"We are the Corwyns. We just picked this new last name which means “my heart’s friend.” We are newlyweds who live in Kansas City Missouri with our little pup Cedar. Back in January of 2018, we met briefly at a conference in Denver, CO where Josh lived. Ben lived in Kansas City and months later, Ben was back in Denver to see family and a dating-app helped us reconnect. We fell for each other fast."
After 3 weeks of a long-distance phone romance, Josh decided to visit Ben in KC and before the weekend was over, they decided to become boyfriends and give this new relationship a real shot at becoming something special. Needless to say, it became something very special.
After 9 months of being long-distance, Josh moved to KC to be closer and the couple were able to truly do life together. Josh asked Ben to marry him on January 1st, 2020 stating he didn't want to go another day in 2020 without being his fiancé. "2020 brought us, well, a shitshow, but we were able to get married in September and are delighted to be starting this next chapter of life together and face whatever life has to throw at us."
Josh and Ben knew they wanted something a little out-of-the-box for their wedding. "We wanted to create a weekend of activities and fun with the most important people in our lives. We wanted meaningful and sacred time with our chosen family of 25 beautiful souls, for more than just a few hours on a Friday night. So we hatched the idea to whisk everyone away for a 4 day vacation to stay in a gorgeous mansion in La Mesa CA. The home would also serve as our wedding venue because it sat beautifully up on the cliffs of Mt. Helix. San Diego was chosen because Josh had visited several times and loved it - and we knew it was the perfect beach getaway destination for our friends!" Jess Ballerstein was there to capture the couples beautiful, intimate ceremony.
The couple did not want to spend a fortune on suits that they would wear for only a few hours however, they also wanted to look polished and handsome. "We found Paisley & Gray suits online and fell in love with their gorgeous summer colours. We ordered online during a clearance sale and had them tailored to fit us like a glove. The final product was definitely a major wow factor! We looked so sharp and stylish (and we did it for insanely cheap)! Ben and Josh also wore matching Toms shoes and a matching bowtie and tie combination from Bircher Craft and Co.
For their ceremony backdrop the couple chose a geometric arch by Farm & Field Events with Flowers from Sugar Rose Flowers and cake from Audrey at Frost Me Gourmet.
It was important that Josh and Ben were able to celebrate with their chosen family. "Our wedding day was going to be sacred and intimate and we chose a very specific group of people to bear witness. We wanted those people to not only feel the love between us as a couple, but also to feel the love we have for them. We wanted to do something special and unique. We wanted the whole weekend experience to feel like no other wedding anyone had been to. Yes, the weekend was about us, but we wanted to celebrate our friends too."
Josh and Ben cooked a gorgeous meal for everyone for their rehearsal dinner after a long beautiful beach day. The next day they had a brunch wedding on a private balcony overlooking the gorgeous cliffs of Mt. Helix, and then they partied on the beach that evening at sunset with a beach fire, In&Out Burgers & s’mores. "We had zoo trips, winery visits & late-night chats on the patio the rest of our visit. It was a weekend to remember for everyone."
Their advice for other couples getting married? "Our advice is to be prepared for things to not go according to plan. We spent months getting everything in perfect order and stuff just didn’t line up the way we expected. However, these moments can be the most beautiful of all. These moments for us became the funny stories of beautiful imperfections. We realized that nobody should want a perfect wedding because perfect is boring!"
"Our advice for couples planning during COVID is to embrace the idea of small and intimate. Your mom’s neighbour’s hairstylist who you met when you were 4 does not need to be invited to your wedding. Surround yourself with the people who are currently pouring their lives into yours. Make sure those who are attending are your family — both blood and chosen - who will celebrate you!"
Photographer : Jess Ballerstein @by.darius | Ceremony and Reception Location : Private home in La Mesa, CA | Celebrant : Joy Wishtun @joywishtun | Entertainment : Beach Fire Guy | Flora : Sugar Rose Flowers @sugarroseflowers | Catering + Beverages : Daneen Green @dailysquaredining | Cake : Audrey from Frost Me Gourmet @frostmegourmet | Stationery: Minted @minted | Arch : Farm & Field Events @farmandfieldevents | Grooms' Suits : Paisley & Gray @paisleyandgray| Grooms' Shirts : Calvin Klein @calvinklein | Rings : Helzberg Diamonds @helzbergdiamonds + Etsy Antique Shop @etsy | Shoes : Toms @toms | Bowtie + Tie : Bircher Craft and Co. @birchcraftandco | Hair : Chop Tops Westport Kansas City @choptopskc