This Backyard Wedding in Seattle Was Inspired by Ralph Lauren and ’00s Rom-Coms

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 her wardrobe for the three-day affair. “I had so much fun thinking up all these looks,” she 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!”