Natalie & Tyler's Rustic Temecula Nuptials

California girl Natalie O’Toole and Massachusetts native Tyler VandenAkker met through a mutual friend in college at California Baptist University, after having their eyes on each other the whole first semester. Tyler surprised Natalie with a proposal on a Thanksgiving trip to Texas. The 24-year-olds, who live in Bellflower, chose the Galway Downs in Temecula for their nuptials for its “perfect balance of rustic and elegant,” Natalie says. Their 170 guests dined on chicken, salmon, and roast beef from a carving station; got emotional during the father-of-the-bride speech; and enjoyed watching Natalie smash cake in Tyler’s face—one of her favorite moments of the reception!

“I knew the moment I put the dress on,” says Natalie, who found her dream gown at designer Hayley Paige’s trunk show in New York. “Hayley Paige asked me the infamous question, ‘Are you saying yes to the dress?’ It was a surreal moment.”

“I always imagined my wedding to be classy and elegant with a touch of a Cinderella fairy tale,” Natalie says. “I chose dusty blue for the bridesmaids’ dresses because it is timeless while adding color.”