.: Holly's Wedding (Press Release) February 14th, 2004 :.

By Lin Milano

Montecito, CA --- "And in the end...the love you take...is equal to the love you make." – The Beatles wrote it but Holly Marie Combs (from the WB’s Charmed) and David Donoho (a key grip Combs met on the set) took it to heart. With Holly 7 months pregnant, Dave decided to make their wedding the fairy tale every bride dreams of. The couple eloped to the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, CA (the place where JFK and Jackie honeymooned) on February 14th, the most romantic day of the year! “We’re both kind of shy about saying our vows in front of a large group of people” says Combs. “We decided to make it about our commitment to our new family” says Donoho, referring to the baby boy the couple is expecting in April. To make it about their new family, the couple decided to create elements of their celebration that forge traditions they can pass down to their son. Like the urns and pedestals used at the alter area. Having a green thumb herself, Combs asked her floral designer to use containers that she could take home and incorporate into her garden. “I especially like the idea of filling the urns with flowers on our anniversary. We will definitely be using them as focal points for the larger reception we plan to have after the baby is born”. Combs also ditched the idea of saving the top tier of the wedding cake to eat on their first year anniversary an opted to start her own tradition by adorning the top tier of their cake with “cake jewelry” from www.ParisTiaras.com. Theirs is a tiara styled as a birdcage strewn with enamel flowers complete with a set of lovebirds, which Combs says “We’ll use it year after year on anniversary and other celebratory cakes”. Donoho on the other hand has his own thoughts on Holly’s new cake tradition “I hope Holly doesn’t plan to bake the cake on our anniversaries. I love her, but her baking isn’t exactly good eatin’ “ The wedding gifts were also in the spirit of forging new traditions. The Milano family (Alyssa Milano is Holly’s co-star on Charmed) gave the couple a silver wedding cake plateau engraved with their wedding date and the famous Beatles quote "And in the end...the love you take...is equal to the love you make”. Their gift included inspiration about how the plateau could be engraved with the date and occasion each time it is used; on birthday’s anniversaries, holidays, etc.

Considering all the excitement surrounding the baby, it’s a wonder any wedding plans were hatched at all. With the help of author and expert wedding planner Allana Baroni, Floral Designer Jennifer McGarigle or Floral Art in Venice, CA and the superb staff of the San Ysidro Ranch, it came off not only “sans hitch” but also as the perfect reflection of the excitement Holly and Dave radiate about their new life together. “Their enthusiasm was permeable”, says Floral designer Jennifer McGarigle. “Holly’s love for fragrant flowers was the basis for the floral décor”. The urns at the alter area were filled with Tuberose blossoms, Narcissis, champagne to blush colored roses, antique green Hydrangea with accents of white Cymbidium Orchids. “Her bouquet was intoxicating, it left a trail of perfume as it pasted by - the gardenias and garden roses were the most beautiful I’ve ever seen”, said wedding photographer _____________. When Donoho was asked about his thoughts on the flowers he said “I couldn’t take my eyes off the person carrying the flowers”. Their wedding expert, Allana Baroni summed it up best “It’s true what they say about brides being beautiful, and when you add the glow expectant moms emanate , Dave was overwhelmed the moment he saw Holly”. I can already read the next inscription to be engraved on their cake plateau, (maybe in honor of their post-baby celebration) “And they lived happily ever after”