Santa Barbara Romance with an Intimate Ceremony and Brunch Reception
Today’s featured couple, Beatrice and JP, value the small, sweet moments in life and planned their wedding to emulate that mindset. Renoda Campbell Photography captured the event held at the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club at Rockwood, a premier Santa Barbara wedding venue tucked away among giant yet graceful oak trees.
The ceremony was kept simple with just a handful of guests circled around the bride and groom as officiant Rev. Patricia Usuki of the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple led the proceedings. The bride wore a beautifully unique off-the-shoulder wedding gown and the groom, a detailed white button-down.
Later on, additional guests joined the newly weds for a brunch-style reception in the venue’s Spanish colonial clubhouse. Mimosas and more were served at the bar, and a wide selection of food including finger sandwiches, waffles, salad, and quiche were served courtesy of Seasons Catering. Guests also had fun with props at the photo booth area and for dessert, in place of a wedding cake, Nikki Calderon crafted an aesthetically pleasing table of pastel cupcakes.
The bride and groom additionally shared a few glimpses into the history of their relationship and the journey that led them to their gorgeous Santa Barbara wedding.
Q - How did the two of you meet?
A - Beatrice was a fourth-year student at UCSB majoring in Asian American Studies. JP was doing a post-doc with the University of California Center for New Racial Studies. After seeing each other around a lot, we struck up a friendship and had a platonic lunch. After that, Beatrice suggested having dinner together and JP recommended a place in Isla Vista that was delicious but unfortunately closed because of limited summer hours; we ended up eating a gastropub closer to downtown Santa Barbara instead. We met up right when the restaurant opened and sat outside, and ended up staying until the restaurant closed 6 hours later.
Q - How did you get engaged? Where were you? Who proposed? Did you both propose?
A - Throughout our relationship, we've both discussed at length our individual feelings about marriage. JP came from a relationship where his partner's biggest goal was getting married, and it caused a great deal of conflict because he didn't feel ready yet. Meanwhile, Beatrice had never been interested in marriage, partially because of the relationships she'd been in before and partially because of how oppressive marriage has been. Still, after living together for a few years, Beatrice's opinion had changed greatly and she felt ready. She talked about her feelings with JP, who ultimately felt similarly, but the conversations about marriage were more about preparedness, not when/where/etc.
In December 2018, Beatrice wanted to ask JP because she felt the time was right. She brought him to a new bar at Union Station in LA called The Streamliner; JP loves LA so deeply, so Beatrice picked this location because of how important Union Station is to Los Angeles' greater history. Neither of us are interested in grand gestures because we value the smaller, finer moments, so Beatrice knew that asking him to get married would only be meaningful if it was simple. Once we had our drinks, Beatrice asked JP if he'd like to get married, and JP said yes! After a few drinks, we headed home and ate In-n-Out to celebrate. It was 100% us!
Q - Beatrice, what do you love most about JP?
A - JP is the kindest, most patient, and most open-minded person I have ever been with. We share core values and interests, but we are different enough that life is interesting and fun to navigate together. I'm a bit of a wild child and thrill-seeker, and he keeps me down to earth without shutting down my hopes and dreams, which is so hard to find. He is always interested in both learning and unlearning—not just academically but also in all the ways he can be the best partner, son, friend, etc. I can talk to him about anything and everything, but we can also just sit in silence doing our own thing, and both feel so comfortable and organic.
Q - JP, what do you love most about Beatrice?
A - What I love most about Beatrice are the many aspects of her personality. I feel like I can talk to her about almost anything. She is as kind and compassionate as she is decisive. She is a planner, but always to ensure our enjoyment and wellbeing. She possesses a verve for life that is very infectious.
Q - What is your favorite activity to do together?
A - We're simple, so we love to talk to each other! It's so fun to learn new things about each other and laugh about things we've seen on the Internet. When we can't sleep, we just spend hours talking about random topics and memories.
Q - Where is your favorite place to go together?
A - Santa Barbara. It's where we met and fell in love, and where we're having our party. It's so meaningful to us both.
Photographer: Renoda Campbell Photography | Venue: Santa Barbara Woman’s Club | Caterer: Seasons Catering | Florist: Wild West Florals | Dessert Designer: Nikki Calderon | Wedding Gown Design: Wilderly Bride Collection | Dress Shop: GARNET + grace | Alterations: Connie Tao Designs | Rentals: Amigo Party Rentals, Otis + Pearl | Hair + Makeup: La Rouge Artistry | Officiant: Rev. Patricia Usuki of San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple
