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Exclusive: Content Creator and Podcast Host Remi Cruz Is Married! See Every Detail of Her Santa Barbara Wedding, Including Her Two Vivienne Westwood Gowns
Lifestyle content creator Remi Cruz, who co-hosts the Pretty Basic podcast and is known for her Cooking with Remi YouTube series, first matched with Cal Parsons on Hinge on June 14, 2019. The relationship had legs off the app, and the two quickly became an item. A few years later, in September of 2023, Cal proposed in the garden of a private home in Summerland, California, a charming small town in Santa Barbara that has played an important role in the couple's relationship. "We celebrated our six-month anniversary in Santa Barbara and got engaged in Santa Barbara," Remi says. "It's our happy place, and I always envisioned getting married by the beach."
With such a deep connection to the locale, the couple knew they wanted to scope out wedding venues in the Santa Barbara area. In the end, Remi says the couple toured over 85 venues in the area, and none checked out—until they saw Bella Vista Estate, that is. "The venue was perfect because it has privacy, open ocean views, and a hangar so the guests can celebrate into the early hours of the morning," Remi explains. They set the date for June 14, 2025, and invited 140 guests to join them in sunny California for the big day.
"It was super important for us to give our guests an incredible experience from start to finish," the bride notes. "From the culinary to entertainment, the constant focus was on how to share joy and love with our friends." With the help of Jason Rhee of Rheefined Company, Remi and Cal planned an elegant, neutral open-air ceremony followed by a tented reception. Here, see every photo from the big day—including the 11-foot ceremony arch, a reception performance by Thuy, and the late-night merch tent for guests to "shop" for favors—as captured by Nicole Ivanov.
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Remi and Cal saw dozens of different venues in the Santa Barbara area, but none checked all their boxes. "We kept running into issues like noise ordinances, location, and layouts," the bride says, so they didn't hesitate to "lock it in" after visiting Bella Vista Estate. Once the location was selected, the rest of the details began to fall into place.
The couple worked with MadPie Designs on their classic, elevated invitation suite, which featured an illustration of the venue and clued everyone into the evening's black-tie dress code.
The bride spent the wedding morning getting ready with her wedding party, which included her maid of honor, her best friend and podcast co-host, Alisha, and her matron of honor, her closest friend since the 9th grade, Kaylee. The group wore matching pajama sets and robes as the prepared for the big day.
Remi knew exactly what she wanted in a wedding dress: "I have always been in love with Vivienne Westwood bridal, and I also knew I wanted a big princess ball gown for my wedding day," she notes, and that's exactly what she wore when she walked down the aisle. Ahead of her first shopping appointment, Remi did a little online browsing and came across the brand's "Nova Bagatelle" style that made her stop mid-scroll. "I immediately knew I had found my dress," she remembers, but she made an appointment to try it on to be sure. But when you know, you know, and Remi knew. "When I went into the store, I tried it on and instantly knew I had found the one.
A non-negotiable accessory for the bride? A long mantilla-style veil, which she found at HOMA Bridal. "I struggled a lot for what I wanted for our wedding, but the one thing I always gravitated towards was a cathedral mantilla veil," Remi notes. "I felt that it really completed the look and was so excited to wear it." She finished her look with diamond earrings, a tennis bracelet, and a tennis necklace, which added the perfect amount of sparkle without detracting from her wedding dress or veil. She also carried a bouquet of white peonies.
With such a classic wedding dress and veil, Remi wanted a beauty look that would be equally as timeless. "I'm lucky enough to work with the most amazing makeup and hair artists for work events and shoots, so I felt so comfortable with my makeup artist, Eros and my hair stylist, Hayley," the bride explains. "We kept it very similar to what we do for an event where I want to look like myself, just elevated. Flawless looking skin, pinky blush, a nude eye, and my favorite lashes for makeup. And for hair, we went with a very classic soft, romantic curl."
While getting ready, Remi's mom gifted her a light blue Louis Vuitton wallet that she had been saving for the special day. "It acted as my something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue," the bride says.
Related: The Best Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue Ideas for Your Wedding
Remi's bridesmaids wore light pink strapless dresses from House of CB. "I chose to have all my bridesmaids wear the same dresses because I have always loved that traditional look," the bride explains. "I also wanted to find a dress style that would make them all feel as beautiful as they are. The dress I chose had a corseted waist to snatch them in, but also had a satin overlay and long skirt that comfortably draped them."
To encourage each important woman to show off her own personality, Remi asked everyone to have their hair and makeup styled however they liked best.
Cal wore a custom white tuxedo jacket with a shawl lapel, black pants, and black velvet loafers for the big day. As a nod to the couple's long relationship, he accessorized with the Rolex watch Remi had given him for his 29th birthday.
The couple went back and forth on whether or not to have a first look, and the eventually asked recently married friends for their advice. The general consensus? Do it. "We decided to do a first look after speaking to our other married friends. They let us know how nice it was to spend time before the ceremony together, and also how different the experience was seeing each other for both a first look and down the aisle," Remi remembers. "It also allowed for us to get a bulk of the photos done before the ceremony, to allow for more time with our guests after."
The moment was extra special, Remi explains, because the couple had opted to spend the evening before apart. They exchanged letters while getting ready, then saw each other for the first time ahead of the ceremony. "It was incredibly emotional, and so much fun to just share a quiet moment together before the chaos," Remi says.
As guests arrived for their ceremony, they were greeted by a welcome sign, pre-wedding drinks, and parasols, which they were encouraged to grab to shield them from the early summer sunshine.
The ceremony was held on a grassy lawn at Bella Vista Estate, where guests could take in the view of the ocean in the distance. Rattan-back chairs were arranged on either side of a wooden aisle, which had been lined with lush floral arrangements of white blooms and greenery. At the end of the aisle stood an incredible 11-foot floral arch studded with roses, peonies, hydrangeas, and more in shades of white, pale pink, and mauve.
A live string trio performed ahead of, during, and after the ceremony. Programs informed guests about the wedding, including who was in the wedding party and what readings to expect.
Remi had four bridesmen in her wedding party; three of the attendants walked the bride and groom's three dogs down the aisle while the last, Oli, tossed flower petals over the aisle ahead of Remi's entrance. When the time came, the bride and her father walked down the aisle to a string rendition of Ariana Grande's "Moonlight."
The couple wrote their own wedding vows, and their powerful, heartfelt words were something guests commented on throughout the evening. "The ceremony really gave a look into how much love we have for each other, and showcased the more emotional parts of our relationship," Remi says.
After being announced husband and wife, the newlyweds recessed back up the aisle to "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit, as performed by their string quartet.
Everyone moved to the cocktail hour space, where lounge areas were arranged for guests and a long blue bar decorated with arrangements of hydrangeas and greenery served up signature drinks. Remi's cocktail was the 'Cruz Cosmo ft. Crystal Light,' which was made from raspberry lemonade vodka and cranberry juice with a lemon twist. Cal's signature drink, "Cal's Silverhand," was a tequila old-fashioned with a beer floater and an orange peel garnish that had been named for his favorite video game, Cyber Punk 2077. Colorful custom napkins featured illustrations of Remi and Cal's three dogs.
"Our focus was on guests being able to look at beautiful scenery while also drinking our custom drinks and eating delicious passed appetizers," Remi says. Attendees, including the bride's friend, Lana Del Ray, were encouraged to sign the newlyweds' guest book. "It was so fun to catch up and have a little reunion surrounded by so much love," notes the bride.
Remi and Cal slipped away from cocktail hour to take golden hour portraits with their photographer.
The reception was held in a peaked tent that had been decorated with light, ethereal draping in shades of cream and blush. Long tables were arranged around a checkered dance floor, the room's focal point, and topped creamy velvet linens and low floral arrangements; the centerpieces contained a mix of peonies, roses, and more in shades of blush and cream with pops of green. Sage green candlesticks in glass votives helped tie the color palette together.
Place settings featured gold-rimmed dinnerware, mauve velvet napkins, and pink menu cards. "We focused a lot on food throughout the night, because my main passion and career involves cooking and food," the bride says. For dinner, guests were treated to a three-course meal, which began with a classic caesar salad, a choice of filet mignon or chicken, and dessert options including wedding cake or a cookie and brownie sundae bar.
The reception's bar continued to serve signature cocktails, but guests who didn't want to imbibe in alcohol were encouraged to visit an espresso station, where they could grab hot or iced coffee-based drinks or matcha in branded cups.
Before their first dance, Remi stole away from the party to change into her reception outfit. She chose another Vivienne Westwood gown, this one made from stretch satin with a corset bodice and figure-hugging skirt. When the couple chose Thuy's "Universe" as their first dance song, they had a special surprise in mind: The singer/songwriter is a close friend of the couple, and she agreed to performed the tune live.
A horn trio performed alongside the couple's DJ for the rest of the reception, keeping everyone on the dance floor throughout the night.
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Along with their sundae bar, the couple served classic wedding cake for dessert. They chose a four-tiered vintage-style design, and three miniature figurines of Remi and Cal's dogs adorned different tiers. Guests dug into slices of the decadent cake, which featured layers of vanilla bean cake with Oreo buttercream and chocolate cake with vanilla bean frosting.
For Remi and Cal, part of the draw of Bella Vista Estate was that they were able to host their after-party on site. The bride changed into a party-ready mini dress from Kim Kassas while the groom traded his white tux jacket for a black one and an undone bow tie.
"At the after-party, we built out a Korean Night Market inspired by my Korean heritage and love for the Myeongdong Night Market in Seoul, South Korea," the bride notes. "Our guests were able to dance, drink, play games, shop merch, and eat tons of delicious foods throughout the night."
During the after-party, guests were invited to shop the couple's merch suite. "We made custom merch as party favors for the guests to take home, including sweatshirts, slippers, scarves, and hats," Remi says. "We also had custom takeout boxes and gift bags for the guests to put all their late-night snacks and merch in."
A huge hit during this part of the celebration? The crane machine, where guets were able to win wedding-themed Jellycats, Sonny Angels, and Labubus; the couple created the game ahead of the wedding as one of their DIY projects. "It was such a fun project to work on before the wedding together, and it was even more fun after seeing how much everyone loved it," Remi says. "I've gone viral multiple times opening Sonny Angels and Labubus, so it only made sense to include them to some capacity. The after-party had everyone screaming and cheering for each other as they won prizes and was such a success!"
"Enjoy the process as much as you can," Remi and Cal advise future couples. "Sometimes things can get super stressful, but we can't even believe how fast the day went by. It made us realize how much more we should have appreciated the slow times, and wedding planning was such a fun experience for us to share as a couple. It was so fun to work creatively and ensure both our visions came to life."Wedding Photographer Nicole Ivanov Photography
Wedding Planning and Floral Design Rheefined Company
Wedding Venue Bella Vista Estate
Bride's Hair Hayley Heckmann
Bride's Makeup Eros Gomez
Bride's Day-of Dresser Nayri Kalayjian
Invitations MadPie Designs
Day-of Paper Goods Velvet Fox Designs
Calligraphy Calligraphy Katrina
Catering 24 Carrots Catering and Events
Cake The Butter End
Guest Book FêteFone
Rentals Town & Country Event Rentals
Transportation LL Transportation
Videographer Amanda Films
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