Santa Barbara Couples
Tie the Knot in Style in 2025
With Sunsets, Dolphins, Disco, and Rainy-Day First Dances,
These Weddings Prove There’s No Place Like Santa Barbara
By Maggie Yates | February 26, 2026
Summer Bosse and Griffin Garner
Summer Bosse’s August wedding to husband Griffin Garner took place at Cabrillo Pavilion, the same location where her parents were married almost three decades ago. “Santa Barbara gave me the most idyllic childhood,” says Bosse, who currently resides in San Diego. “There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to get married here. It was extra special to get married at the place my parents did.”
The wedding, in shades of blue and white, was patterned in the sunny, coastal California aesthetic. The vendors represented Santa Barbara food and culture, including a welcome party at M. Special, catering by Super Cucas, and drinks by Crafted Cocktails. The couple took photographs at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse and enjoyed a cake from The Little Things Bakery. “DJ Patrick made sure the party was phenomenal,” says Bosse. “Events by Maxi made sure our florals were the perfect blend of summer in Santa Barbara, and my husband’s East Coast roots, and Amigo Event Rentals made sure everything looked stellar.” As a final, meaningful touch, the wedding ceremony was officiated by Bosse’s grandfather.
Karen Hinds and Cédric Charneau
In May 2022, five days after French hairstylist Cédric Charneau moved to Santa Barbara, he met his future wife, Karen Hinds. “We had an absolutely dreamy wedding at the El Hogar estate in Montecito,” says Hinds, “but it was atypical.” The couple celebrated their partnership but refrained from a legal marriage to prevent Karen from becoming exempt from the disability and Medicare on which she depends. However, after a meeting with a disability attorney, the couple learned they could legally marry without losing Karen’s health care coverage or social service assistance. They signed their government documents at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse on December 2 of 2025.
“My husband is 53, and I am 49,” says Hinds. “The two main messages I would like to convey to inspire others are that it’s never too late for love, and even though a person has a mental illness, married life is possible! We are deeply grateful for the winding, wonderful road that brought us together.”
Kelly and Tyler Hansen
Kelly and Tyler Hansen were born at Cottage Hospital within 48 hours of each other. While they attended different schools growing up, they had mutual friends who kept them within each other’s spheres. When they returned from college, it took them only a few years to reconnect and fall in love. The couple married on October 4, on the tenth anniversary of their first date, at the Ocean View Farm in Carpinteria. This avocado and coffee farm boasts a sweeping view of the Channel Islands on the horizon.
A funky, disco-themed dinner and reception was held at SOhO, which is owned and operated by the Hansen family. Guests enjoyed dinner and churros (courtesy of Chef Orlando and the SOhO kitchen), along with beer, wine, and cocktails, and Area 51 played the hits for guests to dance the night away. “Having Ann Johnson and Hilary Vega of Ann Johnson Events plan and coordinate our wedding took so much stress off of our shoulders,” says Kelly. Johnson and Vega also served as day-of coordinators, allowing the couple to focus on their guests and each other.
Ally Shiras and Jacob Rubin
During COVID, Eos, like many establishments, moved its dining areas to outdoor patios and parklets. Through friends in the roller-skating community, Ally Shiras was offered a “waitress-on-wheels” position at Eos, where a mutual work friend introduced her to Jacob Rubin. After five years of dating and a beach proposal, the couple wed on Santa Claus Lane Beach on October 3, followed by a reception at Padaro Beach Grill, where guests enjoyed a wedding cake from Jeannine’s bakery. Festivities also included a surrey ride along the beach path, a BBQ at Ledbetter Beach, and a dog in a bear costume acting as ringbearer.
Shayna Hallman and Markus Boehme
After five years in Santa Barbara, Shayna Hallman and Markus Boehme, like many ocean-loving locals, had fallen in love with the sun and the sea. While beach weddings are popular, the couple decided, instead, to marry on the open ocean. The wedding party convened at Stearns Wharf for a tour on Celebration Cruises’ Azure Seas yacht.
The couple exchanged vows as the party cruised toward Butterfly Beach. “Dolphins swam alongside us, with seals and sea lions making appearances, as if to join the party,” says Shayna. “The sunset was breathtaking, and the evening felt impossibly perfect.”
Bailey and Brendan Watts
Brendan and Bailey, both adventurers at heart, got engaged on the beaches of Mallorca. They decided to wed in Bailey’s hometown of Santa Barbara and planned their October 18 event at the Montecito Club. “[It] was such an incredible setting with Santa Barbara coastline as the backdrop,” says Bailey. “During the ceremony, two hummingbirds were flying right next to us!” Cocktail hour and dinner in the main dining room were followed by an after-party downtown at Joe’s Café.
Maddie Bordofsky and Steven Polchinski
“Steven and I got married at the [Santa Barbara] Zoo this past June. Our vendors were all amazing, and the day could not have gone more perfectly thanks to all of them. Steven and I are both Santa Barbara locals — I’m a teacher, and he’s a therapist — and we were excited to celebrate with our families and friends from near and far at a location that highlights Santa Barbara’s beauty so well.” —Maddie Bordofsky
Josh and Sarah Enix
Josh and Sara Enix were married in August 2025 at the Hilton Beachfront Resort. They met on Bumble and dated for two years before Josh proposed. “He took me up one of the steepest switchbacks in Yosemite Valley and proposed to me at Snow Creek with the view of Half Dome at sunset in the background,” says Sarah. After the proposal, Josh produced champagne, flutes, and blankets from his backpack — all of which he’d hauled up the almost 3,000-foot vertical-incline hike.
Sarah thanks her amazing vendors for helping make the couple’s big day stress-free, especially their coordinator, Kelsey, from Everlast Events. “Kelsey was my three-month coordinator,” says Sarah. “She was always 10 steps ahead of me!”
Lauren and Joe Rafferty
Lauren Rafferty, a local wedding photographer and art dealer, married her husband, Joe (whose family owns the Press Room), at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum during the storm of the year. As November’s atmospheric river set a course straight for the city, “no worries” turned into frantic backup planning. Wedding coordinator Kinsey Eager of Eager Events secured clear tents and spent the day on rain duty, even sweeping water from the reception floor.
“I married my best friend in the pouring rain,” says Lauren, “and it was truly perfect…. How lucky are we to listen to this sound of rain droplets during our first dance, and have people who love us so dearly they’ll party all night in the rain.”
Pamela Shaw and Todd Gross
Pamela Shaw (“the Mermaid”) and Todd Gross (“the Fox”) met casually as neighbors sharing pleasantries in their apartment building’s parking lot. Banter evolved into deep conversations about the couple’s shared passions, such as travel, sailing, and the arts. They began dating in 2017, spending time on the ocean, experiencing cultural events around town, and discussing spirituality on the grounds of The Sacred Space in Summerland.
After Todd proposed on the beach in front of Caruso’s at the Miramar, the couple planned an intimate ceremony at The Sacred Space. “The micro-wedding felt intimate, warm, and truly magical for all,” says Pamela, who describes the event as a “dreamy wedding that reflected who we are: inclusive, wholehearted, mindful, spiritual, family-oriented, a bit silly, certainly whimsical, authentic, and deeply in love.”
Cody Sell and Jessica Marquez
Jessica Marquez and Cody Sell, who married in October, began dating while they were students at San Marcos High School. “When Cody proposed,” says Jessica, “it felt less like a surprise and more like a beautiful, intentional next chapter to a life we had already been building side by side for many years.” The ceremony was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, followed by a reception at the Marquez family ranch in Carpinteria. The reception area, filled with locally sourced orchids, offered beautiful views of the surrounding land along Gobernador Canyon. “At the reception, we leaned into a less traditional approach focused on creating a fully immersive guest experience,” says Jessica. “In addition to interactive elements like a tattoo artist, a live painter capturing the evening in real time, hand-rolled cigars, and an immersive bar, fragrance was thoughtfully diffused onto the dance floor — creating a sensory memory we hoped guests might carry with them long after the night ended.”
Chad and Devon Langel
Devon Klein earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing and accepted a position at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. “For a Santa Barbara girl, life in Iowa came with a steep learning curve — especially in the bitter winter months,” says Devon. Luckily, her neighbors were kind and helpful. Casual acquaintanceship grew into friendship, and it was through this network that she met and fell in love with Chad Langel, her neighbor’s younger brother.
During a trip to Santa Barbara, Chad orchestrated a proposal that included dinner at Roy and visits to the Canary Hotel rooftop and the Santa Barbara County Courthouse clock tower. The couple planned to exchange vows on the bluffs, but the November storms made the hike to the promontory impassable. The couple pivoted to their backup plan and wed on the beach in front of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club on November 21. “The ceremony was private, intimate, and deeply heartfelt,” says Devon. “Laughter filled the room, glasses were raised, and the evening glowed with candlelight, beautiful florals, music, and heartfelt conversation. Family and friends gathered not simply to celebrate a wedding — but to honor two lives beautifully intertwined.”
Kimi Vandyk and Kent Epperson
Kent and Kimi were married on September 20, 2025, but their love story began nine years earlier at Kimi’s post–Summer Solstice parade “Pink Party” ensemble gathering. It was truly love at first sight. The couple’s first date was an e-cargo-bike ride up to Franceschi Park for a sunset picnic, followed by a nightcap at Elsie’s Tavern. Kent proposed on Valentine’s Day 2024.
Soon after, Kent retired, and the couple launched Wholesome Heart Productions, pouring their combined talents into planning a joyful, full-on DIY, budget-friendly wedding weekend. With decades of experience in business, community service, video and event creation, design, and marketing, they traded services for hair, makeup, and photography and later edited their own wedding film. They also designed the wedding menu and catered the celebration themselves, supported by family and friends from Hawai‘i, Colorado, Canada, and Santa Barbara. Their ceremony was held in the natural beauty of Veronica Springs Church, followed by dinner and a reception. The day concluded in the church’s sanctuary with the couple sharing their heartfelt testimonies and a full-immersion “double-dip” baptism to seal their covenant. The newlyweds then enjoyed a month-long campervan honeymoon supported by contributions to their “Adventure FUNd.”
Amie and Greg Brallier
“Our wedding day made all my dreams come true,” says Amie Brallier, who married her husband, Greg, in October. “I felt like a Disney princess!”
“Greg is a man who epitomizes love and kindness,” says Amie. “He was completely broken in two when I met him in 2021 after his wife died from breast cancer. Over the next three years, he became somewhat whole again, then was shattered into a million pieces after his only child died. We are in the long process of putting him back together again.”
Amie says Greg makes her feel safe and seen. “There’s no drama, and I don’t have to make myself small. Greg is patient, generous, and full of quiet strength. He’s taught me that real love feels like — safety, laughter, and light. He loves me just as I am.”
Geordie and Mike Scully-Taylor
Geordie and Mike Scully-Taylor’s approach to wedding planning included several non-negotiables: celebrating each other and sharing their love with friends and family, maintaining environmental mindfulness and putting as much money back into the local community as they could, and throwing a “slamming” party.
In an effort to create a low-waste, reasonably priced event, the couple spent very little on décor, instead leaning into the natural beauty of their venue at Elings Park. The couple used wedding coordinator Brooke Martin with White Sage Wedding and photographer Kristen Smith with Veils & Tails. “In the interest of throwing a slamming party,” says Geordie, “we decided that a deejay really helps with keeping the vibes up … DJ Bonnie did just that!”
The couple also praises the Buy Nothing community on Facebook, which was started to enable borrowing, trading, and gifting necessities within the community rather than buying new ones. The couple decided to post everything they acquired for their wedding back on Buy Nothing to contribute to a circular economy based on sustainability, says Geordie.
Anniversaries
Sue and John Burk
Sue Burk and her husband, John, who celebrated their 25th anniversary last May, met through the personals section of the Santa Barbara Independent! Before swiping on dating apps, people could post a personal ad along with a short, recorded message (which was assigned an ID code). Interested parties would call the personals line, use the code to direct to the appropriate voicemail box, and leave a message of their own. Couples could then contact each other if they wanted to meet.
John answered Sue’s ad, and the two met for dinner. Having never met, John told Sue to watch for a man in a red jacket. “I tried to stay under the radar in case I needed to make a quick escape,” says Sue. “To my relief, the man in the red jacket looked completely normal — actually, quite handsome…. Dinner was lovely, the conversation flowed, and we ended up closing the place down. He walked me to my car, we agreed to see each other again, and the rest truly is history.”
Kelli Jensen Nunn and Stan Nunn
“We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary on January 11 of this year in Santa Barbara, my hometown, where we were married. We had a wonderful time! Same gorgeous weather as 40 years ago!” —Kelli Jensen Nunn
Eva Alexander-Gutierrez and James Gutierrez
“My husband and I are both natives and were married at the zoo in 1994. We were just there this month, reminiscing about our beautiful day 31 years ago.” —Eva Alexander-Gutierrez
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