Save this story Save Story Save this story Sara Walker and Joe Ratliffe’s families have known each other for over 40 years, yet the two never met until they were seniors in high school. “Our dads worked together, and we grew up just a few miles apart in Seattle—but somehow never really crossed paths until New Year’s Eve going into 2016,” Sara tells Vogue . “We shared a midnight kiss and the rest is history!”
The two dated through their senior year, then navigated long distance through college and starting jobs in different cities. “I was building my career in fashion buying, while Joe was working as a documentary filmmaker in Jackson Hole,” says Sara. “We really learned how to grow up both together and independently, even while living across different time zones.”
After nine years together, Joe popped the question while the two were traveling in San José del Cabo over Memorial Day weekend in 2025. “Joe completely surprised me by secretly flying my family in to celebrate alongside his. Our families are so intertwined at this point, so having everyone together for the entire weekend was perfect,” says Sara. Waking up the morning after the proposal with everyone there “genuinely felt like Christmas morning.” As for the oval diamond engagement ring he gave her, Sara was happily surprised: “I had never picked one out or given Joe a specific ring to get, so he did it completely on his own—and he did a very good job!”
When choosing where to exchange vows and start the next chapter of their lives together, the couple looked towards home. They decided to tie the knot in Sara’s parents’ backyard on August 8, 2026. “I’ve spent my entire life in this house—it has seen every era of me, and every era of Sara and Joe, for that matter—so it only felt right to get married right here,” says the bride. “Having our wedding in our hometown felt incredibly special and personal to both of us. It was the most magical day, and we felt so at ease and at home—literally!”
Sara describes working with wedding planners Tory Smith and Lauren Silivan of Smith + James as a dream, calling the pair “true visionaries.” She describes, “We came into the planning process with an idea and a vibe: backyard wedding meets 2000s rom-com—hello, 13 Going on 30 —meets classic Ralph Lauren, with a little fun and funky mixed in. Somehow they brought all of those different references together in a way that felt completely cohesive and completely us.” The weekend would include a lakefront welcome party at Westward , an intimate rehearsal dinner at a private club, a ceremony at a chapel near her home, and the rest of the celebrations in her family’s backyard. The bride adds, “It was genuinely the most perfectly planned weekend of my life.”
One thing the stylist focused on planning was the bride’s wardrobe for the three-day affair. “I had so much fun thinking up all these looks,” Sara gushes. The first piece in her wardrobe was found even before she had hired a wedding planner. “I had no idea where or when I was going to wear it, but I knew it would be perfect for something,” she says. While searching Tab Vintage , she came across a 1996 strapless Vivienne Westwood dress with a bow at the neckline. “The bow, the length, the fit—it was perfect,” the bride shares. She decided to wear the piece to kick off the weekend at her welcome party.
Next, Sara started creating a bespoke reception dress with New York–based designer Lein . “I knew I wanted to work with Meredith Stoecklein, and I came to her with a few ideas,” says Sara. “Together, we dreamed up this high-neck draped dress with a very Old Hollywood feel. It had this amazing tail that, unexpectedly, came in very handy for limbo later in the night!”
The bride didn’t want a traditional getting-ready look, so she turned to Patricia Voto of One/Of to craft a unique piece in deadstock designer fabrics. “I knew I wanted to lean into fun colors, patterns, and silhouettes with her, and we landed on a chartreuse three-piece getting-ready set as a play on the classic bridal robe,” Sara explains. “But of course, I couldn’t stop there! We made four custom button-down shirts for my mom, sister, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law to wear while we got ready together.” The stylist notes that she could have worked on creating more looks with Voto forever. “Being in her showroom and choosing from all of the incredible fabrics is heaven,” she says.
Deciding on a ceremony dress was the most difficult decision for the bride—“but once I found it, it was a complete no-brainer,” she says. Sara tried on close to 30 gowns, yet didn’t feel like any were a fit until Joe’s mom suggested visiting Phillipa Lepley while they were on a trip to London. “I definitely walked into the appointment with a bit of a glass-half-empty mentality, and then the first dress I tried on was the one,” shares Sara. “I had never had that feeling with any of the dresses I had tried before. I unexpectedly started crying, and then my mom, sister, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law all started crying too.”
The dress had a fitted bodice, a soft skirt, and a dramatic bow that served as a train on the back. “My mom’s wedding dress—which I had heavily considered wearing for my own ceremony—had a small bow on the back and bows on both straps,” says the bride. “I loved that my dress felt completely like me while still having these subtle details that reminded me of hers.” She accessorized with something old, borrowed, and blue: her grandmother’s wedding ring and Joe’s mom’s wedding ring, which both had diamond and sapphire bands. Adds Sara, “I stacked them together on the wedding day so I could have a little piece of both of our families with me, and they looked like they were literally made to be worn together!”
On that same trip, Sara found a Chanel Métiers d’Art ladybug-covered skirt with a clean mockneck top for the after-party. “Ladybugs are good luck, and Chanel is admittedly my favorite brand, so it felt perfect,” says Sara. “It honestly felt like fate—there aren’t many of them out there, and London seems to be my lucky wedding city!”
Her final design choice was a design by Emilia Wickstead for the rehearsal dinner. “I knew I wanted to wear Emilia Wickstead at some point during the weekend, so I worked with her team on a custom floral-appliqué dress,” shares Sara. “It felt romantic and polished but still a little unexpected, and the florals felt so effortlessly right for Seattle.”
The groom tied in the wedding’s Ralph Lauren inspiration with his weekend wardrobe. “Joe wore a custom Ralph Lauren tuxedo for the ceremony and changed into a custom Ralph Lauren dinner jacket for the reception,” shares Sara. He also wore the brand for the rehearsal dinner, along with a tan Todd Snyder suit at the welcome party.
Although there wasn’t a formal wedding party, the couple’s siblings held special roles and wore unique pieces through the weekend. “My sister, who was my maid of honor, wore a custom Reformation look designed by me for the rehearsal dinner and Alexandra Pijut for the wedding day,” says the bride. “Joe’s sister, our one bridesmaid, wore Lela Rose for the wedding.” Their brothers all wore vintage floral brooches the couple collected for the wedding day.
The weekend officially began as the to-be-weds arrived at their welcome party on Joe’s father’s wooden boat—“which was such a fun and very Seattle way to kick off the weekend,” says Sara. The night was full of local seafood, cocktails, and mingling, also providing great views of the Seattle skyline and Lake Washington. The rehearsal at a family club was an intimate part of the celebrations. “It was just our closest friends and family and felt so personal and special,” the bride reflects. “There were definitely some silly stories shared throughout the night!”
The ceremony took place on Saturday at a chapel Sara used to walk by almost every day. “It only fits about 130 people at capacity, and it was tight,” she says. “We had these beautiful tree arrangements surrounding us at the front, so it almost felt like we had brought the woods inside with us.” The couple had their mutual friend Scott Redman marry them. Fun fact: His birthday party back in 2016 was their first official date. “Having someone who has known us and our families for so long and seen us together from the very start standing up there with us made the ceremony feel even more personal,” says Sara.
While the couple each wrote their own vows, the bride actually wrote hers almost a decade earlier. “I had found a passage buried in my Notes app that I wrote on October 22, 2016—just 10 months after Joe and I started dating, when I was only 19 years old,” she explains. “It was essentially a list of all the reasons I knew I was going to marry Joe someday. I read the note verbatim and then circled back to where we were nearly 10 years later and how, somehow, 19-year-old me had been completely right. Joe always has been and always will be the love of my life.”
The party moved to Sara’s family’s backyard for cocktail hour, and the newlyweds kicked off the night with a welcome speech. “I definitely got emotional talking about what it meant to be getting married at the house that has seen me through every stage of my life—and now so much of our relationship too,” says the bride. “Looking around and seeing all of our favorite people there celebrating with us in a place that already held so many memories was incredibly special.” The night continued with toasts from Sara’s father and sister, as well as Joe’s brother. “After 10 years of us being together, they had some pretty amazing stories to tell,” Sara says.
The dance party went into full swing as a “shot-oar” was brought out. “Think shotski, but on an oar, because Joe rowed in college,” says Sara. “We maybe drank a little too much, limboed using the tail of my reception dress, did a bouquet toss, and truly had the time of our lives.” A dive-y karaoke party ended the celebration. “I completely lost my voice, the microphone basically never left Joe’s hand—he sang every song—and at some point I ripped my Chanel skirt,” laughs Sara. “Safe to say, it was a great night and the perfect way to end the weekend!”
Looking back, the bride reflects on what a dream the entire wedding was: “I am now a wife to the love of my life! The cherry on top was that we had the best team, family, and friends by our side.”
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 1/83 Arriving by boat to our welcome party.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 2/83 My 1996 Vivienne Westwood dress—the perfect look for a captain.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 3/83 Welcome to Seattle!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 4/83 The best feeling…walking in and seeing all our family and friends!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 5/83 The seafood table was buzzing.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 6/83 Our welcome party restaurant, Westward , has the most iconic neon orange chairs and details, so we wanted to play off of those and create a cocktail menu with pops of neon throughout.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 7/83 Pacific Northwest delicacy.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 8/83 Sister, maid of honor, best friend of all time. — Sara
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 9/83 Mauren and my mom, coincidentally matching their spritzes. — Sara
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 10/83 The girls understood the assignment: Have fun with fashion! — Sara
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 11/83 Attentively listening to my dad’s toast welcoming all of our guests to one of our favorite places in the world—Lake Washington. — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 12/83 Live music is a must.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 13/83 Nothing better than a sunny summer night in Seattle.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 14/83 Lush forest behind my house.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 15/83 Getting ready for our rehearsal dinner in custom Emilia Wickstead .
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 16/83 A quick kiss before welcoming our guests.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 17/83 Our nearest and dearest gathered around two long tables.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 18/83 We wanted to keep the menu simple here. I love the way it turned out.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 19/83 Our custom playing cards, complete with a cartoon drawing of us walking our dog, Susie. I love the nostalgic feel of these!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 20/83 To think 10 years ago we were only getting this dressed up for prom together. — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 21/83 My sister is wearing a custom Reformation dress I designed just for her!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 22/83 I vividly remember how much we all laughed that night. The silliest stories were told and it was so much fun.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 23/83 I loved how the florals wrapped around the back of the dress as well.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 24/83 Getting ready with my favorite ladies was the best way to start the day! I worked with One/Of to put a playful spin on the traditional getting-ready robe, creating custom looks in different fabrics for myself, my mom, sister, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law. Each look felt unique yet cohesive.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 25/83 My mom working in her garden and cutting flowers up until the very last moment as guests were arriving at our house for the wedding.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 26/83 The dress!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 27/83 This moment felt surreal—getting ready in the home I grew up in.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 28/83 The perfect-sized bow. Not oversized at all.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 29/83 I slipped on my mom’s wedding dress from 1995 to take a picture. It was almost the dress I ended up wearing, and the bows on the shoulders and back of her dress absolutely influenced my final decision. I loved that my dress felt like it was paying homage to my mom’s, but in my own style.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 30/83 Spent the morning with my second-favorite girl, Susie. — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 31/83 Our first look in front of the stairs.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 32/83 We are so close with our families that we wanted them to be there for our first look. This is one of my favorite shots—seeing their reactions in the background!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 33/83 Feeling so calm before. I am so ready to marry the love of my life!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 34/83 Joe looked so handsome in his custom Ralph Lauren tuxedo.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 35/83 One of my very favorite photos.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 36/83 Dreamed of this day.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 37/83 The moments just before walking down the aisle were some of my favorites from the weekend. — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 38/83 The most perfect little chapel tucked between the trees.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 39/83 I loved how the greenery we added to the entrance felt like a natural extension of the surrounding forest.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 40/83 And to the inside.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 41/83 Fans we placed on everyone’s seats inside the chapel.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 42/83 Just moments before.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 43/83 My dad and I walking into the ceremony—a moment I will never forget.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 44/83 Our mutual family friend, Scott Redman, marrying us. Our first date was at his birthday party, January 2, 2016.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 45/83 For my vows, I read a note I had written to myself on October 22, 2016. I read it verbatim—it was all about how I knew I would marry Joe one day. Even though we were so young and only freshmen in college, I just knew. At 19 years old, I knew he was the love of my life and my future husband. It felt so surreal to be standing there almost 10 years later, watching everything I had written come true. When you know, you know!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 46/83 Joe is definitely the writer between the two of us, and his vows had me laughing and crying the entire time!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 47/83 I love my mom's laugh more than anything. — Sara
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 48/83 Mr. and Mrs.!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 49/83 Look at my stunning wife! — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 50/83 The best feeling in the world.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 51/83 Forever and ever and ever and ever.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 52/83 Grab a glass of champagne and come on in!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 53/83 Now…cocktail hour! My backyard glowing in the afternoon light.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 54/83 A hand-stitched drink menu, an ode to my love for all things fashion. — Sara
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 55/83 Welcome to my home.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 56/83 Recapping the ceremony with our officiant, Scott.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 57/83 My best friend Breslin looking radiant!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 58/83 I love seeing Sara with her new last name! — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 59/83 Susie made an appearance at cocktail hour—flag and all!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 60/83 I am telling you, my friends know how to dress and have fun!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 61/83 The local Seattle beer, Rainier, making the perfect beer-can train on the back of our getaway car. Nostalgic and very us!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 62/83 I think Joe was meant to drive a car like this.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 63/83 Joe makes me laugh more than anyone, so of course, we laughed our way to the reception.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 64/83 My parents’ backyard with my love.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 65/83 Joe made a jacket change. Just when I thought he couldn’t look any better, he somehow looked even more handsome.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 66/83 I have never seen a more beautiful tent.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 67/83 The lanterns were even better once it got dark—if you can believe it!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 68/83 The chocolate brown bar and red sconces…truly jaw-dropping.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 69/83 The menu featured a floral motif that we carried throughout our invitations and day-of paper goods. Every detail tied together or had a special meaning.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 70/83 Whispering sweet nothings into Sara’s ear. — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 71/83 The custom aprons with the striped shirts and striped ties—classic with a twist!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 72/83 I mean…it really doesn’t get better than this.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 73/83 Husband and wife! Cheers!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 74/83 Joe’s mom and my dad having a time ! — Sara
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 75/83 A Snoozy Susie, please! Our custom espresso martini named after, of course, our beloved dog, Susie.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 76/83 I can honestly say this was the best dance floor I have ever been on.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 77/83 Never been happier! My reception dress—the train also doubled as the perfect limbo prop.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 78/83 Re-entering the tent in my new dress with my besties cheering on the outfit change!
Expand 79/83 Ladies and gentlemen, my husband.
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 80/83 Sydney looking fabulous on the dance floor!
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 81/83 Dare I say, the best cake of my life? — Joe
Expand Photo: Norman and Blake 82/83 Last and final outfit change: my ladybug Chanel Métiers d’Art skirt. Ladybugs for good luck, and Chane…well, because duh.
Expand 83/83 Closing down the dance floor. I never wanted this weekend to end.
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Source: Lifestyle
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