This San Diego Wedding's Theme Was "The Flintstones"-Coded

Aimee and Ben were introduced by a mutual friend at a club in Aspen, Colorado, back in March 2019 and they completely hit it off. Two and a half years later, Ben popped the question on one of their favorite hikes on Fisher Towers trail in Moab, Utah. The couple knew right away they wanted to host their wedding at Ben’s grandmother’s home outside of San Diego, California. “She’s 98 years old and we wanted to make sure she could be at the wedding,” Ben says. “Plus, she’s got a great pool and lawn!”

Aimee and Ben admit narrowing down their guest list was the hardest part of the planning process, but were able to gather and accommodate 230 guests at a private residence on August 6, 2022, to celebrate their nuptials. They hired Heather Balliet and her team at Amorology to plan and design their celebration with lots of colorful décor inspired by The Flintstones (a nod to the bride's nickname), wildflowers, and nods to the couple’s shared love of rock n’ roll and music festivals (live music, a silent disco, and a late-night pool party sealed the deal). Keep reading to see every photo—you don't want to miss how this couple’s wedding party showed up in style—in photos by Magi Fisher.

After trying on different several wedding dress silhouettes, Aimee knew she wanted a fit-and-flare gown. When she tried on a beaded lace Netta Benshabu number with an illusion bodice, off-the-shoulder flare sleeves, and a sheer, low back, she knew it was the one. “This dress spoke to me and I couldn’t get it out of my head,” she says. “I also loved how I could change the look throughout the day, wearing the sleeves down the aisle but taking them off for the party!”

She asked Team Hair and Makeup to give her a bold eye with an amber desert eyeshadow hue for a pop of color—and a half up, half down hairstyle for the ceremony that she could take down for the party later. Aimee prepped her skin with a series of Clear and Brilliant laser treatments and hydrafacials once a month leading up to the wedding day to feel her best.

The duo shared a first look before the ceremony. “It was a special moment to just be together before all the madness began,” Aimee says. “Also, it helped the photographers out to ensure they got some good portraits of us beforehand.”

As for Ben’s wedding day look? He opted for a bespoke, white three-piece suit. He also wore Kiehl’s Musk Essence Oil as his big-day fragrance.

Aimee and Ben had a large wedding party that included some of their closest friends along with Ben’s two brothers and Aimee’s three brothers. They came up with a vibrant color palette and asked each member to choose an ensemble in their go-to hue, which resulted in a unique mix of gowns and suits.

“Each guy had a different suit color,” Ben says. “They chose from a palette of options we put together.” Groomsmen designed a custom suit, including style and fit, with Nicholas Joseph; the couple gifted them each a bolo tie by Robin Mollicone to match their suit color.

Aimee held a bouquet of orchids, dahlias, roses, lisianthus, and gloriosa lilies in shades of blush, peach, and pops of red. Bridesmaids held smaller versions of her bridal bouquet. The pair enlisted their nieces and nephews to handle flower duties on the aisle.

As Heather Balliet and her team at Amorology got to know Aimee and Ben throughout the planning process, they learned that Aimee’s nickname is Bam Bam—so they added some nods to The Flintstone’s Bedrock throughout the day’s décor. The ceremony chuppah was made to look like rock covered in flowing blush, orange, and yellow flowers and greenery. Wildflowers and grasses lined the aisle; guests were seated in white chairs on the lawn.

As the ceremony began, Ben walked down the aisle with his parents while a live string quartet played “Bittersweet Symphony.” The couple’s nieces and nephews processed in next holding disco ball baskets for their flower petals. “They all wore what their parents put them in,” Aimee says. “The girls got fairy wings.”

The couple’s dog, Sancho, was their ring bearer, in a floral collar, of course! When Aimee walked down the aisle with her father, the quartet switched to Pachelbel's "Canon in D."

Aimee and Ben wrote and exchanged their own vows. “Just standing at the altar staring at each other was such a happy moment!” Aimee says. Once they were pronounced husband and wife, the couple grabbed some sunglasses and celebrated back down the aisle to “Walking on Sunshine.”

At the cocktail hour, the couple’s planning team set up a Champagne station for guests to enjoy; nearby baskets with white parasols offered attendees some protection from the hot California sun.

A wooden breezeway that led to the reception tent was decorated in flower garlands, greenery, and tons of colorful hanging ribbons to incorporate a music festival vibe.

In lieu of a traditional guest book, the pair's loved ones left voice messages on a vintage phone while they enjoyed signature cocktails and live music.

While guests mingled at the cocktail hour, Aimee and Ben stepped away with their photographer to take photos with a vintage blue Mustang. The couple’s florist, Native Poppy, added some flowers and greenery to the scene; they brought their dog, Sancho, into the photos, too.

Guests moved into a white sailcloth tent draped with blue linens for the couple’s reception. On their way, they grabbed escort cards displayed on beds of stones under a sign that read “Just a Stone's Throw.” The display incorporated flower arrangements in ceramic vases and stoneware.

Inside the tent, vibrant floral installations were suspended from the ceiling along with a variety of textured pendant lamps. Aimee and Ben went with an eclectic mix of tables and chairs; some were round with orange linens, some were long with neutral linens, and some were left bare. The couple’s design team incorporated lots of texture throughout the space, with fringe lamps, woven chairs, and velvet linens. Place settings incorporated stoneware plates, enamel handled cutlery, and velvet napkins. Colorful taper candles, tea lights, and vibrant floral arrangements on pedestals created visual interest throughout the tablescape.

Aimee and Ben had a round circular bar in the middle of their reception tent, from which they served two signature cocktails" “The Bam Bam,” an Aperol spritz, and “The Benny,” an Amaro spritz.

They hired JB Project to kick off the celebrations on the dance floor. Aimee danced with her dad to “Isn’t She Lovely” and Ben and his mom joined in halfway through. After the band was done, the couple brought in a DJ for a silent disco to respect the town’s noise ordinance. “It was epic,” Aimee says. One of the couple’s favorite memories of their wedding was the silent disco Hava Nagila dance, chairs and all.

Aimee and Ben wanted a cake that would mesh well with their Bedrock décor. Their planning team displayed their raspberry-lemonade tiered wedding cake, which was adorned with delicately placed florals from Native Poppy, on a stone window display that became a focal point of the reception tent.

After dessert and dancing, Aimee and Ben finished the night in the pool with their guests and later spent their honeymoon in French Polynesia. To couples planning their wedding day, Aimee and Ben recommend prioritizing your relationships with each other and your parents. “The wedding is one day, but these are your people forever,” they say.