When a family friend group-texted Madison DeFrees and her mom to see if she’d be open to a set-up with Parker Norton, Madison didn’t get a word in edgewise. “Before I even saw the message, my mom responded with, essentially, ‘He’s cute, she’ll meet him!’” Madison remembers. “Parker reached out, we went on one happy hour date, and the rest is history!”
It was an easy, effortless connection—and just 14 months later, Parker proposed. “We both knew and expressed our love and desire for a future together very early on,” Madison says. “When you know, you know.”
Even so, she didn’t see the moment coming when he got down on one knee the day after Thanksgiving. The California couple was back in Colorado visiting Madison’s family. “My mom had made a dinner reservation for our family at our favorite restaurant in Boulder,” Madison says. “Before leaving for dinner, my mom snapped a photo of the two of us in my parents’ yard. After the photo, my mom went inside, Parker held me tighter and got down on one knee and proposed with the Flatirons in the background. Then Parker’s family flew out and surprised me at dinner! It was the first time both of our immediate families were in the same place at the same time.”
Rather than get married in either of their hometowns—Boulder or Newport Beach—they chose a place that encapsulated both. “Santa Barbara, ‘where the mountains meet the sea,’ was very symbolic for us as a couple, since I grew up in the mountains, and Parker at the beach,” Madison says. “When we walked into Villa Sevillano, Parker instantly said, ‘This is it, I can picture getting married here,’ and the rose garden reminded me of the manicured roses we had throughout our yard in the house I grew up in. We wanted to incorporate the natural beauty of Southern California with a little touch of prep; the blending of coasts.” To bring their vision to life, the couple enlisted Over The Moon Editor’s Pick Planner Laurel & Rose.
They planned the wedding in less than a year, which left little time for dress shopping. Madison worked with stylist Mary Glenn to create custom looks for the rehearsal dinner and welcome party. She went bold, donning a pink moire bubble-hem mini for the welcome party, but for the big day, “feeling bridal was very important to me,” she says. When she found Oscar de la Renta’s Wisteria dress, it all came together. “The name of the dress felt like a sign, as the venue had a blooming wisteria-covered pergola; I loved the connection. From a design perspective, it had a little bit of everything: a fitted, taffeta-draped top, and beautiful hand-embroidered appliqué flowers on a tulle A-line skirt. I loved the lightness, and it definitely passed the ‘twirl’ test, something I would always test out on every dress I tried on when I was little.”
Her after-party look came down to the wire. “I spent hours searching the internet for the perfect dress; I cannot tell you how many I ordered and tried on that didn’t work out,” Madison says. “The dress I ended up wearing by Clio Peppiatt arrived at the Rosewood hotel on Friday of the wedding weekend and ended up being everything I could have imagined.” She combined something old, borrowed, and blue by wearing her late grandmother’s diamond and sapphire bracelet, and finished the look with Loeffler Randall platforms. Team Hair & Makeup and wedding dresser The Bold & Bridal got her ready on the big day.
In early October, the sun was shining as Madison and her dad made their way down the long aisle to “Annie’s Song” by John Denver. “We walked through the rose garden and down the steps to the lower lawn, through a flower arch, and past all of our smiling guests,” Madison says. “The feeling of walking into a space filled with all your loved ones was such a gift—and the greatest gift of all waiting for me at the altar! Throughout the ceremony, Parker and I could not stop smiling or looking into each other’s eyes.” Their officiant wove the couple’s own words and stories into the personalized ceremony.
After “I do,” guests meandered through the garden and down to the polo field, where an incredible reception tent was waiting. As an interior designer, the bride had a specific, cohesive vision, which was brought to life by Arche Creative with florals by March Floral Design and custom builds by Edge Design & Decor. “It was important to incorporate a balance of design elements, especially color, texture, light, and a combination of intentional materials to make the tent feel more like a home, rather than industrial,” Madison says. “Southern California is the capital of indoor-outdoor living, and the tent embodied just that. The ‘roof’ was clear to let the natural light in, and the sides we kept open, so it still felt like we were fully outside. We incorporated trellis greenery to define the space, along with olive trees to bring the outside in. We added a combination of light fixtures: pendants over the perimeter banquettes and the dance floor, and sconces on the bar. I love a scallop, so I had to incorporate them everywhere I could!”
As guests sat for dinner, the sun began to set, inadvertently matching their wedding palette. “The most beautiful sunset painted the sky with all of our wedding colors: pinks, peaches, yellows, and a touch of orange,” Madison remembers. “While you could see it from the roof, we all couldn’t help but venture to the field to soak in the beauty, a little gift from our angels that could not physically be with us that day.”
West Coast Music played Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing,” as the couple made their grand entrance and guests were back on their feet. “Our main goal was for the reception to be a party and to have everyone on the dance floor as much as possible,” Madison says. There were speeches and college traditions, but mostly, it was a mega dance party. “Everyone was on the floor the entire night. The band was absolutely incredible, and it was safe to say that no one wanted it to end!”
The last song was “Sweet Caroline,” a tribute to the bride’s grandfather. “Then we exited the tent, running past everyone lined up with sparklers,” Madison shares. “It was magical. From one dance party to the next, it was time for the after-party!” Guests made their way to the venue’s “disco den” inside the villa. “The dancing continued, the late night snacks were a hit, and my youngest brother, Porter, made a special guest appearance DJ-ing—a vibe and a killer way to end the night!”
