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Bride Zella Day wore a vintage ’90s Vera Wang dress and sparkly secondhand Miu Miu heels to marry her Chaparelle bandmate Jesse Woods in Wimberley, Texas.
together—not only as creative collaborators, but as partners for life. Singer-songwriter Zella had long been a fan of Jesse’s music and, when he released his albumin 2021, felt moved to inquire about collaborating.
“I just couldn’t help it. I really felt a strong pull to reach out to him,” Zella tells.
“His music really speaks to me. ” Adds Jesse: “I had never written songs with other people outside of writing by myself, and I wasn’t too sure about how that even worked. ” Zella admits she was also a bit nervous before their meeting, as Jesse doesn’t post much about himself online.
“I wasn’t quite sure who I was going to be meeting when I came into Austin. It was a sweet surprise to say the least,” she says.
“I went on a month-long tour right after that and really appreciated the way he communicated with me while I was on the road; fun, no pressure, occasional check-ins. It made it so that when I came to Texas to visit, it didn’t feel like there were any expectations other than to get to know each other as friends, musicians, and… you know. ”, alongside guitarist and producer Beau Bedford, in 2023.
As their working and creative relationship bloomed, so did their romance. They released their first single in June 2024. By August, Jesse got down on one knee in Zella’s hometown of Long Beach, California. On their first trip there, Zella took Jesse out on a boat ride to experience the area.
“He surprised me two years later on that same Duffy boat with a ring and had managed to get all of our friends and family to fly in from all over to celebrate with us,” Zella recalls. The festivities continued with oysters, beers at a punk dive bar, and a backyard dinner under twinkle lights at Zella’s parents’ home that lasted until 1 a.m. The best piece of advice the bride received around wedding planning? Start early.
“Shout out to my mom for the wisdom,” says Zella. “The best part was the creative process of world-building, but building worlds takes time! ” They would create this space at, a tourist attraction built in the 1950s just a few miles down the road from the couple in Wimberley, Texas, on April 11, 2026.
“It has the most darling chapel and an opera house that mimics an old town square,” explains the bride. “Our wedding took over the whole town that night! Music and silver streamers everywhere! ” As Zella took on wedding planning herself, she loved digging into the details of the décor.
“I really enjoyed doing things like going to the flower shop with my florist to see all the flowers that were in season and building the table arrangements with him, estate-sale shopping for all the silver dishes I wanted to use for the charcuterie table at cocktail hour, ordering fabric swatches for dinner napkins; all of the things that made the details of the wedding feel more personal,” she says. With the strong aesthetic of their venue, the bride wanted her ceremony look to mirror the environment.
“I could picture myself in a 1950s drop-waist wedding dress—something simple and classic for the chapel,” she says. While she did look into more modern bridal brands, “I just knew in my gut that I was going to find my perfect vintage dress,” she says. On a visit toin Los Angeles, her vision was waiting for her on the rack.
“To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting to find my dress on the first try, but it was the Vera Wang circa 1995 that stole my heart,” Zella shares. “It had everything I wanted but even better with the satin rosette bow below the last button down my back.
” The bride accessorized the look with a two-tiered ‘60s-inspired cropped veil created by Austin-based designer, white, satin T-strap shoes she could easily walk in through the gravel of the venue, and diamond and pearl drop earrings from her friend Lindsey White. Zella was lucky enough to leave Happy Isles with not just one, but two dresses to wear on her wedding day.
She found a taffeta mini with a bustle that she would wear for the party portion of the night. Zella had Kennimer also craft a tulle rosette clip with a sash to wear with the dress—“something I could imagine in an ABBA music video. ” For some extra sparkle to the party look, the bride sourced rhinestone.
“They really lit up the dance floor,” she says. Her friend and seamstress for the two looks, Rose Sklar, also lent her a 1980s rhinestone necklace to top off the ensemble. The bride put some thought into her beauty prep, attending monthly acupuncture facials leading up to the event.
“The self-care I did pre-wedding made me feel so embodied and like I was glowing from the inside out,” she says. Originally, Zella was preparing to do her own hair in a relaxed, pulled-back look, but decided to hire a pro last minute. She says, “My friend and hairstylistsaved the day with a French twist that I was able to take down later in the evening to let loose. ” Her makeup artistin Los Angeles.
“I went with him for his first fitting, but then didn’t go to any after that because I wanted to be surprised at the altar,” says Zella. The two-piece black suit featured western seam work and was paired with vintage blackboots and a black satin western bowtie.
“At some point later on in the night, he cinched a bolo tie around his neck and pinned a gorgeous silver brooch to his jacket that a friend had given him as a wedding gift that day,” adds Zella. “Outfits are usually the last thing on Jesse’s mind, so it was a real treat to see him get all dressed. He looked so handsome. ” Zella took a unique approach to helping curate her bridal party’s looks.
“I gifted each of my bridesmaids five yards of yellow silk and one yard of chiffon that I sourced in downtown L.A. ,” she shares.
“I wanted them to be in the same color and fabric, but to create a dress they felt really good in. ” The groomsmen were also given an assignment: find a black suit.
“It was fun to see the mix of different button-ups and accessories that each guy wore,” says Zella. “They all have fun personal style as well, and at the end of the day, we wanted our friends in the wedding party to have fun with the assignment. ”.
“Our friend Matt Tedder played Texas Swing with his jazz trio, and our other friend Josh Pearson gave two-step lessons at the beginning of the night, which was the perfect ice breaker for the weekend,” shares the bride. The night was vibrant with guests sipping on Lone Star beers, playing pool, and dancing out on the floor. The wedding day arrived along with a rainstorm.
“It poured 15 minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle—so much so that a little river started to form in the middle of Pioneer Town, making it so that they couldn’t set the tables and all the guests had to take cover,” shares the bride. “I finally had my sister close the curtains so I could shut it all out and center myself.
” Luckily, five minutes before she had to walk down the aisle, her stepfather arrived smiling with news of parting clouds and sun. The song “Chapel of Love” played as guests found their seats.
“It smelled of rain as my stepfather led me out into the sun and held my hand to cross the babbling stream that had formed,” says Zella. A version of “God Only Knows” on banjo and steel pedal began playing as they approached the chapel. At the doors, Zella’s stepfather escorted her mother to their seats, and her father took her arm for the rest of the way down the aisle.
“It was deeply important and meaningful to honor both father figures in my life,” says Zella. “It made the procession feel complete. ” “Our best friend, bandmate, turned officiant, Beau Bedford, opened up the ceremony by asking Jesse and I to look around the room at all of our loved ones,” remembers the bride.
“With the chapel being too small to hold more than 60 people in the pews, everyone else had gathered around the chapel to watch from the windows. When I looked around and saw everyone’s smiling faces looking in at us I started to cry. We were truly surrounded by love, an image and feeling I will cherish in my heart forever.
” After reciting personal vows and saying “I do,” Jesse’s nephew rang the chapel bell, and his father, a Jazz trombonist, led a quartet to Louis Armstrong’s “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” as guests danced out of their seats.
“As the horns played, everyone—and I meanFor cocktail hour, Zella and her friends curated a punch table complete with charcuterie, vodka watermelon punch, and homemade tea crafted by an herbalist. “Our other friend Al Shux, a brilliant musician from New Orleans, played upright piano accompanied by horns as our guests sipped punch and grazed on radishes dipped in fresh butter,” she shares.
The reception dinner followed in the town square, which was set up with two long tables that were freshly decorated after the rain.
“Mike from Gold Epicure cooked over an open fire grill so you could smell the smoked meats, making it really feel like Texas,” says Zella. An open mic was set out for speeches, a highlight of the evening.
“I think I can speak for Jesse and I when I say that we were shattered by the tenderness of the words spoken,” shares the bride. The night moved into the silver streamer-adorned opera house, where the couple had their first dance to “Take Me” by George Jones and Tammy Wynette.
“I finally got to do a spin in my dress,” says Zella. “It’s pretty much what it was made to do. ” Afterward, the bride did her outfit change and hit the dance floor.
“Somebody told me leading up to the wedding that nothing compares to the feeling of being on the dance floor with your new husband and all of your people around you,” the bride shares. “She was so right. ” After their silver metallic cake was cut, servers passed out champagne around the dance floor.
“It was the best party I’ve ever been to,” reminisces the bride. “Some people never left the dance floor while others smoked in the streets of Pioneer Town, talking about everything and nothing. ” Reflecting on the weekend, the couple shares: “We feel so lucky to have such talented and creative people in our lives that really made our wedding a reflection of our love and community!
Together, with everyone we know and love, it was like we put on our own mini festival in a town all our own. ”, is my favorite illustrator and graphic designer. She had visited the venue with me early on in the planning process, and I just knew that she would be able to embody the spirit of the wedding before it even happened.
I wanted all the best elements of the venue incorporated onto a trifold invitation, almost like a storybook pop-up; whimsical and fun to look at. Kaiman was able to capture the chapel, The Opera House stage, and the river, all hand-painted in watercolor. Our guests were so excited to receive these; it really set the tone for all the festivities.
—ZellaAt this moment I was watching the rain start to pour as my 15-year-old pup Mitzy took a peaceful afternoon nap. Talk about two different realities. —ZellaI’m doing my very best to remain calm in the eye of the storm. You can see all of my ladies starting to problem solve and doing everything they can to protect my peace.
I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. —Zellacustom-designed my veil with hand-sewn vintage beads delicately placed on the edge of the tulle that glinted in the sun. All dolled up and ready to marry Z! I was a little wobbly walking down the stairs, but I made it unscathed.
—JesseAntonio Bond created a whimsical floral garland to frame the entrance of the chapel, made of roses and bougainvillea. —ZellaI wanted the floral arrangements for the altar to feel wild and green like the banks of the Blanco River. Antonio made dreams come true by using Queen Anne’s lace and dogwood branches that were so tall they almost reached the ceiling. Absolutely exquisite.
Not to mention the vintage jardinieres that belonged to Antonio’s grandmother, which completed the arrangements and made them even more elegant. —ZellaLook at our beautiful friends! Every time someone asked me about dress code, my answer was: “Spring wedding go off queen! ” —ZellaMy grandfather and my grandmother were the talk of the town.
Everyone kept asking me who that gorgeous couple was! They drove all the way from San Diego to see their first grandchild get married and were the first and last couple on the dance floor. —ZellaGeoffrey Muller and Zack Wiggs both play in our band Chaparelle. I asked the boys while on tour if they would bless us with music during our wedding ceremony.
They said something to the effect of “it would be an honor,” and we shared a few happy tears. They played “Chapel of Love” during the procession into “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys when I walked down the aisle. Hearing the Beach Boys played on banjo and pedal steel was a California-meets-Texas moment that made everything feel just right. —ZellaMy darling friend Cassie designed her dress with Bonnie Kennimer out of Austin.
Using the yellow silk that I gifted to each bridesmaid, she created her own unique design. Each girl’s dress was a total surprise on the day of the wedding! I love how Cassie paired her yellow dress with gold heels. She looks like pure sunshine.
—ZellaHere I am standing at the chapel doors with my father as he wipes away his tears. I remember telling him that I love him. The red runner really added drama to the rustic spirit of Pioneer Town, making moments like these feel like some kind of fever dream to look back on.
—ZellaOur friend and bandmate turned officiant Beau Bedford invites our parents to stand up to be honored before the church before diving into our love story. He led the ceremony with undeniable humor, candid memories of Jesse and I, and a reverence for tradition that left not a dry eye in the house. —ZellaWe knew when we chose the chapel for the ceremony that it held only 60 people inside.
We were excited by the idea of opening all of the windows and doors so that everyone could gather around the chapel to be a part of it. It felt like a scene from an old Southern Revival tent. The acoustics inside the chapel were amazing, and the sound was able to reach everyone without us having to use microphones. It was very intimate.
I worked on my vows for weeks leading up to the wedding. It was one of the most grounding ways to prepare for the day; a true reminder of why we were doing all this in the first place. I waited until the morning of the wedding to handwrite my vows and I remember laughing at myself for how shaky my hand was! I think the nerves were a good sign.
—ZellaPure bliss. The horn trio, led by Jesse’s dad, played us out of the Chapel to “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” by Louis Armstrong. Everyone danced out of their seats. We spend a lot of time in New Orleans, and we wanted to bring a little of that magic to the ceremony.
—ZellaThis is one of the most precious photos of the day with my sister Mia and my friend Ana beaming from behind us. My dog Mitzy was prancing in the parade wearing a yellow chiffon bow. We were all floating. —ZellaMy mom had the brilliant idea to get the group photo outside of the chapel.
The energy was high after our “I do,” and our photographer had to be very confident and firm in his direction while on top of a ladder to get the shot! I don’t know how we got so lucky—literally everyone has their eyes open. —ZellaMy beautiful mother! The brains behind the group photo and SO MUCH more!
Photographed arm-in-arm with my very handsome stepfather, Jim. My mom wore a navy silk dress byI’m wearing a vintage Vera Wang dress circa 1995 that I found at Happy Isles in L.A. I chose the dress before I even started planning the wedding! We found each other a little quicker than expected but it was love at first sight.
I worked with my friend and local seamstress, Rose Sklar, to fit the dress and get it to the perfect length for me to run around Pioneer Town. —ZellaI love this photo of Jesse and I, we are relaxed and a little balmy from the humidity. I remember letting go of trying to look —not worrying about my hair being damp from the rain, but instead embracing the imperfections. We found ultimate freedom in letting it all be.
—ZellaAl drove down from New Orleans to be our cocktail-hour maestro. I didn’t give him any direction; he’s an incredible talent and we just wanted him to do his thing. The piano he’s playing is actually our own that Jesse and his groomsmen loaded into the back of a truck and moved to the venue the morning of. Good times.
—ZellaWe didn’t stress about moving cocktail hour elsewhere. The chapel in all its charm was the place to be. We served oysters, watermelon vodka punch, and radishes dipped in butter for our guests to enjoy while Al played piano. My sweet girls, there for me every step of the way.
One of the best parts of the whole experience was all of the reasons and opportunities we had to connect. Whether it was daydreaming on the phone, running outfit ideas past each other, or trying our hand at a pole-dancing class for my bachelorette… We made the best memories. Life has put us all in different places, either for work, love, or family, and I really cherished this time.
—ZellaFour years ago when Jesse and I got together, I remember thinking what a good sign it was that I loved his friends. They felt like my people too. I’ve watched some of them become fathers, get married, and through it all find the time to be incredibly loving and supportive people in our lives. We all show up for each other, big and small.
—ZellaThe Blanco River is our lifeline here in Central Texas. Fed by an aquifer, the water is crystalline and beautiful; something to protect! It’s our holy place. We live within walking distance to the river and probably spend as much time here as we do in our own living room.
We knew that whatever we chose to do for the wedding, it had to be near the Blanco, as it’s a symbol of our life together. Right after the ceremony we slipped away to the river to take photos. We didn’t do a first look, so this was the perfect time to reconnect one-on-one before heading back to the party. , out of Long Beach, California, created our custom wedding bands.
Jesse doesn’t traditionally wear jewelry so he was very pleased to learn how comfortable it is to wear! A thin band, brushed gold, with something special engraved on the inside. Thank you Morgan! —ZellaA quick moment to myself.
I made sure throughout the day, when I could remember, to take some deep breaths and bring all my attention to the present moment. It helped me stay calm and available to everyone. —ZellaWe can call this one “Lemon Drop. ” The reflections from the sun made the tables sparkle like you wouldn’t believe; it was gorgeous.
Mike Torres with Gold Epicure getting ready to make a lot of people very happy! He brought in his open-fire grills and smoker—a tailored Texas experience. Outside of the bridal suite sits this balcony overlooking all of Pioneer Town. Jesse and I snuck up there to pour ourselves some champagne and when we came outside, everybody was cheering from down below.
Jesse gave me a twirl as the music played. It was the sweetest thing. —ZellaA vision I will never forget! All of our friends and family seated at two long tables outstretched across the entirety of Pioneer Town.
Eating, drinking, and we are married! —ZellaBest seat in the house! It felt like we were in our own world at the sweetheart table while at the same time being connected to everyone all at once. Here is Mia again, but this time giving one of the best speeches in all of wedding speech history.
But in all seriousness, I was so overwhelmed with joy and emotion watching my little sister speak her heart in front of everyone. —ZellaI wanted the Opera House to be a twisted fantasy adorned in streamers—EVERYWHERE. Almost like prom on acid. When we were planning the reception, I remember Antonio saying, “The taxidermy needs to get involved.
” Obviously, he was right. —ZellaFor our first dance, we chose “Take Me” by George Jones and Tammy Wynette. They are a big inspiration behind our band. We covered their songs early on to learn how to sing together.
This was a full-circle moment. My mom had a margarita fountain at her wedding back in the ’90s—my aunties still talk about it. I had to have one! —Zellais low-key a pastry chef but would never call herself one.
She describes her hidden talent as a hobby that feeds the people she loves. Larissa made this cake from scratch in her own kitchen and laughs about how she still finds silver sugar dust all over the house. You are a wizard Larissa, and we love you.with a bustle on the back. Bonnie Kennimer made my tulle rosette hair clip with a sash that was cut precisely to the length of the dress.
—ZellaA few days before the wedding my cousins hand-made gold papier-maché masquerade masks! We scattered them all over the Opera House for people to grab. —ZellaKaiman and Josh are unbelievable dancers and might have a crush on each other. Josh Pearson had led the wedding in two-step lessons the night before and got to show off a little with Kaiman by his side.
Partner dancing is a big deal in Texas! Who’s next?! I accidentally threw the bouquet very high and very vertically straight up in the air. It landed on the floor, everybody gasped, and then the girls went for it!
It was hilarious. —ZellaHad to congratulate her with a kiss! And finally you can see my shoes in this photo! Bury me in these rhinestone heels byThe Biggest Wedding Dress Trends From New York Bridal Fashion Week Spring 2027
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