Caitlin Fisher, who formerly was in fashion merchandising and currently is working at home with her three children writing the lifestyle blog, Daily Cup of Couture, met Patrick Fisher the day before she graduated from high school. He had just graduated from UC Berkeley and moved to La Jolla, California, where she was living and he had family. Coincidentally, their grandparents were friends, and they formally met at his cousin’s graduation party. “Patrick walked into the party with his grandmother and saw me and immediately said to his grandmother, ‘Who is that? That is the girl I’m going to marry.'”

Patrick was actually the one who suggested Caitlin start her blog. It was nearly 10 years ago, when she was in merchandising, and blogs were starting to become “a thing.” “I spent lots of time at work reading blogs like The Sartorialist for inspiration at work,” she says. After a while, he commented that since she spends her time reading other people’s words, she should try her hand at it too. “This made perfect sense and truly resonated with me because I majored in communications in college and prior to working on the business side of fashion, I had done my internships in college in media and thought I wanted to end up on the editorial side of fashion.”

After dating for years, Patrick proposed down the street from where they met as his grandparents house. “I walked out into the backyard and there, written out in Ring Pops, was ‘Will You Marry Me?'” Caitlin says. She had always joked that she was going to get engaged with a candy ring, and he made it happen! After the real ring had been slipped onto her left hand, the two went to the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, where both of their families were waiting to celebrate.

On August 20th, 2011, the two said, “I do,” at a church ceremony, followed by an at-home reception in San Diego. To help plan everything, the couple hired Merilee Hennings of Ever After Events. Below, Caitlin shares how she chose her venue and wedding dress, her wardrobe regret, what she wished had been around when she got married, and more!

How did you choose your wedding venue and aesthetic? Any regrets?

“Both our wedding venues had so much meaning to us as a couple. We got married at Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla, which was where my grandparents had gotten married almost exactly 50 years earlier. And we held the reception at my childhood home in Rancho Santa Fe, which was truly special!

I wanted the evening to have a secret garden feel, and we tented my parents’ tennis court, which was lovely as it is completely covered in greenery on the sides, so it felt just like you were in a garden with a tent over the top. My natural aesthetic is very classic, and thus, our wedding certainly had a timeless feel. Although I was young when we got married—only 25—I wanted to make sure I always looked back on the day and nothing about it looked too trendy. Thus, almost nine years later, I still have no regrets!”

How did you choose what you wore?

“I wore and Amsale dress, which I still truly LOVE to this day! It was actually the very first dress I tried on. I had seen a photo of it before I went wedding dress shopping in Los Angeles…and had it brought into Saks, where I had my first bridal appointment, and from the moment I put it on, I knew it was THE dress. I loved how timeless it was with the lace bodice, grosgrain ribbon-detail at the waist, and long train. The silhouette is what I knew was most flattering on my body. There is no other way to describe it other than it just felt so very ‘me.’

I had the neckline changed from straight across to sweetheart, which many people tried to convince me not to do because of the lace, but I’m so very glad I did. For my shoes, I chose these nude Valentino bow pumps, which were the perfect wedding shoes because they were also super comfortable. Since I wasn’t changing dresses on the dance floor, I wanted to make sure I could wear shoes I could last dancing in all night.”

Years later, are there any wardrobe regrets?

“The only thing I don’t love was my bustle! But, I didn’t love it then either.”

What’s one recent trend that you wish had been around when you got married?

“Pinterest! It would have made wedding planning so much easier! I remember putting together PowerPoint presentations and binders of tear sheets for my wedding planner and florist and would have loved to have had Pinterest.”

What was your favorite part of the day?

“Actually my two favorite parts of the day both took place in Patrick’s grandfather’s red Packard convertible. First with my dad driving to to church—it was such a special moment for the two of us to be together before I was married. And then with my new husband driving away from the church to the reception. Patrick and I were on absolute cloud nine and driving away in that car, waving to people felt like a dream. It was also the only party of the day where it was just the two of us, and I will always cherish that.”

Did anything funny or unexpected or disastrous happen?

“One funny thing that happened at the reception was when I threw my bouquet, it got stuck in one of the chandeliers in the tent! Luckily our best man, who is extremely tall, was able to put my maid of honor on his shoulders to retrieve it. Everyone was laughing.”

What is one thing you would do differently if you could get married again?

“I would not let myself get so stressed and worked-up about all the planning and remember to try and enjoy each step of the journey to that day.”

What’s one piece of marriage advice you like to give out?

“Never go to bed angry.”