On April 29th, 2023, Tessa and Cole Whitman celebrated their beautiful and inseparable love at the Siempre Weddings venue. We adore getting to know the couples that choose us to fulfill their wedding dreams, so we sat down with them to learn all the cute details about how they met, how Cole proposed, and, of course, more about their unforgettable ring ceremony and reception.
Around Valentine’s Day of 2022, Tessa stood inside her BYU apartment complex, waiting for the elevator. Her now husband Cole, who also lived at those apartments, but on the opposite side and on the first floor, was parking his car with his friend when he saw her.
He knew he had to talk to her, so he quickly finished parking, and without a second thought, ran up to the elevator where Tessa was still waiting. His friend followed, and when the elevator doors slid open, the three piled in.
“I saw him and I thought he was super cute,” Tessa explained. “But I had just got back from the gym, so I didn’t want to talk.”
When they got to Tessa’s floor, he said that he and his friend were going to visit a girl named Sarah. Little did she know that there was no Sarah, and that Cole was just trying to talk to her for longer.
The two exchanged numbers, and then Cole’s friend asked if they were still going to visit Sarah. “He was like, ‘Who?’” Tessa laughed.
The two went on their first date the very next day, and since then, they’ve been inseparable.
Tessa knew that she had found the right person because of how she and Cole clicked. She had been on dates before, but she always felt like they weren’t right, and never wanted to go on a second date. But with Cole, it was completely different. “I wanted to hang out with him all the time,” Tessa smiled. “And nothing bothered me about him.”
Cole knew that he had found the right partner because of similar reasons. “I felt more comfortable with Tessa than I’ve ever felt with anyone in my life. She just has so much light. I knew I was going to marry her after two weeks of knowing her.”
Later that year, on a gorgeous December day in Maui, Hawaii, Cole popped the question. He had told Tessa that when he proposed to her, he wanted her to wear a white dress. “He told me, ‘Plan on wearing a white dress on December 27th.’” The entire time, Tessa thought they were getting engaged on that day.
But on December 26th, they were walking to dinner with his family. With how rushed Cole had been acting, and how secretive his sisters seemed, Tessa wondered if he was going to propose that night after all, but couldn’t find any other signs.
That was until Tessa saw a gorgeous spot on the beach adorned with roses, candles shaped in a heart, and a lit-up sign that said, “Marry me.”
“She didn’t figure it out until three steps before the proposal,” Cole smiled, despite Tessa’s giggling protests otherwise. “And then it all clicked. You could just see it all click right in her eyes.”
Tessa found out about Siempre when she saw it was being built. Her family lives close by, so she and Cole saw the site during an afternoon drive.
“We were like, ‘Oh, this is so pretty!’” We started looking more into it. You don’t even need any decorations, I swear. It’s so beautiful in there.”
On the day of their wedding, Tessa and all of her favorite ladies, including her mom, headed to the Siempre venue at 10 am for a bridesmaid party. The girls all got ready together, getting their makeup done, listening to their favorite tunes, and enjoying assorted treats.
After a religious ceremony at the LDS Draper temple, Tessa and Cole returned to the venue for a beautiful ring ceremony in Siempre’s whimsical Secret Garden.
For the reception, Tessa wanted a timeless theme, so she opted for “simple luxury,” inspired by Sofia Richie’s wedding. “I wanted an understated, timeless look, but with some pops of colors for spring,” Tessa explained. Tessa loves color, so she chose splashes of apricot and periwinkle as her own personal touch. She and Cole, plus 350 of their friends and family, enjoyed a night of dancing, an amazing dinner catered by Marvellous, and, of course, celebrating this new chapter of their relationship.
The view was definitely the number one reason why Tessa was excited to celebrate her and Cole’s love at Siempre — both inside and out. Tessa loved “the classy look of the inside, and just how beautiful and bright it is.”
One of Tessa’s favorite parts of the reception was the dance party because she and Cole love to dance. Tessa was a BYU cheerleader, so she had her friends come out and do one of their favorite cheer stunts.
Now, two months later, the two are still inseparable. They plan to adventure together to Europe, the Bahamas, and Jerusalem this year, and to keep up with their studies. We wish them all the best, and know that wherever life takes them, they’ll continue to be drawn to each other’s light.
If you loved how we helped Tessa and Cole bring their wedding dreams to life, we’d love to meet you and learn more about your unique vision. Maybe you and your sweetheart will be our next Love Story! Click here to schedule a tour!
Our vendors so far:
Photographer: Mikki Platt Photography
Video: Emily Evans
Catering: Marvelous
Florals: The Flower Affair (Wendy Smith)
DJ: Ricky Barrera