Jocelyn Wearing The Senia Dress

April 19, 2021
So tell us, how did you meet the love of your life?
 
Cole and I met working at a running store in Ashland, Oregon. We worked 9 hour shifts together and were both in very different parts in our lives. I had recently moved to Ashland to attend the university and Cole was working part time, training at 80 - 90 miles per work, and starting a community college track and cross country team all by himself. We were both goal driven and weren't seeking relationships. Cole was also incredibly introverted, me.. not so much. Complete opposites. I actually didn't like working with him at first before he was SO quiet. We hardly ever talked. I did homework and he worked on training for his athletes and reading up on shoe technology. I was focused on school, work, and my own collegiate running. It wasn't until 2017 when I finally invited Cole to come out with my friends and I. He didn't seem like he got out much and always said he was busy to hang out until this evening. We went out, had fun, danced, and really enjoyed each others company. At this time, I still didn't want a relationship and I would say Cole knew that the whole time. We started talking more at work, flirting and whatnot. We both house sat for our boss and alternated who was house sitting. We bonded over how much we loved our boss's king bed and his dog Abbey who we called Trash Panda. Well, after we started to become friends, Cole went off to this camp for three weeks and had no cell service. I dated other guys, good guys.. bad guys, three guys at one time. During this time, I realized that I deserved better. I deserved a nice guy. When Cole came back, I looked forward to seeing him. One morning we were looking at our work schedule and both noticed that we had the same Sunday off. He was in a friend's wedding and didn't have a date. I practically invited myself along and offered to be his date. He first said he wasn't sure and was being considerate since he was in the wedding party and didn't want me all by myself, at a wedding with people I didn't know. Sure enough, the following day (wedding day) Cole texted me that morning if I could be ready by 2PM. So I ran downtown with my roommate, bought a dress, and he picked me up at 2PM and off to the wedding we went.

When did you know they were the one?
 

It didn't take long for me to realize that this was the guy I was going to marry. He was kind, loved Jesus, and was an incredible listener. After the wedding, Cole and I spent a lot of time together and when we house sat we would talk all night about everything we could possibly think of. Cole was a gentle man and I was hard on myself. One night, I was feeling incredibly insecure and self conscious and I asked him why he wanted to be with me. I struggled with acne and wouldn't consider myself as flawless as all the poster girls. He pulled me close, wrapped his hands around my waist, and kissed me. He has always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world and it's been like that since we started dating. Cole never let me down. He was always there when I needed him and even when I didn't know I needed him. After he kissed me, I realized I didn't need anyone else to make me feel beautiful. Cole already saw that inside and out and I was ready to accept that myself.

Tell us the story of the proposal!
 

Our proposal was simple. It was perfectly Cole. Cole is a simple man. I knew he was going to propose on this specific weekend, but didn't know how. We were down in Idyllwild, CA which was a childhood place for him. He visited his aunt and uncle down there every summer and it held a very special place in his heart. He wanted to show his beautiful girlfriend the most beautiful place. So, as the crazy ultra runners that we are, we ran to the top of this mountain that had an amazing view of the valleys and the San Juacinto Wilderness. We were walking on top of this mountain meandering, taking pictures, and there were people kind of in every possibly romantic spot. Eventually, I started to get cold and we decided to head back down. Cole got all nervous and frantically ran back over to his running pack, then came walking back with the ring in his hand. Well, he held it out to me and said "here i've got your ring!" and I was like... "WAIT what? Well Cole, you gotta ask me the question!!!" So as he holds out this ring, he asks me to marry him and of course I said yes. Shortly after, we began our trek down hill and this couple walked up to us and asked "Is this the top?" Us - Yes! They responded " How anti-climatic." We headed down and laughed our heads off at the awkward response right after Cole PROPOSED.

How long was your engagement? What went into deciding your wedding's date and location?
 

Cole proposed in April of 2018. The same day as the proposal we were sitting in the hot tub planning our wedding and knew exactly what we wanted. We wanted an outdoor, camping style wedding, and wanted our guests to spend all weekend with us.. not just the day. We wanted a small wedding and literally jotted down all the people we wanted at our wedding. Anyone we second guessed or hesitated we said no to. We went back and forth on so many locations and none of them really stood out to me or felt like us. It wasn't until Cole was about to leave for an 8 week European Trip to prepare for one of his running races when we found the perfect spot. My sister sent us an outdoor camping resort that was used all summer long for rafting and this was the spot. It was in our budget, we would have freedom to basically do whatever we wanted, and our guests could camp with us all weekend long. Our engagement was a a year and a half. We wanted a long engagement so we could save money and not put financial stress on our families.

How would you describe your personal style?  What was most important to you when you were planning your bridal look?
 

Our personal style is very casual. Outdoorsy and adventurous. Cole and I, our family and friends all live busy lives and we wanted our friends to come for the whole weekend and relax and share the same love for camping and the outdoors that we do. The most important thing to me was that I was comfortable and that I looked as much like myself as I do on a regular day... but also, was the center of attention. ;)

How did you find Wear Your Love?
 
I found WYL through Pinterest. As I researched more about the company, I loved how they created custom dressed based off specific bride measurements. I've always struggled with my self image and hated how jeans never fit me right and wanted a dress where I felt like myself. I never really like the big fluffy, poufy dresses and knew I wanted something simple and elegant.
When did you know you had found your perfect dress?
 
I was scrolling through Pinterest planning out our real wedding shortly after we got engaged and saw this off the shoulder, lace dress that hugged tight around the upper and flowed beautifully down the hips and to the ground. This was the dress. It was. I didn't even want to look at other dresses until my sister practically dragged me to a dress shop to at least look at other dresses. But that was the dress I wanted and everywhere I looked, I was never impressed with anything I looked at. Nothing compared to Wear Your Love dresses.

Which dress did you choose, and did you request any custom aspects?
 
Senia Dress. No custom requests. Just an ivory, lined, high neck high back dress that fit me based off of real body measurements.
 
What went through your mind when the Wear Your Love box arrived at your doorstep and you tried on your dress for the first time?
 
I was shocked it came in such a small box! But ecstatic. I had to wait a couple days until I could get together with my friends. When I put my dress on, I didn't want to take it off. I felt beautiful and felt like this dress completed me. It was perfect.
Did your wedding have a theme or style?
 
Not really... just outdoors in the place that we love surrounded by our closest friends and family. Drinking beer from a keg and sipping margaritas. We had tacos for an October wedding because that's what we like. We also had caramel dipped apples and cookies that were shaped like our dog. I would say it was a simple Watson Wedding that really showcased our love for each other and love for God.

How involved was your partner in the wedding planning? Did your families help? Did you hire a coordinator, planner, or event stylist?
 
Cole was very involved in the wedding. We planned pretty much everything together. We weren't in synch the whole time, but we made compromises for each other that was worth it in the end for us. No coordinator, but my sister was the backbone of our wedding. She planned, organized, and helped with a lot of the small details and gaps that we were missing or didn't think of. We basically planned the wedding between the three of us. Anytime we included more people, things just got messy because it didn't make sense that we were having a 'camping style' wedding.

Let's show your wedding venue some love! What is the name of your venue, and why did you choose it for your special day?
 
The American River Resort in Coloma, CA. Also where gold was first discovered in California. We choose this resort because it allowed us to reserve a whole area for our ceremony, reception, and accommodations for our guests. It was the whole package for a great price. There were cabins for the main families which made their stay relaxing and enjoyable. All of our friends were outdoorsy people and were able to create an adventure from our wedding weekend!

Tell us about your wedding playlist! What song did you walk down the aisle to? Did you have a first dance song that was meaningful to you?
 
The One by Kodaline. Cole has always been the one for me!

What was your favorite moment of the day?
 
At the altar, Cole was so tense and had his knees locked out pretty much right from the beginning of the ceremony. Cole loves fishing and our officiant (my high school running coach Melanie) knew that Cole loved fishing and that he was always on the hunt for Golden Trout. When she made a fishing reference, Cole laughed and finally loosened up and let out this big smile and locked eyes with me. This was my man. My Husband. The guy who loves fishing and treasures his wife like fisherman treasure the rare, Golden Trout. It was amazing and brought me so much joy.

Who was involved in your special day? We would love to shout out your photographer, favorite vendors, and anyone else who made your day magical.
 
We kept everything local. I wanted to support local businesses and friends at the wedding. My coworkers husband catered our wedding and made the most amazing tacos. He knew ahead of time that we WILL eat on our wedding day and would not go hungry. During dinner, he served our food and even checking in to see if we wanted seconds! Photographer - Diana Rykun (@dianarykun) Floris - Natalie AKA Florecita (@florecitafloral) all her flowers came from her garden. Make Up - Leslie Walker (@leslieryan_beauty) One of my good friends designed and made a CUSTOM wedding bar - Tom Osman (@gotwoodbytom88)

Do you have any advice or helpful tips for others planning a wedding

Don't let too many people get involved in your wedding plans. Keep things between you and your man and involve others when you know what you want. Be clear of your vision that way others will know how to help you. Also, don't keep your grooms out of your plans brides... they want to be more involved that you maybe know. The wedding is a little about the bride, but it's not all about the bride, but about the marriage so plan it together.

What has been the best part so far about being married?
 
Getting to call Cole my Husband and bragging about him to everyone I know. He is my safe haven, a blessing from God, and truly a miracle in my life. We have gone through struggles as many couples have, but what I love is knowing that everything that we do we are doing it together, and everything we do together is through our faith in Christ.

 Jocelyn is wearing The Senia with ivory lining and a standard 8 inch train.

Rachel Ferreira

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