My husband, Tait, has this terrible problem of being unable to keep a surprise a secret. On my birthday, he wakes me up at the crack of dawn because he’s been lying awake for hours thinking about my gift. If you ever want to ruin a surprise party, tell Tait. He gets so excited, he simply can’t hold it in. So you could definitely say that I am pulling a “Tait” with this next wedding. Although we had this slated as our picture perfect Valentine’s Day wedding…I fell so in love with it, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. So let’s just call it a Valentine’s Day Surprise, Tait style.
Photographed by the fabulous MegRuth Photography, this wedding is pure charm.
The story…
Tamara Duricka (the bride) turned 31 in 2009 and was completely sick of the dating experiences she had. Her last two long term relationships had ended badly and she was looking for a fresh start. So at the beginning of her 31st year she set out to go on 31 dates in 31 days with 30 different guys for only $31. The 31st dates would be a second date with the guy she liked best. She started a blog to document her adventures (It’s currently only got her last few entries because she’s working on a book).
On her sixth date she realized that her theater tickets were two hours earlier than expected and her date wouldn’t be able to make it. So with some help from friends she got a filler date with Evan Johnson. Despite the terrible play they had a great time and when the second date (landing on Valentine’s Day) opportunity approached she and her blog readers voted for Evan. It was the beginning of a whirlwind relationship which culminated on January 16th when they were married in the Mormon Temple in Los Angeles with a reception at the Marion Davies Mansion.
Tamara was very conscious of cost during her planning. Her dress was designed and made by a friend in New York (Ann Poulson). Her flowers were also done by a friend and she kept costs low by keeping flowers to a minimum. For food she used the delicious Feast Catering and opted for bite size hors d’ourves instead of a full scale meal. The music was set up to play via iPod with a special musical performance by her husband, Evan and his brothers. Instead of opting for a traditional cake she chose a top tier only with scads of delightful mini cupcakes from Yummy Cupcakes. Tamara made her favors, heart shaped cookie cutters, so cute! Because the reception location was so elegant there was little need for added decor.
It was an absolutely perfect day. They were such a joy to photograph. I love when you can really feel the love between a couple. Such joy and happiness on their faces throughout the day.
To see more from this absolutely perfect wedding, check out MegRuth’s blog right here.
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Brilliant! Love this bride:)
Love the elegant simplicity of the styling and the story...ooh la! Can you say movie rights?! I love her hair flower!
Wow! Absolutely stunning photography ~ and a beautiful bride to boot! :D
Love the story and what a great dress. Totally chic.
I am friends with Evan when he lived in NYC. Such a wonderful guy, so happy for them! Beautiful wedding!! Such a surprise to see it today :)
What a lovely story - about Tait and the love story behind this wedding! The bridal gown is stunning and must mean so much designed by a friend. The photos are beautiful - love this post.
ummm the cakes look amazing!!! mouth watering loveliness! XxX
A lot charm!! Lovely!
I love this wedding! It's magnificent. I was just in Santa Monica last week, and it is definitely THE SPOT if you want to have a abfab wedding. This one is just so lovely; the subtle touches of red, especially on the favors and atop the wedding cake... they are just enough to make it sing. And, as a big fan of ring photos, I'm digging that close up Yummy cuppies shot. Soooo cute. Thanks for the V-Day suprise!
... *aN* abfab wedding, I mean. Sheesh. I should wait on writing comments until after I've had my afternoon cup.
I love Style Me Pretty, and I gasped when I saw this....I was AT this wedding. Ev and Tam are top friends of mine, and the wedding was beyond lovely. (almost as lovely as the bride and groom) Whoop Whoop!
Cutest story ever- love it!! The simplicity of the wedding is fabulous. :)
Wow ... definitely nice pictures! Must have been a perfect wedding.
The wedding bouquet color is breathtaking! And the little yummy cupcakes look really delicious...
Looks like a lot of fun with good food and great bluegrass music, my favorite!
They have such a cute story! Every part of their wedding looks so perfect~
i love the flower in her hair!
So pretty - I love her dress - that collar is amazing!
What a stunning dress, I LOVE it!!
The dress is absolutely stunning!
So adorable, I remember watching on Good Morning America. So happy for you both!
Her dress is beautiful!!! I love all the great detail shots... charming wedding!
Awesome photos! What a beautiful bride!
You know what? I'd like to steal the cup cakes.
Can I ask that you change "Mormon" to "Latter-day Saint" or "LDS"? That's the proper name for our religion and our temples. Thank you!
Lovely photos! The singular top cake tier with the pop of red on top is my favorite, it's delightfully unassuming.
These pictures are absolutely stunning. I had a very similar wedding bouquet at my wedding, but this one was definitely photographed better! I love the cake as well.
-Sylvia
Everything about these photographs and this story are just wonderful.
Then again, I'm a friend of the bride, photographer, and dress designer/maker so I may be a little biased.
Her dress is gorgeous!
Just to update the floral decor at the Annenberg Beach House was done by Sada's Flowers in Culver City http://www.sadasflowers.com/