OJAI VALLEY INN & SPA, OJAI, CA

    Kristin and Justin met during high school orientation, and later became friends. They fell in love when she arrived in Spain for a school trip and was all alone at the airport. “I had no idea where to go, where my luggage would be, what the signs were saying, or what to do,” she recalls. But Justin spotted her and charmed his way past ticketing, security, and immigration to help her. Kristin says she smiled so hard her face hurt. “He was there for me when I needed him the most…right there to take care of me. That was the moment I knew I loved him.”

    Justin tricked Kristin into going to Ojai, pretending the need to pick up a business paper. She wasn’t surprised when he told her to pack a bag for an overnight stay at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, because they’d been so busy that his suggestion for a night away and spa treatments seemed logical. “I was so excited about the room and the treatments, I was oblivious of anything else,” Kristin recalls. Yet, over cocktails that evening, she was surprised when he kneeled down and proposed. Shocked, she asked, “Are you kidding me?” But then she answered, “Yes!”

    The wedding and reception theme derived from Justin’s love of orange orchards. He’d wanted a wedding beneath an orange tree, and the Ojai Valley Inn’s Hacienda Courtyard, with its small orange trees, was perfect. The décor colors were orange and soft green, with an orange tree motif on the invitations, slices of oranges in the florals, and oranges atop the cake. 
    The theme for the attire was “unforgettable style,” and Kristin chose an Amalia Carrera ballroom-style gown with silver and gold stitching. With thousands of beads sewn into scrolls, it took eight months to create.
For Justin’s classic look, he chose a dark grey Armani Summer Collection suit with an Armani satin cream shirt, coordinating tie, and light-brown Armani shoes. 
    The reception dinner, catered by the Ojai Valley Inn, included lobster ravioli, apple cider salad, and chicken galantine, a chef’s vegetarian entrée, or grilled filet mignon of beef served with potato-parsnip pancakes. A signature drink, the “Pink Moment Martini,” was created to honor Ojai’s famed “pink moment,” when the setting sun casts a rosy glow on the surrounding mountaintops.

    Kristin and Justin stayed at the Ojai Valley Inn for two days, then honeymooned in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, Thailand.