Camille and Kristen, who met through Tinder, moved to California from the Midwest to start a new life. After getting engaged, they decided they wanted their wedding to pay homage to their industrial roots. They also took a DIY approach to wedding planning in order to save their coins, but you wouldn’t know it based on the stunning photos from their cliffside ceremony.
The non-traditional yet breathtaking ceremony took place at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve in San Diego. Though the day was initially hard for Camille, whose family wasn’t able to attend, they found creative ways to make the day special and keep her people there in spirit.
The couple once again broke tradition and threw a super laid-back reception at a bowling alley, complete with a full brunch menu and a room full of their best friends. Scroll through the gallery and see the most gorgeous photos from Camille and Kristen’s ceremony.
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01
Meet The Andrews
Bride: Camille “CROWNE” Reaves, singer/songwriter, 27
Bride: Kristen Tayler Andrews, Human Resources Director, 28
Theme: Outdoor/Industrial
Venue: West Overlook, Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, San Diego, CA
Reception: Punch Bowl Social, San Diego, CA
Event coordinator: NakedPlans
Makeup: ShadedbyShay
Photography: Yvonne Lopez
02
The Proposal
Kristen proposed to Camille at one of their favorite Greek restaurants, surrounded by their closest friends.”I decided to tell Camille we should have some people come to town to help us celebrate our anniversary,” said Kristen. “I looked at Camille and told her that the last 3 years meant everything to me and I loved who we had become. I’ll have to look at the video to see what else I said but I pulled out the ring box from behind my back and asked her to marry me. She said yes and cried and the entire restaurant clapped for us. It was really beautiful.”
03
On This Day
“My relationship with my parents has been pretty complicated since coming out to them at the beginning of our relationship,” Camille tells ESSENCE. “While things are improving, my family, unfortunately, wasn’t able to attend. My mom sent me a beautiful letter on the morning of my wedding wishing us well and we Facetimed before the ceremony.?
04
Beauty On A Budget
Camille kept wedding costs low by finding savvy ways to shop for her look. “We were doing bridal on a budget so don’t judge me when I say this – *whispers* It’s Fashion Nova! No really, my wedding dress and reception romper were both from FashionNova.com and together cost under $100. They were perfect though!”
05
Bridal Attire
“I found my outfit online,” Kristen says. “It’s from Pretty Little Things and was very cost efficient AND had pockets. Can’t beat it.”
06
Closer Than Close
Crowne and Kristen had gathered 20 of their closest friends at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, San Diego, CA. “I was still nervous at the ceremony site,” said Crowne, “but once I started walking down the aisle and I saw Kris, I started thanking God for blessing us and bringing us together, and the rest of the day was magical.”
07
With This Ring
Kristen and Crowne wrote their own vows for the ceremony.
08
You May Now Kiss The Bride
“I couldn’t believe it was happening,” Kristen says of their wedding day. “I don’t think it really hit me on the day of, but the married life afterward has been more awesome than I could’ve imagined.”
09
A Loyal Tribe
Kristen and Crowne found ways to save by leaning on their friends. “I think the biggest thing that saved us money was that our community stepped in to help wherever they could,” says Crowne. “A local friend connected us with the woodworker who did our arch. Our photographer is a close friend and knew our situation, so she offered to shoot for free. We were just truly blessed.”
10
200 Miles To Love
“Our hashtag was #2000milestothealtar because we moved to California from the Midwest about a year after we started dating,” says the couple. “We wanted to celebrate, not only our journey and our new life in California but also our friends and family members that have supported us along the way and are celebrating our union.”
11
A Rose Is Still A Rose
Camille and Kristen’s bouquets had sentimental meaning. “Since my parents couldn’t attend the ceremony, my mom gifted me with a dried anniversary bouquet that my dad gave to her on their 25th wedding anniversary,” Camille revealed. “I combined those flowers with my personal collection of dried florals to make me and Kris’ bouquets, and the flower crown that I wore down the aisle.”
12
Industrial Roots
“Our wedding colors were burgundy and rose gold and our original theme was ‘Industrial’ to pay homage to our Midwestern roots in Cleveland, OH and St. Louis, MO. We wanted elements of steel, wood, and brick present, however, that was a tall order for an outdoor wedding in a state park lol. We ended up incorporating the industrial theme within our reception.”
13
The Special Details
“Our geometric arch was handmade and gifted to us to keep by a local queer woodworker and friend of a close friend.”
14
A Laid Back Reception
Camille and Kristen opted for a brunch style reception. “We selected a brunch buffet menu for our reception to be true to ourselves because, like most millennials, we truly love brunch! We also decided to opt out of cake altogether.”
15
Lucky Strike
The guests even got treated to a few rounds of bowling.
16
Signed and Sealed
True to their non-traditional approach, Camille and Kristen used wooden cutouts spelling “C & K” that they got when they first moved to San Diego. “We had our guests sign them in copper and silver sharpies, then we sealed them and put them back up for display.”
17
Camille and Kristen’s Advice To Brides
“Be selfish, make the ceremony and reception the way YOU TWO want it to be. Don’t let others pressure you into doing something that they want when they more than likely aren’t going to be the ones shouldering the bill.”
