This Pink-Hued California Wedding Was the Result of a Barbie-Meets-Marie-Antoinette Aesthetic

Three years after Tayler, a wedding photographer, hired Shelby to work at the Orangetheory Fitness studio she previously managed, the duo found themselves at the Sekrit Theater in Austin, Texas, a unique garden space for photoshoots and small events. When Tayler heard Jess Glynne playing, she knew they were there for a very good reason: Shelby had been carefully planning the July 2020 proposal, which included a post-engagement photo session with one of Tayler’s favorite photographers and epic views of Lake Travis. 

As the couple started thinking about their perfect wedding day, a destination celebration overlooking the ocean quickly came to mind. They chose Malibu Solstice Vineyards in Malibu, California, as the venue, set the date for March 17, 2023, and hired CMG Events to bring the entire day to life. As for the aesthetic of the day, Tayler’s love of the color pink and Barbie quickly set the tone for the entire celebration, but the couple also knew they wanted to balance all of that bold color by incorporating fine art and Old World European styling. “We wanted a fine art design with a laid back, loving feel,” Shelby says. The end result was what they called a Malibu-Barbie-meets-Marie-Antoinette-themed wedding with a pink color scheme.

Since Shelby and Tayler were keeping their guest list small, they asked all 13 attendees to wear their finest pink outfits and told their planner, Christine, that their vision for the day was “go pink or go home!” The venue’s 360-degree views of the ocean and mountains combined with the day’s fun pink décor made for photos from Le Vie Photography you won’t want to miss.

The couple’s planners at CMG Events created their invitation suite, which gave guests their first glimpse of their all-pink color palette and the Malibu-Barbie-meets-Marie-Antoinette theme.

Tayler got ready for the wedding day in white lingerie and floor-length tulle robe with ruffled sleeves. She went with her signature red lip for her beauty look and a slicked-back bun with a crystal comb hair accessory. Lastly, she wore her great grandmother’s wedding band as well as her mom’s promise ring that her dad had given to her in 1990 as her "something old."

Tayler jokes that her friends and family expected her to try on hundreds of wedding dresses before finding the one because she can be particular about what she likes. “Being a wedding photographer, I see so many wedding dresses,” she says. As it turns out, though, everyone was wrong: She tried on a Pronovias mermaid gown with a plunging neckline and illusion tulle and knew she'd found her big-day look. “This dress had so many unique features that made it stand out.”

The bride completed her look with a pair of pink double platform Steve Madden pumps. “I wore my shoes for months at home when Shelbs wasn’t there,” Tayler says. “I wanted my shoes to be completely broken in so that I could be comfortable on the wedding day.” She also held a pink garden-style wedding bouquet tied with a pink trailing ribbon. 

For her part, Shelby wore a linen suit and vest from ASOS. “The color pink was exactly what I was looking for,” she says. “When it arrived and I tried it on, I felt that instant emotion. It felt like the perfect one for  me.” She wore butterfly suspenders as a symbol for the couple’s dear friend, Jon, who the couple tragically lost in 2022. Tayler says, “After our friend passed away we started to see butterflies in the most unexpected places and whenever we see them we always think of him, so we asked the team to include them so that we could feel like he was with us at the wedding.”

Butterflies were then incorporated throughout the day’s décor, from Shelby’s lavish floral lapel, which had a delicate pink tulle butterfly, and tons of pink flowers the centerpieces at the reception. She finished her wedding-day look with a pair of men's Steve Madden slip-on loafers with crystal embellishments and an Armitron bracelet watch.

The brides-to-be wanted to have a private moment together before the ceremony, so they planned a first look in the Italian villa on the property, and Tayler says it was one of the most emotional moments of their lives. “We worked so hard to be able to create this core memory for us and our families,” she explains, “and at the moment we realized we did it!”

The couple’s cliffside ceremony offered incredible ocean and mountain views. Ghost chairs were set up in a round so guests could surround the couple as they traded vows, and Dawn of Tularosa Flowers created cloud-like installations made of pink tulle and pink garden roses and lilies that served as the backdrop. “I was inspired by haute couture for the design. After all, both Barbie and Marie Antoinette are fashion icons,” Dawn says. “I looked to Valentino’s 2021 Pink Collection and Rodarte’s amazing iconic pink tulle and rose collection for inspiration.”

Shelby and her mother walked down the aisle to “I Do” by Aloe Black before Tayler and her dad entered to an the orchestra version of “I Could Get Used To This” by Becky Hill. As a surprise for her, Tularosa Flowers handmade her veil from blush tulle and covered it with fresh butterfly ranunculus, dianthus, and spray roses. Though Tayler knew her florist was working on the custom piece, she had no idea the one-of-a-kind veil would be pink! “We both love surprises, and Dawn exceeded every expectation we dreamed up,” she admits.

During the ceremony, the brides exchanged vows they wrote themselves. “It was hilarious because our vows were so similar; you would’ve thought that we wrote them together,” Tayler says. “We look back on this memory regularly and will always cherish it.” At the end of the ceremony, they recessed back down the aisle to Adele’s ”When We Were Young.”

After the ceremony, Le Vie Photography snapped some shots of the couple around the property while the brides soaked up the fact that they were officially newlyweds.

The reception took place overlooking the ocean, and a single long table was set up to accommodate the entire guest list. Ghost chairs were used to bring in the Barbie feel and the ends were made to look as if they were overflowing with pink flowers and tulle.

The tablescape included stacks of pink books, antique Italian candleholders, cloches filled with flowers and pink tulle butterflies, displays of macarons and petit fours, and tall gold candelabras covered in flowers, a nod to Marie Antoinette. Names were written in gold calligraphy on pink scrolls at each place setting, with notes that said “Let Them Eat Cake.”

Tayler and Shelby’s single-tiered wedding cake was a throwback style confection; beneath ornate buttercream in every shade of pink were layers of pink confetti cake.

The night closed out with speeches from their closest loved ones. “Our family toasts were heartfelt and will forever be a special memory for us both,” Tayler says. Since it was already a destination event, the couple stayed in town and enjoyed a honeymoon in Malibu.

To couples planning a wedding, they offer this advice: “Hire a team that you trust 100%. Share your vision, and then let them work their magic."