never had a party after we won The Amazing Race. “We used to watch each episode with 200 friends—so the wedding was also a reunion,” explains, Meghan. Cheyne adds, “We thought the Hard Rock was the ultimate San Diego VIP rockstar party place.”

An Amazing Race theme wove throughout the wedding: passports served as escort cards, and clay figurines of the pair in their team uniforms topped the cake. Tables sported the names of places they’d visited during the show with pictures of them doing their challenges. “We asked six of our fellow cast mates/opponents from The Amazing Race to be in our wedding party as we made life-long friends from that experience,” exclaims Cheyne.

To incorporate the Hard Rock music theme, The Beatles also played a key role as the recessional music for the ceremony; the invites had silk screened blue guitars with Beatles guitar picks as a pullout tab. 

The bride wore a gorgeous, trumpet-cut Romona Keveza dress with a sweetheart neckline and jeweled belt, while the men looked smart in charcoal silver suits with designer shirts, blue ties, and clips. The stylish nuptials took place on the Hard Rock rooftop under a diaphanous white canopy, surrounded by the colorful urban landscape. 

FLOAT, the alfresco poolside lounge, served as the sleek setting for cocktail hour, where they served a signature quaffable called “Love Potion Number 9.” Inside at the reception, shades of blue, silver, and gray filled the stunning wintry room—the all white dance floor sported a giant CMW monogram with subtle pink lighting to soften the look. Several couples made grand entrances during the music-fueled festivities dressed in drag or performing acrobatics, stirring the receptive crowd. 

Sweet treats included a red velvet cupcake tower, a chocolate ganache, a raspberry-filled cutting cake, along with an eye-popping candy bar. 

After throwing a rock ‘n’ good party, the couple jetted off to Thailand to ride elephants and relax on the white sand beaches. But they were happy to return home. “We love San Diego. We are never leaving,” declares Meghan empathically. 

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