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Dream Date

Jessica Toolson & Hunter Beaumont

IT WAS FRESHMAN ORIENTATION at Brigham Young University when a friend introduced Jessica to Hunter. They bonded instantly and discovered they had attended high school together in San Diego. “I don’t know how we grew up so close and never met each other,” Hunter says. “I guess she never noticed me.” He proposed on November 1, 2008, and long-distance planning commenced for their hometown ceremony and reception, slated for just three months later.

“He’s probably the sweetest boy I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Jessica says. Her grandfather, a sealer for the Church of Latter-day Saints, performed the ceremony at the San Diego Mormon Temple in the presence of 50 guests. The couple integrated their large families into several elements of the wedding, including the bridal party, which consisted of their siblings.

The bride was the emblem of femininity in a form-fitting gown and sweeping veil designed by Penny Perkins, owner of Penelope’s in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“I wanted the dress to be very modest—to cover the shoulders—and to be classy and elegant,” Jessica says. She later discovered that her mother had enlisted the same designer to create her own gown 25 years earlier. Because he knew Jessica had dreamt of her wedding since childhood, Hunter happily left most of the decision-making to her.

“The only thing he cared about was the food,” Jessica says. “Actually, his suit and the food.” Desiring a wedding that exuded femininity, Jessica chose pearls and peaches for their theme, incorporating accents of pewter for the winter and champagne for warmth. She and wedding planner Heather Balliet of Amorology conceptualized the theme using one of Jessica’s purchases during a trip to London: a peach shirt decorated with pearls and silver threading. She wore her mother’s pearl earrings, a strand from her grandmother and pearls draped around the bouquet, which was also accented with the dainty white spheres.

Breaking with tradition, the couple spent their wedding day together on what Jessica calls her dream date. Hunter picked her up at 7:30 for breakfast and subsequently drove her to the 10 a.m. ceremony.

“That was the rule—the family couldn’t separate us for any point during the day,” she says. Clouds of darkness encroached overhead, but Jessica, typically a worrier, was carefree. “It was dark and rainy and I looked outside and couldn’t have been happier or more excited,” she says.

Following the ceremony, the families, attendees and a few out-of-town guests convened for a luncheon at Delicias in Rancho Santa Fe.

Next, their photographer Natalie Norton and videographer Benny Ek accompanied them as they drove all over Olivenhain, a somewhat rural area of San Diego’s North County, snapping shots in orchards and other picturesque settings. The bride’s attendants carried parasols in beautiful muted colors that perfectly complemented both the rustic landscape and their Adrianna Papell chiffon silk bridesmaid dresses.

Jessica and Hunter were joined by 250 friends and family members for an evening reception that featured children running amok amidst a casual, romantic environment. The menu included pear and walnut salad, a made-to-order pasta bar, and curried butternut squash and apple soup, provided by Crown Point Catering. Candles of gold and silver and florals in peaches and pinks decorated the tables.

Hunter’s mom made an artificial cake, adorned with ribbons and flowers, for display, while the couple’s actual cake was served from sheet pans in the back. During the cake cutting, Jessica opened her mouth, ready to taste a layer of chocolate mouse or Bavarian cream and berry-laced goodness, but was surprised with a mouthful of fondant, ribbon and flowers. Jessica never did taste the actual cake, which gives her even more to look forward to on their first anniversary.

“It was far and away the best day of my life,” she says. “The happiest, giddiest day.” Coincidentally, “giddy” is the very term Hunter uses to describe the day. —BROOK LARIOS

Get ideas from Jessica and Hunter’s favorite vendors at exquisiteweddingsmagazine.com.

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Catering: Crown Point Catering. Cake: Groom’s mom. Ceremony and reception location: Private residence in Olivenhain. Event coordination and design: Amorology. Flowers: Twigg Botanicals. Gown: Penelope’s, Penelope Perkins, Salt Lake City. Suits: Friar Tux. Bridesmaid dresses: Adrianne Papell. Invitations: Courtney Scowby Designs. Made-to-order donut dessert station: Party Donuts. Linens: Wildflower Linens. Rentals: Classic Party Rentals. Photography: Natalie Norton Photography. Videographer: Benny Ek Video.

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