The Marry Makers: Melissa Claire Egan (Chelsea), Amelia Heinle (Victoria) and Elizabeth Hendrickson
(Chloe)
Long Engagement Or Short Engagement?
Egan: “I had a long engagement. We got engaged in February, and I wanted a summer wedding, so we took a year and a half to plan it. It allowed us to really enjoy the process and not feel rushed!”
Heinle: “Long engagement. Good things are worth the wait.”
Hendrickson: “Short. We got married six months after our engagement.”
Hire A Wedding Planner Or Do It Yourself?
Egan: “Wedding planner. Tonya Szele is amazing, and Santa Barbara-based. Three of my friends have gone to her since!”
Heinle: “I did it myself but wish I would have hired a wedding planner.”
Hendrickson: “We ended up eloping and planned the wedding on our own 10 days before! We just had to find a place to say our vows and then have dinner.”
Invite Everyone Or Keep It Small?
Egan: “My wedding wasn’t small. It was 200 people, but still felt super-intimate.”
Heinle: “We kept it small and I’m so glad we did.”
Hendrickson: “We kept it small and invited 10 of our closest friends to the elopement and then celebrated afterward with our families.”
Indoor Or Outdoor?
Egan: “A little of both! We got married on a bluff overlooking the ocean, then the reception was in a barn I helped decorate with my wedding planner. I’m still obsessed with that barn to this day.”
Heinle: “I did ours indoors because it was snowing, but I do like the idea of an outdoor wedding, weather permitting.”
Hendrickson: “Outdoor wedding. I always prefer being outdoors, weather permitting!”
Local Or Destination?
Egan: “Ours was in Santa Barbara, about a two-hour drive from L.A. I liked that it was a whole weekend of activities, so it wasn’t over just like that! I loved that we got to spend Friday to Sunday with our closest friends and family. I highly recommend that.”
Heinle: “We did a destination wedding in Montana. It was very cool and very YELLOWSTONE.”
Hendrickson: “Destination! We were married in St. Barts.”
The Groom: Tux Or No Tux?
Egan: “Tux! He looked so handsome. And he still wears that tux to events now, nine years later, and I love to see it out again.”
Heinle: “Thad [Luckinbill, ex-J.T.]wore a very nice tux!”
Hendrickson: “No tux, he wore shorts and a linen shirt.”
The Bride: Veil Or No Veil?
Egan: “Veil!”
Heinle: “I got talked into a Sound of Music veil and it was probably the best part of the dress.”
Hendrickson: “I didn’t wear a veil. In the end, a veil didn’t go with my outfit.”
Traditional Vows Or Write Your Own?
Egan: “We got married by both a Catholic priest and a rabbi, but then we wrote our own vows to each other.”
Heinle: “We did traditional vows.”
Hendrickson: “We wrote our own and Rob’s were much better than mine! He made everyone cry.”
Choreograph The First Dance Or Wing It?
Egan: “We went to a dance class and had a choreographed dance. Our song was ‘The One’ by Elton John.”
Heinle: “We winged it on the dance floor and had a great time.”
Hendrickson: “Wing it! There was no first dance but we did dance on tables at the end of the night.”
Buffet Or Sit-Down Dinner?
Egan: “Sit-down dinner.”
Heinle: “It was a sit-down dinner, which gave us a chance to spend more time with our guests.”
Hendrickson: “We opted for a sit-down dinner.”
Smash The Cake Or Eat It Daintily?
Egan: “We actually didn’t have a cake! We did mini cupcakes instead. The whole cutting-the-cake thing never meant a lot to me, so we decided not to do it. I love when others do, though! To each their own.”
Heinle: “We did not smash cakes. We actually saved the cake and served it the following night and it was delicious.”
Hendrickson: “At the wedding reception with family, we ate our cake daintily. Smashing the cake is never a good idea.”
DJ Or Live Band?
Egan: “Live band, baby!”
Heinle: “We had a DJ and he was great.”
Hendrickson: “We had neither at our wedding, but as a guest, I love a good cover band.”
Best Tip For A Stress-Free Wedding?
Egan: “Just enjoy the day, and most importantly, each other. Take a few minutes, just the two of you, to be alone on that magical day and take it all in. Oh! And hire a videographer. You won’t regret it.”
Heinle: “Focus on the fun and have plenty of wine and good music on hand.”
Hendrickson: “Don’t overthink. Remember, it’s all about the two of you.”
