This month, yet another Love Story is here to steal our hearts! We sat down with the new Mrs. Grace Burton, and got to listen to her gush about her now husband, Jared, their history, and, of course, their elegant and funky black and white wedding. Read this Love Story to learn how the two met, how Jared proposed, and how they tied the knot in our dreamy Secret Garden.
Grace and Jared’s story began in junior high Spanish class. “I actually had a crush on him,” Grace explained, “And I found out that he had a crush on me too, but he had asked all the girls in our grade if he could like me and kiss me, and they all said no.” With their fate seemingly sealed, the two stopped talking after Jared moved on to high school.
Grace eventually met another boy, and they were unofficially together for a year. Then, during Grace’s junior and Jared’s senior year of high school, the two started dating. At first, she admitted, their relationship was more of a revengeship to make her old beau jealous, but then Grace realized she actually really liked him. “And we dated ever since then,” she smiled.
Grace and Jared’s relationship, like most probably did, became strained because of COVID-19. His parents were strict about safety guidelines, and along with stressful family issues, Grace wasn’t able to see Jared as often as she wanted to. After two months of not being able to see each other, Grace decided it was time to end things. That was when Jared blurted,
“‘No, Grace, you can’t, I’m literally in love with you!’” And that was all it took to seal the deal — because in that moment, she knew she loved him, too.
One day, completely out of the blue, Grace saw a notification from Delta pop up on her phone. “Your flight to California is tonight!” it read. As soon as she saw the notification, her mind went spinning. She tried to figure out if she’d accidentally bought plane tickets somehow, or if there was some sort of system glitch with Delta. Then, when she suspected something on Jared’s end, she called her mom. “She said, ‘Grace, do you really think he’d propose without me there? Just stop being nosy and let it go!’” Grace chuckled.
After arriving in California and spending the day with Jared’s brother enjoying the sunshine, Jared told Grace they were going to have dinner at a cool new restaurant that was on the beach. “The entire time we were driving there, I could tell that he was nervous,” Grace said. Jared kept looking over his shoulder at the beach, searching for something, until they finally parked. He told Grace that dinner was actually later, and that they could take a walk on the beach until their reservation. After climbing a hill together, enjoying the gorgeous views, Grace suddenly saw a view that truly took her breath away.
Down below, arranged in big letters, were the words “WILL YOU MARRY ME?”
The night couldn’t have been better, but then Grace spied her mom running from around the corner. And then Jared’s mom, and then both of their entire families, all hurrying to crowd the newly engaged lovebirds. The whole group went to dinner together, and enjoyed two more days of family fun. “It was the best,” Grace beamed.
It turned out that Jared had schemed with Grace’s mom and sister to plan the whole thing out, but had accidentally used Grace’s Delta account to buy the tickets. Kudos to Jared for thinking on his feet!
Grace found Siempre through a family friend who mentioned it to her when she saw it on Instagram. After a little research, she went to tour it.
“I like, fell in love with it,” she said. “I really wanted my ceremony to be amazing. So when I went and looked at Siempre, I was like, ‘This is where I’m getting married.’
The visuals, how pretty it was, the sunset, the view over the valley…I wanted my wedding to be elegant, and Siempre fit all of that. It was just beautiful.”
The happy couple pledged their devotion to each other in our stunning Secret Garden, in front of 100 friends and loved ones. Then, it was time to party, at a reception with 250 guests. The theme included a timeless and sophisticated black-and-white color scheme, but with a disco flair.
“I wanted it to be pretty classy, but a little bit funky, because I have a little bit of a funky style,” Grace smiled. “I was going for the black tie theme, but I wanted disco balls.”
Grace and Jared are more than just partners — they're two sides of the same coin. Their shared interests, like sports, fashion, and their Southern roots, solidify their strong connection. "We’re literally the same," Grace said. "He’s literally just a boy version of me!"
It was such a delight to have this adorable pair of best friends pledge their hearts to each other in our Secret Garden! We wish Grace and Jared the best as they embark on this new journey together, and wish them more love and laughter every step of the way.
If you loved how we helped Grace and Jared make their funky black and white wedding dreams come true, at Siempre, we adore bringing all of our couples’ wedding visions to life. Click here to book a tour!