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A Wedding in Santa Barbara That Intertwined The Newlyweds’ American and New Zealand Backgrounds

By Shayna Seid | Photography by 

Erich McVey

|Planning by 

Simone Lennon Events

An American and a Kiwi walk into a bar in Reykjavik, Iceland. . . and four-and-a-half years later, they got engaged. Edward James St Leger Reeves was on an overnight layover with his father and brother before continuing on to Greenland, and Kelsey Jordan “KJ” Lipman was on the last day of her trip with friends. It was pure fate that led them to each other.

While on Waiheke Island in New Zealand to spend Christmas with Ed’s family, he proposed to KJ on the beach in front of his family’s home—his favorite place. Once engaged, they began planning their spring Santa Barbara wedding at Villa Sevillano with Simone Lennon Events. Over The Moon The List Photographer Erich McVey and Cana Family of The Wedding Artist Co. were enlisted to capture every special moment, and Lotus and Ash set the tone for a multi-day event with a soft, elevated invitation suite.

The weekend kicked off with an al fresco rehearsal dinner, decorated with bougainvillea. To this, KJ wore an open back Cortana dress.

The next day, the bride got ready in a vintage Dior slip with her bridesmaids, dressed in Bernadette sets, and TEAM Hair & Makeup. She then put on her strapless Monique Lhuillier wedding dress. “My jewelry was a favorite part of the weekend—two of my bridesmaids are jewelry designers, so I wore Uniform Object and Henri Noel Jewelry throughout the events,” KJ explains. “Helps to have friends with diamonds! Letting them pick out pieces for the weekend for me was so special.”

On May 18, 2024, in the villa’s gardens, KJ’s older brother, Jared Lipman, officiated the sweet ceremony, surrounded by flowers from Siren Floral Co. The bride walked down the aisle with her father to “I’m with You” by Vance Joy. “I was more nervous than I expected, mostly because walking in such a large gown proved challenging!” KJ laughs. “I was extremely excited—and a little nervous—which was noted by our wedding planning team, telling me to ‘keep my knees bent’ to avoid passing out!” Ed adds. “When KJ finally appeared to walk down the aisle I could hardly contain my emotion, lots of deep breathing and teary eyes but mostly overwhelming joy. KJ looked absolutely stunning, and it was a dream to be standing up there with her.”

After being announced as officially married, cocktail hour commenced in the upper garden. Pimm’s Cups were the speciality drinks—a nod to Ed sending KJ a bottle of Pimm’s from the Henley Royal Regatta shortly after they met. Mini mince and cheese pies, a New Zealand–favorite, by Duo Catering were an absolute hit with the global guests.

“All Night Long” by Lionel Richie soundtracked the entrance to the reception tent. After a delicious dinner, there was no time wasted getting onto the dance floor with Mosaics of Dart Collective. For this, KJ made a quick change into a Vivienne Westwood mini. And while “Living on a Prayer” sounded out, the newlyweds hopped on stage to sing and dance with the band—Ed even flaunted his best air guitar moves.

Another favorite moment was when the band played “Down Under,” which they’d learned especially for the night, to delight Ed’s family and friends from Australia and New Zealand. “Everyone loved it and was singing along at the top of their lungs,” the groom remembers.

The bottom floor of the villa was transformed into a disco for the after-party, featuring an espresso martini bar and late-night bites. “The after-party got wild to say the least!” KJ smiles.