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REALITYCHECK LAUREN K.T. WILSON INTERVIEWS TAYLOR ARMSTRONG
Photographer: Louiza Vick Stylist: Sarah Kinsumba Assistant Stylist: Stacey Esteban
C V Luxur y: So, f irst thing – obviously the most
Makeup Artist: Aliana Moss
impor ta nt – the wedding. Beautiful! What was
Hair Stylist: Victor Mendoza
your favorite moment?
Nails: Elisa Wishan
Taylor A rmstrong: Oh, that’s hard. I would say it’s more t ha n one. But , we did t he vows w it h my daughter, Kennedy. We said our vows to one another and then we did vows together with her. I think that was the most special, most emotional part of it for me. CV L : What was one thing that you didn’t expect at your wedding? Or did it all run smoothly? TA : Wel l , my d r ess wa sn’t r eady u nt i l t h r ee hou rs before t he wedd i ng. I had n’t seen it or any thing and that was really ner ve-w racking. I didn’t see it until I put it on, basically. C V L : Wow. TA : I wa s rea l ly st a r t i ng to get a lot of a n x iet y, just about the f it and if I was going to like the end product. Gilbert Chagour y at Chagour y Cout ure had dressed me for yea rs a nd he was doi n g t he d r ess. I k new t hat he wou ld k now what I liked, but at the same time, it was a little st ressf ul not seeing my dress. I didn’t t hink I would ca re ; it didn’t feel that impor ta nt. But I think the anxiet y started getting to me towards the end. C V L : The dress is a ver y important part of it! TA: Um, yeah. They had me tr y it on blindfolded, so I couldn’t see it. I think right at the ver y end I was like, what have I done ? Why did I ever agree not to see the dress?
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final layout coming
STRAPLESS BLUSH LACE GOWN: NES DI SANTO SHOES: STEVE MADDEN DIAMOND EARRINGS: NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS PINK DIAMOND PAVÉ BANGLE: NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS
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C V L : Well, it worked out. You looked amazing. TA : Oh yes, he d id such a beaut if u l job. I had g iven h i m lots of tear sheets from magazines and hoped that something would come together a nd it did – the perfect f it a nd it was really beautiful.
went down the aisle f irst, then Kennedy and I walked down holding hands. C V L : That’s priceless. TA : For me it was rea lly impor t a nt t hat Kennedy rea lized that not only was I marr ying John, but that we were becom-
C V L : A nd the best part was that you didn’t look like you just
ing a family. He had f iled for adoption of her and surprised
got it three hours before.
me with the adoption papers.
TA: The second dress was really cute. It was all see-through
C V L : That was emotional.
– sheer, I shou ld say. A l l sheer except for t he i mpor t a nt areas; they were covered with flowers, which was ver y cool. It was just a fun dress because I wanted to be able to dance; the f irst dress was too long to dance in. C V L : Of course ! The second dress has to be more play ful. Loved your shoes! Who were you wearing? TA: Jimmy Choos. They were amazing. C V L : Was that also last minute ? What a good f ind! TA: Yeah, ever y thing was last minute. C V L : Sometimes that’s the best way. TA : Yea h, I t hink for me it was because I kept going back and forth as to what I wanted. You know when you send out the invitations a nd put ever y thing on a timeline, you don’t have a lot of time to vacillate. I mean, you have to make the decisions. C V L : What did Kennedy wear? TA: They made a little dress for her, too. I wanted our dresses to kind of look a like, but clea rly she’s not going to wea r a strapless. C V L : R ight. TA : So they were coordinated, but hers was def initely k id appropriate. A nd then Portia, Kyle’s daughter, was our flower girl. They had matching dresses.
TA: It was really emotional. I was filming a show and he surprised me. He had the adoption papers a nd he’d had three matching necklaces made for us. The whole crew was cr ying. C V L : I fe el l i ke c r y i n g r i g ht now ! Oh my g o sh , t h at ’s beautiful. TA: It was really, really nice. We just wa nted to make sure that she was a big part of the ceremony and that she understood that he was becoming her father at the sa me time as becoming my husband. C V L : What was the moment when you knew that John was the one for you? TA: Well, we went through a lot together after my husband’s su icide. I wa s lef t w it h a n enor mous mess, f r om a leg a l perspect ive. I wa s bei ng sued by a pu bl ic compa ny a nd I was also dealing w ith tr y ing to f ig ure out where our assets were… you know, just sorting it all out. C V L : I can’t imagine. TA : A nd so John a nd I were fr iends, a nd he ca me on a nd st a r ted helping me w it h just r unning t he lega l tea ms. We were just f r iends for a long t i me. I t hink I just st a r ted to tr ust him a nd our friendship developed. Then one day, we were at a rest aura nt at a business meet ing – t his is a f ter I solved a l l t he l it igat ion st u f f – a nd I don’t k now, we just looked at each other and all of a sudden ever y thing felt completely dif ferent , rea lly a click in one moment for me. He
C V L : Ken nedy must have r ea l ly enjoyed bei n g a pa r t of
looked like a different person. I never had seen him as some-
ever y thing.
one I would be at t racted to or I t hink I was in such a bad
TA : You k now, she’s never been to a wedding before, so I think she really didn’t k now what to expect. Having Por tia there was a huge help because they’re just so close. Por tia
place in my life, I couldn’t envision trusting someone again. I realized that in just one moment, I felt differently for him and then we kind of, we looked at each other and the person who we were having the meeting with said, “Should I leave? ”
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Midi white dress with mesh: MAC DUGGAL Earrings: NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS Pink diamond ring: NANIS ITALIAN JEWELS Shoes: CALVIN KLEIN
I’m like no, no, no, no… none of us really knew what was happening, but I remember the exact moment and it was ver y strange, like… C V L : Clarit y. TA : Yea h. It was like a ll of a sudden he looked like a
C V L : Wow. TA: The stories are so hard to hear, but at the same time t here is such a com mon t hread to a ll of it. Hav ing t he opportunit y to speak to people has been the best part of the book.
different person to me a nd I rea lized that I had rea lly
C V L : Most people in similar situations are ver y private –
developed t r ust for someone. I ’ d told h i m t hat I had
you’ve been so open and honest.
done so much changing in my life, for my husband previously, and I had become a shell of the person I used to be just tr ying to keep him happy all the time. I just said, here’s t he t h i ng, i f we’re goi ng to be toget her you’re going to have to love me exactly as I am. I can’t change for a nyone ever aga in a nd I a m not easy. I’m a Gemini and I have a whole bunch of different personalities; you
TA: That’s why I really wanted the wedding to be public because I wa nted people to see t hat t here is life a f ter. Just because you’ve had a bad exper ience doesn’t mea n that something good can’t later come, and you can trust aga in a nd love aga in. I def initely wa nted people to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
just never know what you’re going to get. So I was like
C V L : A re you goi ng to be doi ng a ny more tou rs w it h
you just have to love me for whoever wakes up each day
your book?
because I don’t always know who it’s going to be. A nd he does; he doesn’t tr y to change me and he deals with all the different aspects of my personalit y. To me, the key to being w ith someone was k now ing that I didn’t have to change for someone ever again.
TA: We’ve talked about whether or not I should do a second one. I might maybe collaborate with a psychiatrist or psychologist because I feel like now I told the stor y, but now what’s the lesson? I shared what happened, but now how do you help people to get past it a nd move on ? So
C V L : So is that sort of where the book comes into play?
maybe doing some kind of a collaboration with an expert
Being able to share the experience ?
who can give guidance and perhaps I can do some anec-
TA: A lot of people asked me if the book was cathartic. When I f in ished it , I t hought I wou ld have t h is huge sigh of relief and I just started bawling, like the kind of cr ying where you can’t catch your breath. I think that it was letting all of that go into the universe, and just telling my truth and every single thing about me. There was a lot of it that I was not proud of. I think the best par t of the book experience for me has been the ability relate with people, across all economics. I would visit women
dotal stories. Then they can share the psycholog y behind it, and what to do and what not to do if you’re in that kind of situation. Part of me, in a way, wants to put it behind me and move on. I mean, of all the things to be the face of, it’s not a gla morous thing to do, but I k now that it’s important. But some days I just think that maybe it’s time to close that chapter, and put it behind me and move on. Then I a lso have the feeling like I have a responsibilit y to do things for the cause.
in shelters, all over the countr y, when I was on my book
C V L : On a lighter note, who was t he person you most
tour. Then I ran into a woman one day on Rodeo Drive,
related to on R H BH?
who had a ll these shopping bags a nd a huge ring. You cou ld tel l t hat she’s wel l of f. Then I go to t he Bron x and sit in a place that has bars on the windows, and the stories are basically the sa me. I get letters, t weets a nd messages from women all over the world.
TA: Kyle and I are really close, and Portia and Kennedy have such a sweet relationship. I wish that people could see all the laughter that happens. There is so much Kyle a nd I ca n just laugh a bout a nd have a blast, a nd unfortunately that doesn’t always make the air. I w ish people
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WRITTEN BY KELLY AMENDOLA
ONE SCENIC W EDDING A LOCAL COUPLE’S BEAUTIFUL AND LUXURIOUS CARMEL WEDDING.
T
he br ide a nd g room were on the sa me path – both g rew up in the Central Valley city of Chowchilla and attended Fresno State – but Alex Harris, 23, who works for her family’s business, The Almond Company,
and dairy farmer, Doug Brunner, 29, didn’t really meet in either one of those places. It took “Papa T,” A lex’s grandfather who lives in Chowchilla, to play somewhat of a matchmaker. PHOTOS BY SCOTTCAMPBELLPHOTO.COM
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Wedding Planner: Colette Cuccia Wedding Invitations: The Quill in Pacific Grove Wedding Photographer: Scott Campbell Photography Caterer: Bernardus Lodge led by Chef Cal Staminov DJ: DJ Busy Bee Band: Pop Fiction
Doug a nd Papa T had become friends. They st a r t ed t o h a n g out a nd Dou g wou ld cook for h i m. Because of t hat , Pa p a T b e g a n r efer r i n g t o D ou g a s “The Cook.” “The Cook ” is A lex’s f irst memor y of Doug. Doug’s f irst memor y of A lex is from seeing pict ures of her at Papa T’s. “Like” at f irst sight is what led h i m to a sk A lex’s fat her, Russel l Ha rris, per mission to date A lex. With M r. H a r r i s’ a ppr ov a l , t he y went on their f irst date. A f ter t wo yea rs of dat i ng, Doug proposed to Alex at his home in Chowchilla. K now i ng A lex’s love for t hei r sha red Rott weiler, he enlisted the dog to help him out with the proposal. Doug tied a red bow and card around its neck, then he got dow n on one k nee. A f ter A lex accepted, to su r pr ise her even more, he took her to h is pa rent s, Doug a nd Touche Brunner’s, home where fa mily a nd friends were wa iting to celebrate. A lex says, “I’ve never been given a surprise party in my life and then I got one the day he proposed! ” Together, they decided on the Central Coast tow n of Carmel, C A as the wedd i n g lo c a t io n – a g r e a t pl a c e fo r a “ destination” wedding, yet not too fa r f rom t he Cent ra l Va lley so t hat ma ny of t hei r fa m i ly a nd f r iends cou ld be there. That was a priorit y of Doug and A lex’s. “Friends, fun, lots of food a nd da ncing,” says A lex. For A lex , one of t he best pa r t s of t he ent i r e wedd i n g e x p e r i e n c e w a s t h e “e x c i t e m e n t o f planning and spending time” w ith her mom, A nne. With the help of Monterey Pe n i n s u l a - b a s e d w e d d i n g p l a n n e r, 059 / CVLUX.COM
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Colet te Cuccia, in just a lit t le over a yea r, t hey pla nned
(something borrowed), her mom’s tennis bracelet (something
the wedding weekend of their dreams.
old), and Monique Lhuillier heels. The mother-of-the bride
On t he weekend of Apr il 2 6 , 2 014 , g uest s of t he Ha r r is a nd Br u n ner fa m i l ies made t hei r way to C a r mel a nd to the luxurious Bernardus Lodge & Spa. Many of the guests stayed at the Lodge, which A lex says was one of her favor-
wore a gorgeous, midnight blue form-f itting Rubin Singer dress. Doug stood waiting at the altar in a black Vera Wang suit with his brother by his side as his Best Man. Her eight bridesmaids wore ethereal, floor-length, light pink dresses.
ite pa r ts of t he ent ire weekend. “ We would a ll r u n into
A fter the ceremony, the crowd headed back to Ber na rdus
each other and it was like a constant part y! ” The celebra-
Lodge. A n outdoor cocktail reception in the wedding gar-
tion kicked off on Friday. Doug spent the day relaxing with
den kicked off the party as guests, including Alex and Doug,
his g roomsmen a nd a few other g uy fr iends by play ing a
mingled among the backdrop of majestic oak trees and spec-
round of golf at Poppy H ills in Pebble Beach. A lex had a
tacular views of Car mel Valley. The color theme was dark
massage at SpaTer re at the Lodge. At night, a n intimate
purple with mirrored furniture, including a mirrored seating
g roup of 4 0 g uest s, most of whom were fa m i ly a nd t he
list. When it was time for the reception, they made their way
bridal part y, gathered at Mission Ranch in Carmel for the
into an extraordinar y, large white tent draped in beautiful
rehea rsa l din ner. It was held in t he Pat io Ba r n w it h it s
fabrics. With a lack of large-enough entertaining spaces on
amazing views of the meadow and Point Lobos. Doug and
the propert y and in the Carmel area to accommodate their
A lex requested their favorite food be ser ved – a gour met
wedding guests, the tent was constructed.
burger bar. The bride wore a beautiful, black lace Monique Lhuillier dress.
Inside the reception, there was a roma ntic, luxurious a nd slightly bohemian vibe w ith a color scheme of crea m, tan,
On Sat urday, t heir 3 3 0 g uests joined t hem for t he wed-
blush, a nd gold. Filling the space were blush spray roses,
d i ng ceremony at The C a r mel M ission Ba si l ica , a place
r u f f led pa r rot t u l ips, ga rden roses, Dav id Aust i n roses,
specia l to A lex because of t he beaut y a nd histor y of t he
collections of white hydrangeas, scented geranium, ranun-
church. The already stunning church was decorated with
cu lu s , v i bu r nu m , a nemones a nd c a sc ad i n g or ch id s , a l l
pi n k spray roses a nd t he rows were l i ned w it h hyd ra n-
highlighted with abundant candlelight, along with antique
gea wreaths. The Monterey String Quartet played as A lex
and rose gold accents.
wa lked dow n t he a isle w it h bot h her mom a nd dad. She wore a nother Monique Lhuillier – this time, a strapless, lace Austrian cr ystal-embellished dress. She accessorized w it h a Dav id Yu r m a n st a rbu r st br acelet a nd ea r r i n g s
Add i n g t o t he det a i l s , wa s a n ice -ba r sh aped ice lu ge , another of A lex and Doug’s favorite things at the wedding. Guests had fun playing a part in making their drinks. There were also specialt y cocktails named after the bride, groom 061 / CVLUX.COM
and mother-of-the bride: the “A lex-tini,” “Doug-drop” and
g room’s i n it ia ls were wa it i ng i n t he hotel rooms. The
“A n ne-pol it a n.” Tha n k f u l ly, t here wa s a photo boot h to
bags were f illed with a hangover kit of Advil, Mercy pills,
help document all the fun.
vodka and Bloody Mar y mix. A lso in the bag were a few
The crowd favorite band, Pop Fiction, and DJ Busy Bee took turns keeping ever yone on their feet and out on the dance f loor. The only time it was quiet was during the bride and
favorite things of the bride and groom: almonds for A lex and caramel popcorn for Doug. A leisurely, farewell buffet brunch was held on the croquet lawn.
groom’s f irst dance to “A ll of Me” by John Legend and the
Without a doubt , A lex a nd Doug got what they wa nted
ca ke-cut t ing. The delicious a nd decadent ca ke was made
out of their wedding weekend – that ever yone have a good
with alternating layers of lemon with strawberry and choco-
time. Looking back, A lex says her wedding advice to oth-
late mousse.
ers is to “enjoy the day of your wedding, tr y not to stress,
But the festivities weren’t over yet. At midnight, the part y
and do the seating arrangements way ahead of time! ”
moved from the outdoor tent into the hotel ballroom for a
The next day, the new Mr. and Mrs. Doug Brunner, left for
full-on da nce pa r t y until 2a m. Guests were kept powered
their honey moon at the Four Seasons in Maui. A nd now
w it h a late-n ight snack of ch icken tenders, f rench f r ies,
back at home in Chowchilla, Doug is still “The Cook.”
sweet potato fries and sliders. On Su nday mor n i ng, to help ever yone recover f rom t he n i ght befor e, cu st om i z ed t ot e ba g s w it h t he br ide a nd