More than likely, he threw the game. Laura and Nolan had been dating for five years, and one day he challenged her to a bocce ball game. If she won, he said he would buy her something pretty. She won sure enough, so he got down on one knee and presented her with a ring. Of course she said yes, tearfully, and a few months later they were married at the Grand Ballroom in Downtown Sacramento. “It had the kind of classic and romantic feel we were looking for,” Laura says. “We’d also wanted an outdoor wedding, so once we saw the rooftop there was no question we’d get married there.”

The radiant bride wore a dress she describes as “simple and classic,” but it was what she was wearing along with it that made the ensemble particularly special. Her something borrowed was a handkerchief from Nolan’s grandmother, her something old was a cross from her own grandmother, and her something blue was her great-grandmother’s aquamarine ring.

Most everyone has heard of slipping a penny into the bride’s left shoe for wealth and good fortune, but few know where that tradition came from, or that its origin comes from an all but forgotten fifth line from the old Victorian rhyme: Something old, Something new, something borrowed, something blue, a silver sixpence in your shoe. “My maid of honor brought an actual sixpence from England—something very hard to find,” Laura says. “With that, I had everything covered.”

Their ceremony was unique—they’d both wanted it to be more about their “story” than a traditional wedding. For a special touch, each of their mothers wrote a story about them and read it aloud. “We wanted something that told everyone something about us that they might not have known,” Laura says. “Now everyone knows Nolan missed a water polo game on purpose so he could go to a dance with me, and that there’s a picture of me when I was a kid doing little miss cowgirl, a picture that Nolan keeps at his desk.”

As with many couples, their big day was a blur but some things stand out to each of them. First, the rooftop wedding came complete with an amazing sunset, and when Laura first saw Nolan as she was walking down the aisle, he was shaking so bad she thought he was going to pass out. She could certainly understand what he was feeling. “It’s just so amazing when you get that first look at each other,” she says. “And then there you are at the altar and suddenly it hits you that you’re really getting married.”

Their reception was traditional—the main thing for the newlyweds was to celebrate with family and friends, and get some great pictures. “We had multiple photographers because we knew everything would happen so fast, and we didn’t want to miss any of it,” Laura says. “We wanted to capture all of the little moments between us, and between everyone else who was part of our day.”

Ceremony Site: Sacramento Grand Ballroom
Officiant: Michael Fox
Ceremony Music: Camellia String Quartet   Phone: 916-447-4648
Photographer: Andrea's Images Photography   Phone: 916-225-3395
Reception Site: Sacramento Grand Ballroom
Hair: Essence Salon & Spa
Make-up: Haley, MAC
Bridesmaid Attire: House of Fashion
Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Groomsmen Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Bride's Jeweler: Kirk's Jewelers
Groom's Jeweler: Titanium Style
Invitations: Stephanie J Designs   Phone: 916-257-1641
Flowers: Accents by Sage
Caterer: Event Architects
Cake: Divine Desserts by Aguirre
Favors: Candy Bar
Table Linens: Event Architects
Chair Covers: Event Architects
Honeymoon Location: Ireland, Paris and London
First Dance Song: This Year's Love by David Gray
Father/Daughter Dance Song: I Loved Her First by Heartland
Mother/Son Dance Song: I Hope You Dance by Leann Womack
Cake Cutting Song: How Sweet It Is by Michael Buble
Bouquet Toss Song: Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyonce
Garter Toss Song: Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins

Any tips you'd give to brides and grooms planning their wedding:
Keep things simple. When you think too hard or too much on one thing it stops being fun and not what you want. Don't back down on what you want, but realize that nothing is perfect, and if something goes wrong the day of, just go with it. Be happy in the fact that you're getting married and nothing else really matters.

Anything else about your wedding?
We had some amazing vendors. I enjoyed working with Andrea (from Andrea's Images Photography) whose images are amazing, and our cake was the best I've ever tasted. I really wanted people I could easily get along with and who were true professionals.

What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
I wish I had danced more. I was so busy trying to see everyone that I didn't get a lot of time on the dance floor to just let go.