Janelle meet Tucker in high school her freshman year. “I would pick up the daily attendance sheet for the school office, and I just happened to collect a form from Tucker’s class,” she remembers. “He was sitting in the back (he got in trouble in class) and when I would open the door to collect the attendance sheet, he would always say ‘Hi.’ “Pretty soon, he started to get in trouble a lot so he could say hi to me every day.”

One night, while she and Tucker talked about possibly getting engaged, Janelle’s phone went off in the other room. “I got up and checked and it was a text message from Tucker saying, “Come back in the room,”’ she says. “I was confused and thought nothing of it. As I came back to bed, he was on one knee and asked me to be his wife. Of course, I said yes!”

Janelle describes the planning process for their wedding as surprisingly smooth, finding the right dress and venue with total ease. “My favorite moment was walking into the Jefferson Street Mansion in Benicia, where we had the ceremony and reception, and knowing within two minutes that this was the place we were going to be married in,” she shares. “We just looked at each other and basically said, ‘where do we sign?’”

Preferring a “simple and sweet” ceremony, the couple was married by Tucker’s uncle, who got ordained for their nuptials. “We felt it was important that the person who officiated over the ceremony was someone we knew. He did a great job,” she says. Both she and Tucker also wrote their own vows to each other. Janelle’s vows in particular got a huge laugh from the gathering of friends and family. “Tucker is a huge New York Yankees fan, so I promised him in my vows that I would never betray him and become a Red Sox fan because only real women marry Yankees fans,” she smiles.

Both the ceremony and reception were held under white tents decorated with beautiful chandeliers. Following a family tradition, Janelle asked her grandmother to make their wedding cake. “It was hard to believe that my grandmother made a cake that looked better than the ones I had seen at other weddings, says the bride. “And it was delicious! I’m not a huge cake fan but Tucker loves chocolate cake. So, we had alternating layers of chocolate and Funfetti cake - the only cake I like so it was a fun compromise!”

Above all, Janelle says her favorite part of the day was getting to hear them announced for the first time as Janelle and Tucker Esler. “We had been together since high school and grown up with each other. It was so refreshing to finally hear I was Mrs. Tucker Esler,” she says. “We had come full circle and had a beautiful wedding with all of our family and friends.”

Ceremony Site: Jefferson Street Mansion
Officiant: Rev. Sean Garrett
Photographer: D. Elaine Photography   Phone: 530-676-0708
Reception Site: D. Elaine Photography
Hair: Talk of the Town Salon
Make-up: Talk of the Town Salon
Bridal Attire: Downtown Gowns
Bridesmaid Attire: Downtown Gowns
Flowergirl Attire: Downtown Gowns
Groom's Attire: Tuxedo Den
Groomsmen Attire: Tuxedo Den
Bride's Jeweler: Zales
Groom's Jeweler: Zales
Flowers: Pearson's Florist
Caterer: Englunds
Cake: Bride's Grandmother Arlena Howard
Favors: Bride & Groom Heart Mint Tins
Honeymoon Location: Caribbean Islands
First Dance Song: This Kind of Love by Sister Hazel
Father/Daughter Dance Song: Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman
Mother/Son Dance Song: My Wish by Rascal Flatts

Any tips you'd give to brides and grooms planning their wedding:
Make sure you remember why you wanted to get married in the first place. This day is about each other and the love that you have for one another, nothing else. So, relax!

Details about this couples cake:
Funfetti and chocolate with a vanilla whipped frosting

Details about this couples flowers:
White roses and stephanotis


Anything else about your wedding?
The Jefferson Street Mansion was amazing. They were always one step ahead and always thinking about the bride and groom's happiness first. It was a unique and beautiful location that made all of our wedding dreams come true.

What would you have done differently if you had the chance?
Nothing...it was the best day of my life!