At Olympic Volleyball Player Chase Budinger's Wedding in California, an Extra-Tall Ceremony Arch Was a Must

When Jessica Fine met Chase Budinger, a former professional basketball player turned volleybar star (who is set to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris), the first thing they did was argue—which was fitting, considering they were watching a fight (Mayweather vs. Pacquio in May 2015) at a mutual friend’s house. “We started bantering back and forth and ended up going out to Shellback (our local bar) together—and the rest is history,” they say. Four years later, they got engaged during a group wine tasting trip in Napa. “I turned around to look at the grapes and when I turned back he was on one knee,” reflects Jessica. 

As the couple began planning their celebration, they knew they wanted destination wedding vibes close to home—and Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa gave them just that, while also being easily accessible from Los Angeles. “I really loved that we could host everyone on-site so once people got there, they didn’t have to leave and everyone was able to spend extra time together on property throughout the weekend,” notes the bride, who relied on Katie Webb Brundige from Intertwined Events to bring her timeless-with-an-edge vision to life. “Jessica wasn’t afraid to use black, so we incorporated touches of black with lots of emphasis on lush flowers and candlelight,” notes the planner.

The planning process had its challenges—including limitations due to the pandemic and a last-minute turfing job when the venue’s lawn wasn’t up to snuff—but when the couple and their 120 guests gathered to celebrate on June 5, 2021, everything fell into place. Ahead, see every detail, including an extra-tall ceremony arch to accommodate the groom’s height, in photos from Rich Lander.

The couple’s invitation suite, designed by River & Bridge, previewed the pair’s big-day color palette of black, white, and green and featured a few special touches, including an olive branch vellum overlay and gold wax seal.

On the morning of the wedding, Jessica got ready alongside her bridesmaids and two maids of honor; her attendants wore ruffled black robes, while she stood out in white. The women helped her step into her Jane Hill trumpet wedding dress, complete with a sweetheart neckline, 3D floral lace, and beading. “Wedding dress shopping for me was challenging. I had always imagined myself as a wife, but didn’t picture what I would look like as a bride,” she explains. “This dress made me feel beautiful, gave me some shape, and felt unique compared to other options.”

She paired her gown with a delicate diamond necklace (a gift from the groom), diamond stud earrings (made from her grandmother’s cocktail ring), and two gold bracelets (her maids of honor wore matching bangles). “I wore a veil and the highest heels I could find,” says Jessica. “My husband is 15 inches taller than I am!”

Before Jessica and Chase met for their own first look, the bride shared a similar moment with her father and siblings. “I also did a first look with my dad and my older brothers. It was really special for them to see me as a bride—as opposed to their baby sister,” notes Jessica.

Jessica’s half of the wedding party wore black floor-length dresses from Dress the Population. “I loved that they had several options for the girls to pick from, so they all felt their best,” says the bride. “I wanted them to feel hot!” The women carried smaller iterations of Jessica’s lush, completely white bouquet by To Be Designed, which featured massive peonies, roses, tulips, ranunculus, gardenias, and stock.

Jessica’s oldest brother had one of the most important roles on the morning of the wedding: He served as the designated bow tie guy (no one else knew how to tie one!). “There is a photo of my oldest brother putting on Chase’s tie, which is one of my favorites from the day,” notes the bride of the above shot. The rest of the groom’s look—a classic black tuxedo and a ranunculus boutonnière—came together more seamlessly. The groomsmen matched him in traditional black-tie attire.

The couple’s two flower girls wore white dresses with tulle skirts and white ballet slippers, while their nephew, who stepped in as ring bearer, donned a little tux, bow tie, and Vans.

Jessica and Chase shared a first touch (while standing back-to-back) before turning around for the big reveal. "We decided to do a first look because we wanted that moment to be intimate and we also wanted to take care of a lot of the photos before the ceremony,” says the bride. “The first look also allowed us to take a breath and take each other in.”

“Because of Chase’s height, we wanted to ensure the altar had its own moment,” notes Katie, the couple’s planner. “We created a 12-foot arch to truly surround the bride and groom and create an iconic photo moment for the ceremony.” White flowers lined the arch and the aisle, transforming the venue’s lawn into a lush garden.

The bride made her way to the altar on her dad’s arm. “He held my hand so tight and made sure I walked slowly and took it all in,” reflects Jessica.

Jessica and Chase’s ceremony, which was officiated by a close friend who knew them first as individuals and then as a couple, led the pair through a service that had the crowd howling with laughter and crying the happiest tears. “We both wrote our own vows that included promises we wanted to make to each other in front of the most important people in our life,” adds Jessica. “These promises ranged from loving and supporting one another to killing spiders and a lifetime of foot massages.”

The couple served up two signature drinks from a bar with a black façade and plenty of passed appetizers, including bacon-wrapped dates, during their cocktail hour on a nearby lawn. Guests lounged on comfortable couches before finding their seating assignments for dinner via a suspended acrylic sign.

The couple’s reception was thoughtfully laid out to create “moments within the space,” notes Katie. “We included pergolas over long tables and broke them into sections so we could be specific on the lighting selections. The head table and band also had large, wood-covered truss structures holding different lighting pendants and hanging candles. Everywhere you looked there was something new, something glowing, or something different so that the guests were [always surprised]."

As dinner began (the bride notes that the risotto course was particularly memorable), Jessica and Chase shared their first dance to “Nobody but You,” by Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani (a moment the bride will never forget, she says) before they split for parent dances to Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly Kisses.”

The couple’s cake by Voo Doo Donuts was clean and modern; the buttercream-covered confection was elevated by a glass box with black trim, connecting it to the event’s design.

Following their nuptials, the pair took a quick minimoon in Cabo (“This gave us a day to decompress after the post-wedding brunch shenanigans,” says the bride) and then a couple months later, jetted off to Italy. The bride’s best piece of advice for duos currently planning their own events? “If it is in the budget, hire a wedding planner!” she shares.