The Bride Chose Oscar de la Renta for Her Intimate Ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch
In a charming story of love and connection, Owen Huelsbeck fondly recalls the moment he first met Alexa Yarnell at Casey’s Irish Pub in downtown Los Angeles during their inaugural week at Loyola Law School back in 2019. Following their initial meeting, Owen was so enthused that he immediately sent a text to a mutual friend sharing his excitement about Alexa. However, it seems that Alexa was not quite as captivated. As she reflects on that time, she admits, "I was so caught up in the thrill of returning to Los Angeles from New York and starting law school that I wasn’t particularly focused on meeting anyone."
As the semester progressed, instead of dedicating himself to his assignments, Owen would often be found outside doing the New York Times crossword puzzle with a mutual friend. "Sometimes I'd swing by to say hello and lend a hand with the tricky parts of the puzzle," Alexa recounts. Since they were in different class sections—Owen in the evening and Alexa in the morning—they only had a few fleeting moments together each day when she would leave campus just as they were arriving. The friends knew about her passion for Broadway musicals, which surprisingly appeared quite frequently in the crossword!
During those brief interactions, they became acquaintances, but a deeper connection blossomed when Alexa decided to apply for a position on the board of the Criminal Law Society. Owen, already serving on the board, reached out to congratulate her on her application after reading it. "That congratulatory text sparked long conversations between us about our passions—his for criminal justice reform and mine for healthcare reform," Alexa explains.
Despite both schools transitioning to online learning due to the pandemic, Owen and Alexa chose to meet in person. At the time, Owen was back home in Tacoma, WA, but he made an 18-hour drive back to L.A. just for their first date. Following that initial meeting, they formed a close-knit pod. "Owen had the foresight to keep the wine bottle from our first date, which he later stepped on during our wedding," Alexa shares. "You could say he had an inkling about how things might unfold."
Fast forward to March 2023, Owen proposed to Alexa on the beach at Three Arch Bay in Laguna, a location that holds special significance for them since it was where they studied for the California Bar together. "He orchestrated a scavenger hunt for the proposal," Alexa recalls. She was already aware that he was going to propose and even possessed a ring to gift him, wanting him to have a tangible reminder of their commitment. "Now, Owen wears both of his rings stacked just like I do," she notes. "We've even inspired some friends to do the same. It was just the start of our wedding journey, which aimed to be unique and reflective of who we are."
Two-and-a-half years after their engagement, in the fall of 2025, their wedding weekend in Montecito kicked off with a welcome dinner at Bettina’s, followed by a cozy campfire party featuring s’mores and charcuterie. "In the spirit of how we met, Alexa and I crafted a crossword puzzle that connected our guests through shared experiences, interests, and fun trivia," Owen shares. "We envisioned a grand celebration of love for our wedding weekend, and within just five hours, we had to remind everyone that it was perfectly okay to head to bed—we would all see each other again the next morning."
The following day, Owen and Alexa hosted their bachelor and bachelorette parties. The men's day began with a delightful bagel and coffee bar, followed by surf lessons at the Montecito Surf Club. Meanwhile, Alexa arranged for cabanas at the Rosewood Miramar. After a quick refresh, the ladies enjoyed cocktails at the Miramar Beach bar before heading to a Princess Diaries-themed slumber party, while the boys had their own barbecue and game night. "Those days were quintessentially us," Owen remarks. "It was fascinating to see the differences in how we celebrated them, especially with the backdrop of our wedding the following day, which beautifully blended both of our personalities."
From the very beginning of their engagement, Owen and Alexa realized they wanted their ceremony to steer clear of traditional norms. "Neither of us had a specific vision of what our wedding should look like," Alexa elaborates. "One thing I was insistent on was that I wouldn’t walk down an aisle. Frankly, I struggle with that level of attention unless I’m performing, giving a speech, or making a legal argument—it felt too exposing for me. I wanted to enter whatever ceremony we had alongside Owen, with his support. Plus, we know my grandma loves a good celebration, so we wanted to share that moment with her. My mom suggested San Ysidro Ranch, and from there, everything fell into place."
As a naturally organized person, Alexa found wedding logistics to be a breeze, especially with the help of their event planner, Nina Moore. "Some of our family and friends thought it was crazy to hire a planner for a small wedding with only 31 guests, but having Nina allowed us to relax and focus our energy on the important decisions while ensuring our guests' needs were considered," Alexa explains. "Having a neutral party to help settle decisions when things got tough was also invaluable."
With such an intimate guest list, the couple didn’t have to stress over a large seating chart or hotel block arrangements, allowing them to concentrate on meaningful details that fostered connection and warmth among their guests. "We custom-created and sourced so many unique pieces for our wedding weekend that we ultimately had to hire a moving company to transport everything to Montecito," Alexa confides.
Initially, when Alexa embarked on her wedding dress journey, she assumed she would choose a suit or a simple gown. "I returned to Oscar de la Renta several times but couldn’t find the perfect outfit," she recounts. "Eventually, my dad expressed feeling left out of the planning, so I invited him to my final fitting with my stylist Heather at Oscar. There, he pulled out a stunning dress from the 2020 collection that I had never seen before—it was high fashion, playful, yet elegant. It felt daring, unique, and like a second skin."
