Three Weddings and One Happy Ending at the San Diego Botanic Garden

When Fiona opened Jared’s Christmas gift, a photo album with pictures of them throughout the years, she all but fainted when she saw the last photo—of her new engagement ring. “I blacked out and he got down on one knee,” she jokes. From that merry moment on, the planning for Fiona and Jared’s three weddings—yes, three!—began.

The couple hosted two weddings to accommodate each set of grandparents, who couldn’t travel far (one in Salt Lake City, another in Los Angeles), and a third for friends and family at the San Diego Botanic Garden.

As it turned out, there was no better couple to execute the three-pronged affair: Fiona organizes events for a living, which meant she could help coordinate and had plenty of contacts to curate an all-star vendor list.

For the conclusion of their trilogy, they implemented a few more bells and whistles to make it extra special—inviting 120 of their dearest friends and family, breaking out a totally new wedding dress, and opting for a first look that brought the groom to tears.

“I didn’t expect Jared to get so emotional to see me, since it was our third time getting married,” Fiona says. “But he did, and he made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.” Third time truly is the charm!

“I’ve always heard that the first look is important because that’s one of the only quiet moments during your wedding day where it’s just you and your significant other. I’m so glad we did it.”