Hanna Dorman was working long hours as an assistant designer at Ralph Lauren in New York City—and not getting out much—when she decided to go on Hinge. It was there she connected with Marco Prokop, and the two went on their first date beneath a disco ball at Ray’s. “When Marco and I met, I knew deep down that my life would never be the same,” Hanna later said in a speech at their wedding. The universe had shifted. Their relationship grew in a rhythm that felt both easy and extraordinary—gallery walks in the city, shared playlists, and surf trips. 

Three years later, the couple was living in California, where Hanna launched her swimwear line, BĀBEN, when they returned to New York—and, specifically, to Ray’s Bar—for their anniversary. “We sat down in this private seated area, where we had had our first conversation, and Marco got down on his knee and proposed,” Hanna says. “I was met with tears of joy when, to my complete surprise, both of our families walked through the door to greet us and join in the celebration.”

 As they began planning their wedding, Hanna and Marco chose a place that held special meaning for them—one they had often visited during road trips up the coast. “From the beginning, we were interested in wedding venues in California with history,” Hanna says. They fell in love with the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, and it sparked ideas for more than just decor.

“When touring the venue, I saw a vintage photo of a woman wearing a silk drop waist dress with a brooch on it, and knew I wanted to design a dress with similar detail,” Hanna says. She worked with L’ezu Bridal Atelier to bring her vision to life in matte satin peau de soie, and finished the dress with an antique 17th-century brooch with hand-painted cherubs. “I fell in love with the idea of creating a new family heirloom that I can pass down to my future children.”

Her reception dress was a sort of heirloom, too. “For my second look, we hemmed my mother’s wedding dress into a mini, but kept the details and silhouette the same,” Hanna says. “Her dress was timeless and still felt so current. There were a lot of family and friends who had attended my parents’ wedding 30 years prior, so it was an emotional moment to wear it in a new way.” Nude satin slingbacks and a white Porto bag, glam by Nicole Samara Iyer, and a spritz of Angeli Di Firenze finished her wedding-day look. 

Marco, meanwhile, accessorized a double-breasted Paul Smith tuxedo with Italian cowboy boots and Persol sunglasses, and the bridesmaids wore varying floral prints.  

September 7, 2024, hit record high temperatures in Santa Barbara, so the bride and her father rode to the church with the windows of their vintage Mercedes rolled all the way down. “When we had visited Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montecito, we were blown away by its beauty,” Hanna says. “Marco’s grandmother, Carmelita, had recently passed away, and it was her patron saint, so it was a great way to remember her.” Gather Floral added flowers around the stunning arched doorway to make the entrance even more grand.

As the doors opened and Hanna and her father started their walk down the aisle, she recalls it all felt like a dream. “I felt like I was floating and could not stop smiling,” she remembers. “Seeing Marco tear up down the aisle for the first time, and all of the people we love in the church together, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Following the emotional ceremony, cocktail hour was held in the museum’s Adobe Courtyard, before guests were seated at long tables for a farm-to-table feast. “I loved the design and flow of our reception,” Hanna says. “Every detail was so beautiful and meaningful to us. The florals were breathtaking. Marco and I started with a welcome toast and speech; being married in the church, we thought it would be a nice touch to share a bit more about our love for each other and also thank our families and everyone who came to celebrate with us.” 

They cut into a New York-style cheesecake—a nod back to their dating days—then led guests to the dance floor. “We began the dances under a beautiful canopy of pendants and, of course, a disco ball to commemorate our first meeting,” Hanna says.

They chose “Your Sweet Love” by Lee Hazelwood,performed by Dart Collective, as their first dance. “Once everyone got on the dance floor, I don’t think anyone left,” Hanna remembers. “I’ve never seen that many people dancing at a wedding. Marco and I love a good party, and this was the best one yet. The amount of love we felt was beyond.”