This Couple's Garden Nuptials Prove That Two Ceremony Arches Are Better Than One

Cody and Mark first crossed paths at a hiking wellness retreat in Malibu, California, in April 2017. Four years later, in the summer of 2021, the couple went on a boat ride in Montecito, California, which is when Mark took the opportunity to pop the question (naturally, Cody said yes!). After their engagement, the couple celebrated with dinner at San Ysidro Ranch. As soon as Cody saw the ranch’s stonehouse terrace and carriage house, she knew that was the perfect venue for them to tie the knot. “We met and got engaged in California, so it only felt right to get married there,” Cody says. 

The couple invited 66 guests to their October 9, 2022, wedding at the ranch. Cody and Mark envisioned an event filled with vibrant garden roses and dahlias with décor in a warm color palette to invoke the Southern California coast. The couple lives in New York City, so they hired Augusta Cole and her team to plan and design the big day. “Planning a wedding across the country isn’t easy and she made every concern go away, keeping me at ease,” the bride says.

The couple kicked off the day with a first look before signing the ketubah with their rabbi and exchanging vows in front of their closest loved ones. You won’t want to miss any of the details of their intimate flower-filled day. Read on to see the photos by Lacie Hansen.

Cody and Mark invited their 66 guests to kick off the festivities with a rehearsal dinner and join them for their wedding the following day. They worked with Amber Moon Design to customize their invitation suite with neutral tones and a rich terra-cotta hue to set the stage for the wedding day color palette. “We loved the warm tones for the southern California coast,” Cody says.

The duo welcomed guests with a woven bag full of their favorite items. “We love hiking and hoped our guests would get out there and enjoy the Montecito views, so we gave everyone water bottles, baseball caps with SYR on the front, and Susie Cakes cookies which are our very favorite, along with some other local goodies,” Cody says.

When Cody went shopping for her wedding dress at Bergdorf Goodman, she spotted a Reem Acra cap sleeve textured gown with floral applique detailing throughout—and knew it was the one. “The second I saw it, it felt like the most unique of what I’d seen,” she says. “It was the opposite of anything I thought I’d ever end up wearing.”

She accessorized with pearl drop earrings her sister gave her the night before the wedding, slingback Manolo Blahnik pumps, and a cathedral-length veil. For her big-day beauty look, she wanted to feel natural, soft, and romantic. “I knew I wanted a loose bun given the garden ranch setting,” she says. Her bridal bouquet consisted of garden roses, ranunculus, and mini dahlias.

Mark wore a Ralph Lauren white tuxedo jacket paired with black tuxedo pants for the wedding.

Cody and Mark chose to have a first look so that they could spend their cocktail hour with their guests. “It was really magical,” the bride says. “We were up in a garden overlooking the property, all dressed up, and it just hit. We both teared up. It was surreal.” Before the ceremony, Cody and Mark gathered with their Rabbi and closest loved ones to sign their ketubah.

The pair's ceremony took place at the base of the ranch’s rose garden. “The roses were so fully in bloom during the wedding weekend,” Cody says. “It was incredible.” Cody and Mark wanted a floral statement, so they worked with florist Kathleen Deery Design to create a delicate floral-lined aisle and cover the venue’s existing greenery arches in pink, white, and yellow flowers.

Cody walked down the aisle with her father to a live string rendition of “You and Me” by Dave Matthews. The couple exchanged vows under two fragrant ceremony arches before celebrating back down the aisle to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

Finally pronounced husband and wife, Cody and Mark stepped away with their photographer to take portraits in the garden before rejoining their guests at the cocktail hour.

During that interlude, guests took in views of the California hills and sipped on drinks. The couple’s planning team decorated an outdoor bar with lush arrangements of hydrangea, roses, and dahlias and set up conversation tables and lounge furniture to encourage guests to mingle with each other. Cody and Mark made sure to serve 1942 tequila and some of their favorite canapés.

A geometric shelf was set up as an escort display, holding arrangements of pink dahlias and roses in terra-cotta pots. Each arrangement had a label with guest’s names and table numbers for dinner written in calligraphy by Amber Moon Design.

The reception took place at the stonehouse terrace at San Ysidro Ranch, a 19th-century citrus packing house that opens up to a terrace where guests took in treetop views of the Pacific ocean. Long tables were topped with ivory tweed linens with a subtle pop of terracotta color. The place settings included porcelain dishes, white linen napkins, and custom debossed menus. “Our waterglass made a decorative pop with gold-filigree and we were all about the tapered candlelight at dinner,” Cody says. Polished pink, orange, and cream floral arrangements ran the length of each table.

Cody and Mark’s guests enjoyed their favorite tortilla soup from the ranch’s restaurant as a start to their meal. Next, they enjoyed a little gem lettuce salad, followed by their choice of parmesan crusted halibut, roasted organic chicken, or pan seared filet of beef. “It was important to us to give our guests choices so they could really enjoy this special restaurant,” the bride says.

The couple hired a DJ with a horns section to get the dance party started. “Music is really important to both of us, but especially Mark, so we worked closely with DJ Cam to nail the vibe,” Cody says. The newlyweds danced to “Sparks” by Coldplay for their first dance as husband and wife.

The couple had a classic four-tiered wedding cake embellished with greenery and roses—and chose a funfetti flavor. “That is very us,” Cody says. The cake made a statement displayed on a round table with a pink floral patterned tablecloth.

As the party continued, the couple kept guests full with late-night snacks, including cheeseburger sliders. Cody changed into a one-shoulder Carolina Herrera mini dress with a big bow on the back for dancing. “I had been searching online and found it in Europe,” she says. “The second I saw this, I called Carolina Herrera and had them find it for me to try!”

Cody and Mark spent their honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. To couples who are planning their own big days, Cody says to hire a wedding planner who really understands you. "My wedding planner was so incredibly patient and was always three steps ahead of us," she says.