AN ELEGANT WEDDING AT BEL-AIR BAY CLUB WITH LUXURY FLORAL DESIGNS AND BESPOKE DETAILS
Michelle Jaun and Tanner Field met in middle school – if one were to go by what Michelle's mother recalls – sitting on the bench after school, waiting for their parents to pick them up. The couple’s memories, however, start somewhere closer to freshman year of high school. Tanner’s best friend, Nick, and Michelle’s best friend, Jen, started dating. That led them to be part of the same friend group, which is how Tanner found himself at Michelle’s house for a pool party in the summer of ’03.
A Foundation of Friendship
After that summer, Michelle and Tanner’s connection grew into a solid foundation of friendship. High school graduation, and the thought of losing the relationship they’d slowly built to the distance of college, pushed Tanner to come to grips with the feelings that had developed over the years. He confessed to Michelle that he saw her as more than just his friend. Although it caught her off guard, it was the best risk he had taken. Michelle realized maybe she did feel something enough to take a chance, and they’ve been together ever since.
"There was always a natural comfort between us,” the couple shares. “We were both dating other people when we first met, so any romantic spark wasn’t explored. Our relationship built over years of slowly getting to know each other as friends. Naturally gravitating towards each other inside our group of friends, we realized we had complimentary senses of humor, and found conversation to just always flow."
“There was always a natural comfort between us.”
As their friendship grew into love and their love deepened, Tanner knew it was time for the next step. Michelle was living in Phoenix, AZ attending veterinary school at the time. Tanner was living in LA and was commuting back and forth between projects. When Michelle graduated, they packed up her condo and moved her to LA. During the trip, after they crossed the California border, Tanner pulled over and said he wanted to take a picture of them making it to California. As the camera took pictures, he proposed.
The Long Engagement
Rather than immediately jumping in to the wedding planning process, Michelle was focused on a new job and moving her parents out to California. Then Covid hit, which brought their planning to a halt.
"We had been together for so many years by the time Tanner proposed that there was no fire under our asses to really dive into the spiderweb of event planning, so progress was slow at first," the couple jokingly recalls.
After years had passed since the proposal, their families began to get vocal about the need to see the wedding “while everyone was still young.” At that point, Michelle began to look for a savior in the form of a wedding planner. After much searching, she found that savior in Tessa Lyn.
"Once Tessa came aboard, it felt like we finally had a way to navigate the process,” Tanner explains. “She made it fun, helped keep us on track, focused, and was a true leader for us to follow as we navigated such unfamiliar terrain. Without Tessa, we were headed for a shotgun wedding in Vegas. With Tessa, Michelle and I were left with an unforgettable memory of family and friends that feels more like a dream in hindsight.”
The Wedding Day
When it came to the wedding day, there were nerves in terms of standing in front of such a big group of people and speaking. There were nerves of not remembering all the steps to the first dance. There was an early anxiety of realizing there was never going to be enough time in the day to give every guest the amount of attention they deserved; but there were no nerves about the marriage. In fact, seeing each other for their first look gave the bride and groom a much-needed feeling of comfort. There was also a sense of relief, knowing that the planning process was finished and all that was left was to enjoy the fruits of their labor at the beautiful Bel-Air Bay Club.
"Tessa never let us feel the mechanics of the behind the scenes,” says the couple. “And if there was a crisis or issue, we never felt it."
Tanner panicked when he realized the list of names and family members needed for each photo had some holes in it, but their photographer, Marlies Hartmann, had his back and never made anyone the wiser.
"She's amazing at keeping the family chaos controlled, and herding all the sheep (family) politely and efficiently,” the couple adds. “She’s an incredible director, and made quick work of getting us stunning shots. Tanner is incredibly uncomfortable in front of a lens and extremely opinionated about a photo. Marlies’ eye for light made her photos stand out when we were searching for a photographer, but it was the comfort and confidence she brought to working with us during our engagement session that melted all of his anxiety of being uncomfortable posing away. Getting to see her again on our wedding day was like being guided through the process by a close friend."
The Food and Decor
Michelle and Tanner’s wedding celebration was filled with laughter, hugs, and surprises. The wedding cake was a crowd pleaser, and their wedding menu included a variety of food like Korean tacos, sushi, and grilled cheese. Late night snacks also included friends, milkshakes, and Melo Melo, ensuring guests left with full stomachs and full hearts.
The couple states, "When we were introduced into the reception area, it was overwhelming yet so heart-warming to rush into the crowd full of faces that we knew so well, and that we could tell were so genuinely happy to celebrate with us. The feelings almost made my 'first dance' nerves disappear – but not quite. Thankfully, the crowd was ready to show off their moves themselves, and the dance party started early! We were especially delighted with the moves that the band members pulled out to motivate the crowd even further."
For the wedding décor, floral designs created by Butterfly Floral transformed the room into an elegant and bespoke world of beauty that felt as if it was created only for the couple and their guests for that night. With dog shaped floral statues on display, it was clear that this night was meant to celebrate them and their love story.
"We are animal lovers,” they state, “and wanted our dogs to be a part of the wedding – one was the ring bearer. People warned us against this idea, but having the animals with us was more important than any distraction they might cause. It made the ceremony feel comfortable and light hearted."
A European Honeymoon
After their wedding, the newlyweds took off for a European honeymoon, visiting Naples, Italy and spending 10 days exploring the city and the Amalfi Coast. Naturally, the food was the most memorable part of their Italian adventure, and the couple indulged in everything the country had to offer. They also toured Pompeii, took a boat ride into the Blue Grotto, feasted on fresh lemons, and soaked in the sunset views from their balcony at Hotel Tramontano.
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Bel-Air Bay Club; Planner: Tessa Lyn Events; Floral Design: Butterfly Floral; Rentals: Premiere Rentals, MTB Rentals; Cake: The Butter End; Dessert: Melo Melo; Lighting: Soundwave Pros; Hair & Makeup: Kelly Zhang; Entertainment: West Coast Music; Dance Floor: Acacia Dance Floor; Bubbly Bar: Ice Bulb; Live Painter: Agnes Russo; Photo Booth: Pixster; PR: Published + Pretty; Cinematography: Rayne Films; Photography: M. Hart Photography