There Were 450 Guests at This Rancho Bernardo Inn Wedding

By Jenna Miller

Even as they grew up about a mile away from one another in Chula Vista and both went to college in LA, it was a good ’ol dating app that ultimately brought Matt and Michelle together. After college graduation, they met on a Jewish dating app called JSwipe. “While our relationship moved slower at the beginning, we both quickly realized we were meant for each other and got engaged almost two years from the day we first matched,” Michelle says.

They booked the Rancho Bernardo Inn for their Jewish “I dos”—and for the venue’s ability to host their 450 guests. The traditional ceremony, inspired by Anthropologie, took place on the large lawn of the property, complete with a custom-built, wooden chuppah lined with fuchsia flowers. “The biggest pleasure was knowing we would be able to spend this day surrounded by the ones we loved the most,” Michelle says. When the ceremony came to an end, the doors of the ballroom opened up and guests were invited inside. And that’s when Michelle made over her gown into something more fitting of a party, repurposing her veil into a skirt. Unique details? Check!

And for more off-the-wall accents, the couple opted against a cake and instead for a “junk bar,” scattered with Lays chips, popcorn, cereal mix, chocolate, cookies, and much more.

Reflecting on her best day ever Michelle adds, “We would relive the ceremony in a heartbeat and, of course, the dancing!”