A Seaside Celebration With Tennis, Tequila, and Timeless Romance at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara

[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]White, green, and blue, with pink bridesmaids![/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]

Katrina and Zach’s wedding weekend at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara featured a blend of relaxed elegance and vibrant fun. The welcome party had a beach club-inspired vibe with tropical flair, neutral tones, and pops of green, while the wedding day was a fairytale by the sea with a focus on timeless portraits and a magical reception. The weekend also included a Tennis & Tequila event to kick off the celebrations with friendly competition and a casual atmosphere. Overall, the vision was a luxurious, personalized, and joyous celebration with unique touches like a “shopping experience” for guests and a disco-themed after-party. Fun fact: Katrina and Zach met on September 22, 2015, and got married on September 21st, 2024

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

It was in Berkeley that Zach proposed to Katrina. She had already (not so subtly) sent him pictures of rings, but knowing she hated surprises, he let her know that he planned to propose during August or September. So when he told her to “be ready,” she made sure to have her hair and nails done. What followed was the best couple of weeks of her life: they went out to dinners, brunches, concerts, and more. There were a couple of times she was sure he was going to do it, but she never really saw it coming. One morning, he told her they were going to brunch. She got dressed, did her hair, and made sure her nails were done (just in case!). He took her to the Berkeley Botanical Gardens because he “wanted to show her a cool view” (he did this a lot, so it wasn’t a dead giveaway). Then he got down on one knee and proposed. As it turns out, Zach had been planning everything down to the second. While he was proposing, a photographer was hiding and capturing the most perfect photos. Immediately after the proposal, his and her siblings jumped out of the bushes, popped champagne, and congratulated them. Then (the surprises were not over!), they went to brunch, only for her sister to make up some excuse for why they needed to go back to their house. When she arrived back at their house, their entire backyard had been decorated, and their friends (most of whom had flown in) were all waiting there to celebrate with them.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

A custom couture Vivienne Westwood gown, designed just for Katrina and inspired by her grandmother’s wedding dress, paired with classic blue Manolo Blahnik flats. She also prepared multiple styled wedding looks throughout the day with help from her stylist, Jacqueline Wlodarczyk, including a Lili Hod gown, with a detachable train that she ripped off during her first dance, and her mother’s Vera Wang wedding dress, which she had shortened for the afterparty. Fun fact: While she was a student at UCLA, Katrina interned for Vivienne Westwood—in the very office where she later worked with the team to design the gown of her dreams. Katrina wore a printed Monique Lhuillier ready-to-wear gown, tailored into a midi dress for the welcome dinner.

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]

Katrina’s maid of honor, her sister Annalise Froelich, wore a pink Alexia María gown, while the rest of the bridesmaids donned floral Show Me Your Mumu dresses in varying shades of pink that beautifully complemented Katrina’s bridal look. Later in the evening, as Katrina changed into her mom’s vintage Vera Wang gown—shortened for the occasion—the bridesmaids slipped into fun, flirty mini dresses from Show Me Your Mumu. It made for quite the entrance at the after-party. For her bridesmaid gifts, Katrina personalized classic L.L. Bean Boat and Tote bags with each bridesmaid’s name embroidered on the front. Inside, she curated a selection of her favorite beauty essentials, including ethically sourced jade rollers from EcoTools, her go-to makeup brushes from Real Techniques, Drunk Elephant’s Glycolic Serum, Saltair’s Pink Beach body wash (her favorite scent), and more thoughtful goodies.

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[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

For the Welcome Dinner, Zach styled a Banana Republic suit with a thrifted vintage ’90s Tommy Bahama shirt, finishing the look with handmade huaraches from his favorite local shop in San Diego. Fun fact: as a groomsmen gift, he gave each of his guys a pair of those same handmade huaraches from the store. At the wedding, Zach’s groomsmen all wore classic tuxedos for the black tie theme.

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

On Friday, the welcome party featured a taco stand with various meats, a guacamole station with unique toppings, and an open bar with signature margaritas, followed by a churro station. On Saturday, the wedding day, a three-course plated dinner was served with choices of beef, sea bass, or ravioli, along with a red velvet wedding cake and specialty cocktails. The after-hours reception included a savory station with items like fries, taquitos, and mac and cheese croquettes.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

The welcome party featured tropical floral arrangements and fruit decor accents with a neutral palette and pops of green, creating a chic beach club vibe. For the wedding ceremony, four large urn arrangements overflowing with white blooms and a lush floral aisle enhanced the oceanfront setting. The reception included soft green patterned linens, lush floral arrangements in varying heights, ceramic chargers, rattan candle hurricanes, and elegant green taper candles, with twinkling lights and textured pendants creating a magical atmosphere.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

The wedding cake was a 3-tier Red Velvet Cake with Vanilla Cream Filling and simple white buttercream frosting, decorated with florals by Tyler Speier Events. It was cut by the bride and groom, and delicious slices were passed.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]

At Katrina and Zach’s wedding ceremony, “Love Comes to Town” by Talking Heads and “BBlink-182First Date” were played instrumentally for the processional and bride’s entrance, respectively, with “This Kiss” by Faith Hill (instrumental) for the recessional. For the reception, songs include “Just like Heaven” by The Cure for the first dance, and “Wouldn’t it be nice” by The Beach Boys for the cake cutting.

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[field title=”Special Detail #1″]One special detail from Katrina and Zach’s wedding weekend was the Tennis & Tequila event that kicked off the wedding weekend, providing a fun and interactive way for guests to mingle and build excitement. Katrina and Zach provided custom visors and coolers, adding a personalized touch to the friendly competition and tequila cocktails, making it more than just a typical rehearsal dinner. [/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

Beyond the “Tennis & Tequila” event, another special detail was the Shopping Experience at their welcome party, where guests could fill tote bags with curated local and custom goodies. This included unique items like custom-designed surf wax featuring the groom’s face—created by Kyron Shochat, a graphic designer and former UCLA surf club member, alongside Zach—and trendy puka shell necklaces, offering a fun, interactive way to share their personalities and celebrate the local spirit. The “shop” was called Ricciardulli Surf Co.—a special nod to the fact that Katrina and Zach met at the UCLA activities fair, where Zach was working the surf booth as the club’s treasurer.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″]A third special detail was the spontaneous ocean dip by Katrina and Zach at the end of their disco-themed after-party. This unplanned moment added a joyful and unique finale to their wedding celebration, perfectly capturing their fun-loving spirit and creating an unforgettable memory for them and their guests.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Weekend Events”]

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