A Stunning Oceanfront Wedding at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, California

Mahan first heard about Nikki through one of her friends, Alexandria, who happened to be an employee of his. Alexandria often mentioned how Mahan and Nikki would be perfect for each other, but the timing never matched up. One day, Alexandra was uncharacteristically absent from work when Mahan received a call from the hospital, saying Alexandria was in a vehicle accident and in critical care. They were unable to find any information on her except for her work contacts, so they asked if Mahan could notify her family.

“I knew her whole family lived in Tucson, but I didn’t have their contact info,” he recalls. “The only thing I could think of was Nikki. I contacted her through Facebook and gave her my number, asking her to please call me. Who would have ever thought that the first time I would meet my future wife would be outside of ICU in a hospital under the worst of circumstances?

 Thankfully, Alexandria fought for her life and she started to recover; and Nikki and I started to see each other more and more at the hospital. Somehow, what we shared during those couple of weeks in the hospital brought us a connection and a feeling that we had never felt. Every time I think back, I think that it could not have been anything but fate.”

Mahan proposed on Thanksgiving of 2015. When Nikki walked into his sister’s house, he was waiting on bended knee with their families standing behind him. “Her face was the most priceless thing that I have ever witnessed,” Mahan states. “The shock made her exit the house uncontrollably. It was an amazing moment and a day we will never forget.”

A romantic California wedding followed, which seemingly flew by for the bride and groom. Prior to the ceremony, they both read cards they had written for each other, overwhelming them with emotion. After a magical first look, Nikki and Mahan couldn’t wait to get married and experience a unique, multi-cultural ceremony with their loved ones.

Cocktail hour was served with stunning ocean views as a backdrop – a perfectly serene atmosphere, which was one of the main selling points when it came time to choose a venue. “It was fun to change things up and attend our own cocktail hour, as most brides and grooms are typically not present for this portion of the wedding,” adds Mahan. “We were so impressed with the reception, as the decor, flowers, cake and lighting had come together to create the impeccable picture we had envisioned for ourselves. This was the portion that we had waited for the most all day – to eat, drink and dance the night away with all our friends and family.”

For their honeymoon, the newlyweds started with a trip to Miami, enjoying the Latin flavors of South Beach. It was then off to Europe, where they traveled through an epic list of cities: London, Mykonos, Santorini, Rome, Capri, Positano, Venice, and Barcelona.