Name: Tarah & Steven Dunn
Wedding Date: September 5th, 2021
Wedding Location: Whidbey Island, Washington
Number of guests: 70
We love to know the back-story, how did you first meet? And how did he propose?
After meeting on a dating app back in October of 2018, our first date was an impromptu get-together at a local coffee shop. We were immediately drawn to each other, and talked well past midnight. Fast forward 2 years to this past February, where Steven and I were on a road trip to join my sister and her husband in the desert for a little weekend getaway. Unbeknownst to me, the whole trip was a set-up. As we were on our way to the AirBnb, Steven pulled off on a dirt road and suggested we take some photos on his film camera — a very normal thing for us to do. He led me to a cathedral-like rock formation— which he scouted a few days prior— where a path of white rose petals led to a blanket and champagne picnic setup. After seeing this, I realized what was happening, and I pretty much entered into a heart-pounding tunnel vision, where, all of a sudden, the man of my dreams was down on one knee, asking me to marry him. It was the most thoughtful proposal I could have asked for. As if the proposal wasn’t enough of a surprise — a group of my dearest friends and family were waiting for us at the AirBnb, where we spent the remainder of the weekend drinking margaritas and basking in the desert sun.
Tell us about the styling/theme for your wedding? What was the atmosphere like on the day?
We wanted the style of the wedding to draw from the natural surroundings of the venue, which was an orchard on Whidbey Island. We didn't want to take away from the natural beauty of the property, so we opted for a simple and organic, yet elegant feel. It was important to me that all the florals were native to the island, and that none of it felt manufactured or over-produced. To me, my favorite feature of the venue was the long family-style dinner table, which was surrounded with vintage mismatched chairs and a eucalyptus runner with local apples picked that morning. We wanted it to feel like a late-summer dinner party, with all of our closest friends and family, and that’s exactly how it felt.
What do you feel was the most unique/memorable part of your wedding?
I think the setting we were in made the whole trip memorable, since it was a destination wedding, after all. Getting married on an island, which required all of our guests to travel to some capacity, was unique and made the whole weekend feel like one big vacation with all of our closest friends. Also, something that was brought up by nearly all of our guests after the wedding was how delicious the food was.
Tell us about your wedding dress & how you came to choose the perfect one:
One of the easiest decisions I made in regards to the wedding was choosing my wedding dress. I had an idea of what I wanted before I started looking, but when I saw this dress from a previous collection, I fell in love. After lots of searching online and with no luck finding retailers that held the dress in stock near me, let alone in this country, I moved on. Serendipitously, I found the dress listed on a resale site by a sweet woman based in London, England. She bought the dress in Paris at a sample sale, and ended up finding a dress she loved more, and decided to sell the very dress I was looking for. Long story short, she packaged it in multiple weather-proof bags to protect it from the rainy UK weather and it arrived here a week later in all its silky, georgette-layered glory. After many try-ons and intricate tailoring work, this was the final product. I couldn’t be happier with it, and it was just one of the many things that made me feel beautiful, and myself, that day.
Wedding dress brand: Donatelle Godart, Paris
Wedding dress style name: “Movement”
Name of Lolaknight earrings worn on the day: Alora Earrings
Is there anything you wish you had done differently? Honestly, I wouldn't have changed a thing.
What advice would you give to future brides?
Let go of all the expectations other people may have surrounding your wedding day, and stick with what feels right for you and your partner.
Photographer: Ali Beck @alibeckphoto
Tell us about your suppliers: Lovely Night Catering
Make up artist + Hair: I did my own!
Celebrant: David Shoffner, a family friend and chaplain of the U.S. Army
Florist: Erica Delaney at Whidbey Island Weddings
Styling/furniture/decorations: Whidbey Island Weddings, Wayfarer
Groom’s suit: Calvin Klein
Musicians/DJ: Violinists: Dustin & Avery, Whidbey Island Wedding
