Alison + Jay

X THE MEETING STORY
WE MET THROUGH EACH OTHER’S WEBSITES IN AUGUST OF 2012, ONETRIPPASS & ALAALISON, HE WAS LIVING IN SF, I IN PHILADELPHIA. WE STARTED A CORRESPONDENCE BASED AROUND TRAVEL & PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS, WHICH EVOLVED OVER TIME TO BEING REAL LIFE PEN PALS, HIM SENDING ME POSTCARDS FROM HIS TRAVELS, ME SENDING HIM JAMS AND HOT SAUCES I WAS MAKING AT THE TIME. AFTER MONTHS OF THIS, I FLEW ACROSS COUNTRY FOR THE FIRST DATE IN SF – WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DINNER AND ENDED UP LASTING TEN DAYS INCLUDING A 3 DAY EXCURSION TO BIG SUR. THE NEXT WEEK I MOVED ABROAD TO BARCELONA FOR A KITCHEN APPRENTICESHIP… THE SECOND DATE WAS IN ISTANBUL, THE THIRD IN SPAIN, FRANCE, MOROCCO, FOURTH JAPAN… IT WAS MAGIC FROM THE START.

X THE DRESS
WE HAD JUST MOVED TO LA THE WEEK AFTER OUR ENGAGEMENT, SO I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO START MY DRESS HUNT. MY FRIEND AND BRIDESMAID STEPHNEY AND I RAN AROUND ONE SATURDAY TO HALF A DOZEN PLACES WITHOUT TRYING ON ONE DRESS. WE STUMBLED UPON BRIDE IN ECHO PARK. THE JUDE WAS THE FIRST DRESS I TRIED ON AND LOVED IT RIGHT AWAY… I HAD A ROUGH IDEA OF WHAT I WANTED, AND I KNEW I WANTED TO FEEL LIKE MYSELF ON MY WEDDING DAY; HAIR DOWN, MINIMAL MAKEUP AND A DRESS THAT FELT GREAT TO BE IN ALL DAY & NIGHT. IT LOOKED WONDERFUL WITH THE OLIVE BRANCH CROWN, A NOD TO THE OLIVE OIL JAY & I MAKE TOGETHER THROUGH OUR BRAND, WONDER VALLEY (WELCOMETOWONDERVALLEY.COM)

X THE VENUE
HE’S ORIGINALLY FROM MAINE AND I’M A JERSEY GIRL. WE HAVE FRIENDS ALL OVER THE PLACE, SO WE PICKED THE PLACE WE LOVE THE MOST & THE PLACE WE NOW CALL HOME: JOSHUA TREE, CAIFORNIA. WE THREW A THREE DAY PARTY WHICH INCLUDED A SOUND BATH, TACO TRUCKS, GETTING HITCHED IN THE PARK AND A PARTY AT AN OASIS IN THE DESERT WITH A 5 COURSE MEAL. WE PULLED IT OFF WITH A LOT OF WONDERFUL FRIENDS HELPING OUT.

X THE MUSIC
THIS WAS A BIG COMPONENT. OUR FRIENDS DAVID GARZA & TIFT MERRITT CLIMBED TO THE TOP OF THE BOULDERS IN THE PARK WHERE WE WERE MARRIED AND PLAYED MUSIC FOR THE CEREMONY (TOWNES VAN ZANDT, BOB DYLAN). OUR FRIEND DEREK JAMES WAS THE DJ FOR THE RECEPTION. WE MADE EVERYONE A ‘HITCHED IN THE HI DEZ’ MIX TAPE AS A GIFT.

X MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
THE NIGHT OF THE REHEARSAL WE HAD A TACO TRUCK AT OUR FRIEND’S GAS STATION (THE STATION JOSHUA TREE) – IT TURNED INTO A WILD NIGHT & GREAT DANCE PARTY. I’VE SEEN AUNTS & UNCLES PULLING OUT MOVES I DIDN’T KNOW THEY HAD IN THEM. JAY SURPRISED ME AND HAD DAVID & TIFT SING “JERSEY GIRL” BY TOM WAITS… AND ALL 100 OF OUR GUESTS SURROUNDED US AND SANG ALL THE SHA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA’S.

X ADVICE
GET A MASSAGE THE MORNING OF THE WEDDING… YOU’RE GOING TO BE SPINNING. A FRIEND SURPRISED US WITH A BEAUTIFUL MASSAGE (HER BUSINESS: ENSO HEALING ARTS ENSOHEALINGARTS.ABMP.COM) IN OUR ROOM THE MORNING OF OUR WEDDING – IT WAS A GAME CHANGER FOR GENERAL ATTITUDE GOING INTO THE BIG DAY.

BRIDE — @ALAALISON
GROOM — @ONETRIPPASS
THEIR COMPANY —WELCOME TO WONDER VALLEY
PHOTOGRAPHY — NANCY NEIL
HAIR + MAKEUP — ERIN LEE SMITH
FLOWERS — WILD VASE
SHOES — ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS
HIS TUX– PAUL MARLOW
MUSIC — DAVID GARZA + TIFT MERRITT
DJ — DEREK JAMES