Sun - The Wedding Issue 2017 by New Times Media Group, San Luis Obispo

N O R T H E R N S A N TA B A RB A R A C O U N T Y ’ S N E W S A N D E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY > F E B R U A R Y 16 - F E B R U A R Y 2 3 , 2 0 17 > VO L . 17 N O. 5 0 > W W W. S A N TA M A RI A S U N .C O M

AT THE MOVIES

John Wick: Chapter 2: bloody fun [35]

The jou rney of a wedd the seco ing in nd half of life [1 5]

Picture imperfe ct BY B R E

NN A S W A N S T ON

Wed d I s s u ei ng

NEWS

County and Chumash to meet over Camp 4 [7]

ARTS

Righetti Legend honors John Rucker [32]

EATS

Talking shiitake at Bedford Winery’s Mushroom Festival [38]

NEWS

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS PHOTO BY DAVID MINSKY

FREEZE FRAMES: Brenda and David Tallmadge of Choice Images Photo Booth make their service available for all sorts of parties, including winery events, holiday/graduation/birthday parties, and weddings.

Spotlight on: Choice Images Photo Booth Brenda and David Tallmadge, owners BY DAVID MINSKY

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properly planned party has many elements, but should it include a photo booth? The answer is yes, according to Brenda and David Tallmadge, owners of Choice Images Photo Booth. Based in Santa Maria, the Tallmadges have provided their services for weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and other parties throughout the Central Coast for two years. “It’s one way to keep a party going,” David said. “It really makes people loosen up.” Serving the Central Coast, the Tallmadges bring their photo booth service—including booth, cameras, and props—to events anywhere from Solvang to Paso Robles. The Tallmadges started their business in 2014 after Brenda lost her job as an office manager at a local business. Even though it was a part-time gig for her, she had the job for 14 years and all of a sudden found herself in need of income. Also, David was already in retirement. “We had to figure something out,” Brenda said. They were inspired after the photo booth they rented for their daughter’s wedding turned out to be a big hit. They ordered a pre-fabricated photo booth kit, plus the equipment, and registered with the state. The going was slow at first—they started from scratch and advertising was word of mouth. But now, the Tallmadges are proud to say that the business is finally able to pay its own bills. Despite this, they don’t have a huge company—it’s only the two of them (occasionally their daughter will help out) and they only have one photo booth. But they also bring a slew of props to make the photo session fun. The Tallmadges can also provide customized props, if requested, and they’re flexible as far as themes go. The booth can also be customized to fit into a tight space or be set up indoors or outdoors. The booth is rented for an hourly rate, but you don’t just get the booth, you also get the Tallmadges too. That’s because David wants to provide the “full photo booth service experience.” A photo session includes four pictures, but for additional cash, anyone can get a photo album or a USB drive with the photos. Pictures

are available as soon as 15 seconds after the shoot. Picture templates are also customized. The Tallmadges are booked until at least September, although you might be able to squeeze in a date for the right amount of magic. If a client needs a date, Brenda said, then they need to ask quickly. “That’s the thing about being small,” David noted, “once you’re booked, you’re booked.” They’ve appeared at Cambria Winery, the Santa Maria Elks Lodge, and various other places along the Central Coast. One of their next biggest events is a Mardi Gras-themed party at Martian Ranch and Vineyard in Los Alamos on Feb. 25. Business has slowed a bit since the holidays, David said, but is picking up again for wedding season—which happens to be now. The Tallmadges are mostly booked on the weekends, but their services are available any day of the week. Right now, they’re offering a special: book a minimum three-hour event and get $100 off the bill. The best way to reach the Tallmadges is by telephone or by filling out a contact form on their website. Appointments can be made by calling Choice Images Photo Booth at 714-4030 or online at choiceimagesphotobooth.com.

Highlights • Ever wanted to know what goes on behind the veil at Vandenberg Air Force Base? Here’s your chance. The Lompoc Valley and Santa Maria Valley chambers of commerce are hosting a joint luncheon at the base on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Col. Christopher Moss, commander of the 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg, will give a presentation on happenings at the base. The luncheon will be held at the Pacific Coast Club located at 758 Nebraska Ave. on base. Reservations must be received by 4 p.m. on Feb. 22. Cost to attend is $25 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers. For more information or to make a reservation, call 736-4567. ❍ Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.

SANTA MARIA PUBLIC AIRPORT DISTRICT www.santamariasun.com • February 16 - February 23, 2017 • Sun • 11

Wedding Issue of the century, highlighting a disconnect between recent generations of women regarding views on marriage. Where in 1995 a woman at age 35 was 84 percent likely to be in her first marriage, in 20062010, that probability had dropped to 78 percent. For women at age 40, however, the probability of being married for the first time didn’t change much between 1995 and 2006-2010. “These fi ndings suggest that between 1995 and 2006-2010, women married for the fi rst time at older ages,” a 2012 report from Health and Human Services stated. “However, this delay was not apparent by age 40.” The report said those statistics show that while people tend to be postponing their fi rst marriages, they are not abandoning the idea of marriage altogether. Since an older bride has become more “normal” in recent decades, it explains why Anna’s mother might have wrinkled her nose at the idea of a later-in-life marriage, whereas for Anna the timing only seemed practical.

Beyond the cookie-cutter bride Weddings, vow renewals, and first-time parenthood for couples over 40

The art of vow renewal CEREMONY: For some couples, as life progresses, the friend circle becomes smaller and tighter-knit— meaning quieter wedding ceremonies later on in life.

For three years, Casa Dumetz in Los Alamos hosted a pop-up wedding chapel, where a pair of ordained ministers would perform weddings, vow renewals, and even friendship ceremonies on Valentine’s Day. Anna and James had been married for only a year and some change when they watched their married friends renew their vows at Casa

WEDDINGS continued page 16

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAKE AND NECIA PHOTOGRAPHY

• BY BRENNA SWANSTON •

hen Anna Ferguson-Sparks reached her late 20s without getting married, her mom told her she’d to have to start looking for a husband among men coming off of divorces. “That was not a very nice thing to say,” Anna said over the phone, laughing. But that was the attitude she—and many women—grew up with: The longer you wait to get married, the narrower your options are—and the less your wedding matters. “It was kind of drilled into me that if you were getting married in your late 30s or 40s, nobody was going to care,” she said. For Anna, it happened at age 38. She met James in November 2011, following a string of “destined-for-failure” relationships. He was one of 10 kids, formerly Mormon, and lukewarm about the whole marriage-andkids idea. After a year, James and Anna had decided they were in it for the long haul. Anna had uprooted her Los Angeles life to be with James in Solvang, and the way she saw it: “You’ve taken me away from my old life, so you better marry me. I’m going to be pissed if I have to get up and move again.” So they made it official. “I didn’t want to just be single, burnt out,

floating my whole life,” Anna said of her and James’ engagement. “It was more like a business decision. It’s not like he proposed to me. There were no rings involved.” They didn’t tell anyone. On Nov. 2, 2012, the couple made a pit stop in Las Vegas on their way back from visiting James’ family in Idaho. They found a church on the strip and got married, just like that— Anna in a cheetah-print dress and black heels, and James in jeans and a blue collared button-down. They waited days to break the news to friends and family. “It was good that we did it,” Anna said of their marriage. But, she added, she sometimes regrets not “having that big celebration, having our family and friends there to celebrate.” “It almost feels like we aren’t really married, for real,” Anna said. “But we are.”

The ag ing averag e b ride Anna and James aren’t alone in their story. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the probability of a 35-year-old woman being in her fi rst marriage declined sharply around the turn

AT ANY AGE: Sonja Magdevski, who co-owns Casa Dumetz and recently got married at 45, said a couple shouldn’t hesitate to throw a “big-ass party” just because they’re older.

Probability of ﬁ rst marriage by age % by age 20 1995: 2002: 2006 - 2010:

25% 17% 13%

% by age 25 1995: 2002: 2006 - 2010:

59% 52% 44%

% by age 30 1995: 2002: 2006 - 2010:

76% 73% 68%

% by age 35 1995: 2002: 2006 - 2010:

84% 81% 78%

% by age 40 1995: 2002: 2006 - 2010:

86% 86% 84%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

www.santamariasun.com • February 16 - February 23, 2017 • Sun • 15

Wedding Issue PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

WEDDINGS from page 15 Dumetz and decided to jump in and do the same. “It was just a very cute, very lighthearted thing,” Anna said. Sonja Magdevski, who owns Casa Dumetz, said the pop-up chapel inspired dozens of ceremonies, including two weddings and an engagement. But the most popular was the vow renewal, where married couples took the chance to publicly recommit to each other. “It was just that kind of no-stress, intimate experience, where you didn’t have a whole lot of planning,” Magdevski said. “You just kind of show up, which is the whole meaning of a relationship and love: You have to show up, and you have to profess your commitment.” Most of the couples that came through were on the older side, she said—she estimated at least 35 years old. Magdevski said married couples often renew their vows around that age for the same reason some people wait that long to get married in the first place: You know yourself better by that point, so the commitment is extra meaningful. “At that age in your life, you just have a better understanding of who you are, and

THE CHANGING BRIDE: Where Anna FergusonSparks grew up thinking her wedding would matter less the older she was when it happened, national trends say something different—the average first-time bride is aging.

you’re more secure in your relationship—or not,” she said. “You’re a more confident person, the older you get.” She said in an ideal marriage, the couple recommits to each other every day. But because life isn’t perfect, that doesn’t always happen—and that’s where vow renewal ceremonies come in handy. “Life is complicated,” Magdevski said. “Relationships are complicated. I think the beauty of a vow renewal is just a reminder to your partner, just to say, ‘If I could do this all over again, I would do it today.’ It’s a beautiful testament to a marriage and a relationship.”

The late-started family Even if Anna and James’ marriage story fits right in with national statistics, Anna said she often feels like a “fi sh out of water” when she looks around the Central Coast. In Anna’s previous big-city life—fi rst in New York, and then Los Angeles—women tended to prioritize their careers, so it was normal to see older brides and mothers.

WEDDINGS continued page 19

Probability that ﬁ rst marriage will endure for for 5 years 1995: 2006 - 2010:

80% 80%

for 10 years 1995: 2006 - 2010:

67% 68%

for 15 years 1995: 2006 - 2010:

57% 60%

years

for 20 years 1995: 2006 - 2010:

50% 52% Source: National Center for Health Statistics

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Wedding Issue PHOTO COURTESY OF JILLIAN MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

WEDDINGS from page 16 But around here, that’s not always the case—especially when it comes to having kids. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the average age of women at their fi rst birth is 26.3, and 40.2 percent of fi rst-time moms were unmarried. And when Anna had her daughter, she was 40—well above that average age. “There are not many women my age who have first-time little ones,” Anna said. “I’m not like the other moms. Even in the mommy groups, I have nothing in common with these people. A lot of the women don’t work, and I really identify with my work, so it’s really hard for me to relate to the other moms in my area.” And the struggles began in pregnancy, which Anna called an “emotional rollercoaster.” Initially, she was pregnant with twins, but lost one of them at nine weeks. When her doctor sent for blood work on the surviving baby, it came back positive for Down syndrome. From that point forward, Anna had an ultrasound every month. “Because we weren’t sure what was going on, every time we went for an ultrasound I would sit on the office floor and cry,” she said. The news seemed consistently negative—the baby was too small, or it wasn’t growing enough, or the doctor was unsure Anna would make it through the pregnancy. Anna and James waited 4 1/2 months to tell their immediate family they were expecting a baby. They didn’t tell most other people until after their daughter was born. “It was a horrible, bittersweet experience,” Anna said. “I was totally robbed of all the joy of being pregnant, couldn’t enjoy it, couldn’t have a shower, nothing. And here we were, waiting until the last minute to see if this baby would even be OK—if she would even make it.” The baby was OK. She made it. On Jan. 11, 2015, Anna and James welcomed their daughter, and she showed no signs of Down syndrome. She turned 2 this year. “Some people were hurt because we didn’t tell them, and we had to explain, we had to keep explaining the story,” Anna said. “It was a really horrible experience. But she’s here and she’s good, and that’s that.” Still, Anna said she struggles to relate to other fi rst-time moms, because most of them are so much younger than she is. “It’s very isolating,” she said. “I would love nothing more than to fi nd a group of women in my age range who only have one kid, who are fi rst-time mothers.” But, like marriage, she still thinks people should hold off on having children until later in life.

“You need to know who you are, have a good life going, to set a good example for your children,” Anna said. “I think it’s important to have a career before you go and do everything else.”

Value at any age

Magdevski said that the meaning of committing to another person—whether through marriage or the renewal of marriage vows—doesn’t diminish with age. The right timing is different for everyone, she said, depending on the couple and the complexities of their relationship. But because younger people tend to be more influenced by their families than older people, sometimes the reason behind younger marriages is different, she said. “Marriage traditionally was kind of a union of families for privilege, and that’s what happens today: People get married around the world not so much for love but for access, companionship, whatever it is,” Magdevski said. “The younger you are when you get married, there’s a little bit more of that expression.” As people get older and become more independent, commitments tend to become more love-centered. Magdevski said that because older couples are usually fi nancially independent, as well, those ceremonies are often smaller—but that doesn’t make the marriage a smaller deal. “I definitely don’t think it’s any less meaningful to get married older, because the meaning is between the husband and wife,” she said. “I think if you want to celebrate, you should celebrate however you want to celebrate.” When you’re older, your pool of friends changes and your focus changes, meaning a big party might not sound that exciting anymore, Magdevski said. But as for Anna, she said she wishes she’d gone bigger with her wedding, and not bought in to the idea that people wouldn’t come just because she was older. “I have regrets about it,” she said. “I feel like I kind of got cheated out of that day that was mine.” Magdevski agreed: “You can still throw a big-ass party if you want,” she said. “It’s never too late for that, to celebrate love, regardless of age. “People always want to celebrate love, and it holds that redeeming quality of faith and life and beauty,” she added. “That’s what we all search for—whether we’re able to achieve it or not is a whole different animal, but it kind of renews our hope to celebrate love.” 

PICTURESQUE: Ferguson-Sparks said she sometimes regrets eloping in Vegas, and wishes instead that she’d held the ceremony she deserved: “I feel like I kind of got cheated out of that day that was mine.”

Contact Staff Writer Brenna Swanston at bswanston@santamariasun.com.

Fraction of women and men by age group who agree or disagree with: “Marriage has not worked out for most people I know.” Women

15 - 24 Agree: Disagree:

37.7% 61.9%

25 - 34 Agree: Disagree:

38.6% 60.9%

Men

35 - 44 Agree: Disagree:

32.7% 66.2%

15 - 24 Agree: Disagree:

33.6% 65.3%

25 - 34 Agree: Disagree:

31.9% 66.6%

35 - 44 Agree: Disagree:

30.1% 69.2%

Source: National Center for Health Statistics

www.santamariasun.com • February 16 - February 23, 2017 • Sun • 19

Wedding Issue

Reading the dance ﬂoor DJ stands for ‘Dream Job’ for Tim Lopez, who gives local weddings a musical flair

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL STEPHENS PHOTOGRAPHY

ALL WORK AND ALL PLAY: Tim Lopez, owner and founder of Modern Symphony Entertainment, wanted to be a DJ/emcee ever since he was a kid.

• BY CALEB WISEBLOOD •

im Lopez, owner and founder of Modern Symphony DJ, takes wedding planning to a meticulous level— especially when it came to his own. “My wife, fiancée at the time, just took a couple steps back and said, ‘All right, go ahead, work your magic,’” Lopez told the Sun. Lopez handled his own wedding reception the same way he does for his clients—by reading the crowd and adjusting to their needs accordingly. It seems to be working, he said, since Modern Symphony has won the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award four years in a row. “It’s all about assessing the dance floor. You know there’s a problem if nobody’s dancing,” Lopez said. “Do whatever it takes—change the music, fi x the lighting. Lighting can completely transform a venue, whether it’s indoor or outdoor.”

Grab your dancing shoes

For more info on Modern Symphony DJ/MC Services and its various wedding packages call 266-8632 or visit modernsymphony.net.

Although Modern Symphony provides décor lighting and a photo booth for events if requested, the company is mainly known for its DJ services. Lopez said that being a DJ was his dream career as a child. Nothing made as much sense as being at the center of a big party, providing a driving rhythm for the festivities, he said. “I went to a lot of weddings as a kid,” Lopez said. “Wanting to become a DJ was a combination of that, and just loving music in general.” Lopez grew up listening to a variety of genres—classic rock, reggae, country, house music, disco, hip-hop, swing, and salsa. He has a massive library of music suited for any crowd, which he tailors to every moment of a wedding or party. It’s important to actually like what you’re playing, as a DJ, he added. An eclectic taste is beneficial. “You have to know your way around,” he said. “You never know what genre the bride, groom, or crowd is going to want at that moment. Even when it has been prepared in advance.” Lopez works weddings all over California, from

San Francisco to San Diego. He’s mainly booked for ceremonies on the Central Coast, which he calls a “gold mine” when it comes to weddings. “People come from everywhere just to get married here,” Lopez said. “I’ll get calls from all over—New York, Miami. From my experience, it’s usually Cal Poly grads wanting to come back.” Modern Symphony celebrates its sixth anniversary this May. Lopez feels blessed and is grateful especially for the positive feedback

he’s received, he said. “Even though I was a nervous wreck during my first gig, I ended up getting a $200 tip and a five-star review from the client,” Lopez said. “That was the kind of boost I needed to move forward. Knowing my brides, grooms, and guests are happy keeps me going.”  Intern Caleb Wiseblood would only want to hear Beatles songs at his wedding. Contact him at intern@santamariasun.com.

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Wedding Issue

‘Do you’ on the big day

PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT AND DANA PHOTOGRAPHERS

Skip the crazy lashes and spray tans and aim to look like yourself, only better • BY H AY LE Y T HOM A S C A IN •

es, wedding day beauty prep takes a lot longer than your normal Friday date night look. However, it doesn’t need to take a dozen hours, a yard of human hair extensions, and a bucket of self-tanner to look “natural and glowing.” All you need is the right beauty team and a few sane tips. Thankfully, Jennifer Marie Hix of The Queen’s Bees in San Luis Obispo isn’t afraid to give us the straight talk on how to “do you” while saying, “I do.”

Find the right beauty team Every bride needs a beauty team to make those photos pop, but where to start? Research, research, research. Head to your beauty contenders’ websites and their respective Yelp reviews. Look at their work. Do these the brides in their photo shoots look fresh faced and rosy cheeked or a little too done up? Check their social media feeds with the gusto of a deranged cyber stalker. Note: Hix reminds brides to always make sure the photo you’re looking at is actually of the artist’s work, not simply an “inspiration” shot, which can be a

common mix-up on Instagram. Another obvious but overlooked tip? Make sure you meet the artist face to face and see if you like their hair and makeup in real life. “Is their makeup well blended? Did they use a flattering tone? Is their hair and makeup done well? It doesn’t have to be your style, per se, but it should be done well,” Hix says. “Say you’re going to get your eyebrows waxed, but the waxer has horrible eyebrows. Just walk away.”

Aim to look like yourself, only better

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“The best description of this is when a bride told me she wanted to look like herself, but in her fiance’s fantasy,” Hix says. “What that comes down to is correcting what needs to be corrected, while leaving all the amazing features that make you, you.” Freckles? You might want to hang on to them. Hix says she’s known many a groom devastated by their bride-to-be’s choice to cover up that beauty mole, scar, or birthmark. After all, he

JUST THE WAY YOU ARE Let the sun shine in, with a rosy glow that’s all you. Makeup on bride Arielle Allen by the Queen’s Bees.

BEAUTY continued page 25

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Wedding Issue BEAUTY from page 22 married the real you—not a Photoshopped version. For this reason, avoid deep spray tans, which can turn lovely pale skin into an unnatural hue. Orange is not a good look with a white dress. “When you walk down the aisle, you don’t

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE WARREN

want your groom to ask, ‘Who’s that?’” Hix says. “It’s about maybe lightening up your under eyes or a little redness around your nose, which most women have. It’s important to use the right products to make sure your skin still looks like your skin.”

BE HAPPY Don’t sweat it. The most beautiful bride is the one who is well fed and well hydrated. Makeup on bride Kara Goldstein by the Queen’s Bees.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSEA HOLDER PHOTOGRAPHY

REAL LIFE BLUSH A natural flush and neutral shadow allow your inner beauty to shine through. Makeup by the Queen’s Bees.

DIY with caution Although Hix recommends hiring a professional team to make sure you look dewey, fresh, and gorgeous, she knows plenty of gals will choose to DIY some part of their beauty for the big day. That’s OK, too—just beware of these pitfalls. One huge disclaimer: Be aware that not all makeup is “photo ready.” “There are certain kinds of makeup that you absolutely cannot wear in photos. These usually have an ingredient called mica, which is light reflective,” Hix says. “You don’t want a twotoned look on your wedding day.” Smashbox, developed by a photography studio, is always a good choice for the

flashbulbs. Avoid Bare Minerals and other mica-filled cosmetics like the plague. Speaking of avoidance, false lashes bring up quite a bit of resistance in most ladies. Here’s a down-and-dirty primer for anyone who has nightmares about that pesky strip dislodging from your eye at the most inopportune time, i.e., reciting your heartfelt vows. First: Buy quality lashes (Hix likes Ardell). Next, warm up the lash strips by bending the lashes around your finger. Then, trim from the outer corner to fit the shape of your eye. Apply your eyeliner and mascara first to give it a base to stick to (obviously waterproof formulas are best

BEAUTY continued page 26

Contact: Amy Murguia (805) 937-2025 • Santa Maria Country Club • 505 West Waller Lane, Santa Maria, CA 93455 • www.santamariacc.com www.santamariasun.com • February 16 - February 23, 2017 • Sun • 25

Wedding Issue

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for brides). After applying lashes, resist the urge to go too heavy on the second coat. “We want your eyelashes to look fluttery and soft, not spider-like,” Hix says, adding that eyelash extensions—which you can get at local salons like Tiger Lily—are a good option for those who just can’t get the hang of it. When in doubt, fi nd someone trained in this tricky skill. “I’ve heard so many women say that false lashes are uncomfortable to wear, but when a professional puts them on, you shouldn’t be able to feel a thing,” Hix says.

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Never wear makeup? Freaked out about whether you’re skin tone is a summer or an autumn? Breathe easy. Hix says a fresh, even skin tone, neutral eyes, and subtle cheeks and lips are flattering on everyone. Tip: Forget about intimidating shades of eye shadow. Instead, swipe on a few different shades of lipstick and see what emerges. “The right lip color can make the green in your eyes pop,” Hix says. Another good rule of thumb: Always shape your brows well before the week of the wedding (no one wants to risk redness or burns on their forehead or—God forbid— upper lip when the officiant says, “You may now kiss the bride”). What’s the one thing every bride should be doing but doesn’t? According to Hix, it’s exactly what your mother, your doctor, and your favorite celebrities have been saying all along. Be sure to drink plenty of water.

Hydrated skin is plumped skin, and plumped skin takes makeup like a champ.

Chill out Stress is never pretty. Hix says she sees the ravages of sleep deprivation on a regular basis and reminds all brides of this little fact: The night before the wedding, you cannot completely change your reception décor or arrange a thousand flowers. All you can do is get some shut-eye and think about the incredible person you’re marrying. Get plenty of sleep the night before your wedding and remember that although it’s totally your choice to do those tequila shots, your skin will not be loving it come morning. A rested, healthy bride is a happy bride, and happiness comes from enjoying this momentous occasion in your life. Still not convinced you should put a little time and effort into this aspect of your wedding? Remember: Looking your best isn’t necessarily just about you or your vanity. Hix recently stumbled upon her great-grandparents’ wedding photo, and it took her breath away. “They have been passed for years, and everybody who was at their wedding is long gone. But me, as their great-granddaughter, I can look at that photo and see how happy and wonderful they looked, and that’s really important,” Hix says. “Your wedding photos aren’t just for you. They can be part of a lineage that’s passed on for generations.”  Hayley Thomas Cain is a fan of looking good every day at hthomas@newtimesslo.com. PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX RICHARDSON

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Wedding Issue

License to hitch Getting a marriage license in Santa Barbara County isn’t hard, but there is a process • BY DAVID MINSK Y •

efore considering you and your partner an actual married couple, you technically need permission from the government. In Santa Barbara County and the rest of California, this means getting a marriage license. There’s really nothing to getting a marriage license, except for a little money and some planning. Unlike some states, you don’t have to go to a court in California to get a license—unless your bride or groom is under the age of 18. In Santa Barbara County—if you live in North County, that is—marriage licenses are issued out of the ClerkRecorder’s Office at the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Administration Building located at 511 Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria. In the last five years, issued marriage licenses in the county are on the rise. According to county data, the county went from issuing 5,481 licenses in 2012 to 6,018 in 2016. Wedding ceremonies performed by clerks have risen as well—from 880 in 2012 to 1,383 in 2016. There are two requirements: a license and a ceremony. A necessary—although not necessarily the first—step is getting the license. Although some may prefer to have a ceremony in the county office before applying for a license, Santa Barbara County Chief Deputy Clerk-Recorder Melinda Greene recommends first making a

reservation for one since you can’t have a license without a ceremony. “You can, it just won’t mean anything,” Greene said. It costs $23 to reserve a ceremony with the county Clerk-Recorder’s office. You can either come to the Clerk-Recorder’s office or make a reservation online at sbcrecorder.com. The county even provides onsite witnesses for an additional fee of $51, unless you’re able to find a person who’s willing to do it for free. A random person will suffice. Sometimes, Greene said, office staff will recommend asking someone standing nearby to be a witness. There’s no age requirement to be a marriage witness in California, although they must understand they’re witnessing a marriage ceremony. The second step, according to Greene’s recommendation, is applying for the license. This can be done in person

or online. Two things are required: Each person must have a valid government-issued ID card and, if previously married, a copy of a marriage dissolution. It costs $100 for a public license or $111 for a “confidential” license, which isn’t really confidential since the marriage itself is public record. There are some added benefits to plunking down a little extra cash for this option, like not needing witnesses. Consult the California Department of Public Health website for more information. One thing to remember, Greene said, is that it’s important for the couple to do the application together and make sure to include all of the required information—including parents’ middle names and proper spelling. Licenses only last for 90 days if a ceremony isn’t performed by then. Greene recommends getting a license 30 days before the ceremony is performed. If you want to avoid paying tens of thousands of dollars (or more) for a wedding, the county performs them at bargain rates starting at $104 to have one performed in PHOTO BY DAVID MINSKY

SOME PAPERWORK REQUIRED: In order to be officially married in California, you need a marriage license and a ceremony—but not necessarily in that order.

the Clerk-Recorder Hall of Records in Santa Barbara and at the Santa Maria location. It costs $116 for a ceremony at an outside premise in Santa Maria or at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. The county’s office can only accommodate 10 people, and flower petals, rice, confetti, and birdseed aren’t allowed. Ceremonies are performed in English and Spanish, although the county provides instructions on how to get them translated into other languages. The last, and crucial, step is getting a certified copy of a marriage certificate. This costs $15 if obtained from a walk-in appointment. Additional charges are added if a copy is mailed or faxed. “It’s really important for couples to get the paperwork right away and close the loop,” Greene said. Case in point, Greene added, is for insurance purposes. A person may want to obtain a certified copy as soon as possible in order to add their spouse to their policy. One thing to consider before getting married, Greene said, is change of last name. One law unique to California is the Name Equality Act of 2007, which allows spouses to combine last and middle names into anagrams. For example, if one name is Miller and the other is Smith, they can be combined to form an entirely new name like ‘Smithmiller’ or ‘Millersmith.’ At a minimum, if you skip the expensive wedding ceremony, it costs anywhere from $219 to $316 to get hitched in Santa Barbara County. It’s a little bit of money, but it’s a small price to pay for a lifetime of love, companionship, and tax benefits. Not only that, Greene added but you get your money’s worth. The license is copied and stored in multiple locations and forms—including microfilm—ensuring that it’s never lost. “Your record is protected,” Greene said, “and that’s the bottom line.”  Staff Writer David Minsky can be reached at dminsky@ santamariasun.com.

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