At WedVibes, we’re always drawn to the stories behind the aesthetics—the vision boards, voice notes, and late-night Pinterest scrolls that quietly shape iconic wedding moments. So, we did what we do best: reached out to real brides who are planning weddings their way. From spontaneous proposals to guest lists made on Google Docs, these brides are rewriting the rules and curating celebrations that feel less like tradition and more like self-expression.
In this series, they open up about the moodboards they can’t stop tweaking, the TikTok trends they’re into, and the vendors who just get it. Expect real love stories, real planning highs (and lows), and plenty of inspiration for your own “main character” moment.
Meet The Couple
Hayden and Shannon live in Thousand Oaks with their golden retriever, Margot. Both working in creative fields, branding, design, marketing, strategy, and events, there is a lot of natural overlap in how they see the world and approach things together.
Outside of work, they are happiest outdoors. Hayden grew up racing motocross and now spends most of his free time surfing. Shannon has always been a horse girl, spending her time riding and teaching at High Horse, a ranch in Malibu.
How did you meet?
A mutual friend introduced us, although he probably doesn’t know it. His name is John Mayer. Hayden was living in LA, I was living in Phoenix, and he had tickets to see John Mayer in Phoenix. He changed his Hinge location, matched with me, and asked if I wanted to go with him. So technically, John Mayer brought us together. The concert was our first date, and somewhere along the way, Hayden became A Face to Call Home.
The Proposal
Hayden is an incredible liar.
He’s notorious for not caring about his birthday, but I love birthdays and always want to make them special. So this year, he let me plan what I thought was a perfect birthday weekend for him, camping at the ranch where I work in the Malibu hills.
The first night, our good friend & ranch manager pulled us away for what I thought was a sunset photo shoot for the ranch. We rode horses up into the hills, and at sunset, Hayden proposed.
So I unknowingly planned my own proposal weekend.
The Wedding Vision
1. When and where is your wedding taking place?
May 2027 at the Sea Ranch Lodge.
2. Describe your wedding in 3 words.
Wabi-sabi. Wellness. Intentional.
Note: Wabi-sabi is a Japanese philosophical and aesthetic concept that finds beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and simplicity.
3. What are three non-negotiable elements for your big day?
First, that we actually say “I do.” Very important.
Second, that the day feels calm. No drama, no manufactured stress, no chaos for the sake of tradition. We want it to feel grounded, present, and deeply us.
Third, we want our guests to leave feeling like they experienced something different. Not just a beautiful wedding, but something intentional and unlike anything they’ve been to before.
Photo: Siempre Weddings (1), Nirav Patel (3), Love Bears (5), Pinterest (6)
Planning Process
1. What’s been the highlight of your planning process so far?
Planning it together.
So often weddings become something the bride carries on her own, but this has felt like a real blend of both of us. Hayden has a strong creative point of view, and so do I, so we’ve been approaching the wedding the way we’d approach a brand or an experience we’re building together. That has honestly been the best part.
Finding the overlap, compromising when we need to, and creating something that feels like both of us. It feels like a preview of the marriage.
2. What’s surprised you most about wedding planning?
What’s surprised us most is how quickly wedding planning can become about everything you’re supposed to care about, instead of what actually matters to you.
For us, it’s been less about doing more and more about staying clear on the feeling we want to create. We care deeply about the experience, but we’re trying not to confuse thoughtfulness with overcomplication. At the end of the day, we want to be present, our guests to feel cared for, and the whole weekend to feel like something only we would have created.
3. An aesthetic you’re loving right now.
We’re drawn to design that feels simple, textural, and grounded, where the beauty is in the materials, the setting, and the feeling rather than the decoration. The Lane, Nirav Patel, and Studio Apart are probably the closest references for that kind of quiet restraint: natural textures, atmosphere, and an intentional sense of place.
4. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting their planning journey?
Don’t take it too seriously and slow down enough to enjoy it.
Before you book anything, before you even start a Pinterest board, sit down separately and write down what actually matters most to each of you. Then compare. There will be things your partner cares about that you didn’t think to ask, and things you realize don’t matter as much as you thought.
That pre-work makes everything easier. You’re not reacting to options, you’re working from a shared vision. And once you have that, choose people who understand it well enough to help bring it to life. We just started working with Liv from Adored Curations, and even this early on, she really sees what we’re trying to create.
Photo: Norman & Blake (1), St. Chelle (2), Pinterest (5)
