
On Friday afternoon of July 1st, 2011, I married my soul mate, Jason Lawrence Gavin. We had an intimate beach wedding with 100 of our closest family and friends at Crystal Cove State Park in Newport Coast, CA. The wedding was catered by the only restaurant on the beach, which happens to be just a few feet from the wedding site, The Beachcomber Cafe. I can’t believe it has been 2 years since I said: “I DO”!
Time has flown by, but our lives together have only gotten stronger. Jason has a knack for encouraging me to be a better person and pushing me to try new things.
This blog of my personal recipes and experiences is one such instance of trying something completely new to me. I remember just last year, for our 1st anniversary in Napa Valley, when we dined at Chef Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry for an incredible experience.
Below are a collection of wedding photos and important moments of our wedding. Many thanks go to photographer Mike Arick for capturing all of these incredible moments.

The wedding party (from left to right): Kristina, Taryn, Melissa, Michaela, Jasmin, Patrice, Me, Jason, Jordan, Sean, Andy, Jeff, Blandon, Syd.
Jason’s Vows:
Jessica, I have chosen you as my best friend, my love for life. I promise you my deepest love, my fullest devotion, my tenderest care, through the pressures of the present and the uncertainties of the future, I promise to be there by your side. You have shown me what real love and a great relationship feels like and for that I thank you. You are everything I need and I know that all of my dreams have come true.
I pledge to respect your culinary talents and abilities, to lend you a helping hand when you need to reach the pasta machine from the top cabinet and to eat everything you put on my plate. I promise to be the joy of your heart, the food of your soul and the best person I can be for you. I love you so much!
My Vows:
Jason, I’ve always wondered how this very moment in my life would be, and looking at you and loving you over the years, without a doubt, you are absolutely the one. My life’s path has led me to you, and I could not be more delighted to continue this adventure with my best friend. From the moment I met you, I knew that you were special. As our friendship grew, so did my respect and intrigue.
Each day, I am reminded how remarkable of a man you are; imaginative, driven and resilient. I have never met someone with more integrity than you. Your heart has always provided me with compassion, courage, strength, and trust. I know I can live my dreams because I have your support, and I am truly grateful. I know our deep friendship and love will guide us through life’s journeys, with our hearts being the most reliable compass. I promise to always nurture, listen, comfort, and feed you; making sure to make your grandmother’s famous meatball recipe at least once a month. Thank you for showing me each day that love exists, and grows with you.

The Dessert Bar- Cookies made by my talented sister-in-laws Imelda (Summer lovin’ cookies) and Svetlana (“I do” Chocolate chip). Delicious cupcakes designed by Brooke Corpus owner of Simply Sweet Cakery. Pinwheels and flags made by my amazing cousins Melissa and Michaela (who also did my hair and make-up).
The gorgeous flowers were designed by Florals By Jenny, which incorporated natural succulents and culinary herbs into the arrangements. I also included some of our favorite treats for the guests; goldfish crackers, gummy coke bottles, root beer barrel candies, sour patch kids and spicy kettle corn.

The Wedding Cake- My favorite part of planning the wedding was the wedding cake! Brooke and I collaborated on ideas and the final result was a raspberry marble cake. The decorations include turquoise fondant with a beautiful gold damask design along with a handmade coral colored flower on top. I loved it!
I decided that I wanted to have individual cupcakes for the guests instead of having to cut the cake, so from the tasting, I chose these delicious flavors; PB&J, triple berry delight, red velvet, and toffee crunch. Jason and I have two very endearing pet cockatiels, Honey and George. Since they couldn’t be with us at the wedding, I had Brooke make a special cake for them which she placed under a beautiful antique birdcage and made the cake a cravable-carrot cake flavor.
Brooke’s talents as a cake designer and sweet personality really made this a fun and exciting part of planning, making my wedding cake and dessert bar far exceed my expectations! I wanted to surprise Jason with a groom’s cake, so I made him his Grandma Rose’s famous pineapple upside-down cake! My sister-in-law Imelda found my mom’s old cake cutter and server, so it was a perfect addition to the cake cutting! I loved how we were able to tie in all of our favorite desserts together and make the day even more sentimental.

Toffee Crunch Cupcakes- Dark chocolate cupcake filled with caramel mousse iced with French buttercream topped with chopped toffee pieces.

Triple Berry Cupcakes– Vanilla cupcake filled with whipped cream iced with French buttercream topped with fresh raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.

Summer Lovin’ Cookies– My sister-in-law Imelda’s famous white chocolate and cranberry cookies. She also knows that I love the movie Grease, so these were the perfect name for the cookies at the wedding!

The Gavin Family– (From left to right): Uncle Patrick, Aunt Connie, Jessica, Harley, Jordan, Aunt Maryann, Joan (Mom), Bill (Dad), Me, Jason, Aunt Jean, Aunt Alta, Uncle John, Michael, Laura, James, Brooke, Justin.

The Yee Family– (From Left to Right): Uncle Daniel, Aunt Carol, Michaela, Melissa, Grandma (Yin Yin), Lynne (Step Mom), Rick (Dad), Zach, Me, Jason, Jacob, Aidan, Imelda, Blandon, Aunt Lynette, Michael, Taryn, Uncle Brian, Hudson, Syd, Svetlana, Janet (Mom- In spirit).
A Chinese Poet-Philosopher wrote:
“Marriage is like two streams which had their origin on opposite sides of a mountain. As the streams flowed down the sides of the mountain, they touched the lives of many people. They went through the village, plain and field. At the base of the mountain, the two streams met and formed a river. As the river flowed along it became a great and mighty river and brought much happiness to many people.”
“Marriage is like the two streams, two people coming out of their own backgrounds and families, a result of their own heritage and for a while flow through life alone. However, their two lives meet and in that meeting they merge, and merging, they form a river of life between them. That river will bring much happiness to your marriage, the people you know and your journey ahead.”

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