Wedding: Maggie & Marissa Piper

Ever since she was little, Marissa Piper dreamed about getting married in the neighbors’ backyard. On Oct. 24, her dream came true.

Doug and Elaine Butz hosted the ceremony of Marissa Piper-Younie and Maggie Yahner in their Point Loma home. Marissa had grown up next door and always thought the expansive yard with a lawn leading to a pergola and views of downtown would be the perfect backdrop for her wedding.

“We strived for an unbelievable, stunning affair that spoke to our personalities,” Marissa said.

“Our No. 1 priority was to be surrounded by friends and family who wanted to be there,” Maggie added. The ceremony was officiated by their friend Catherine O’Mara. Both agreed they couldn’t have planned the affair for 175 guests without the support of their families.

To honor Marissa’s stepfather, Jim Piper, the couple chose his last name to share.

“I have a great, amazing dad so in love with her,” Marissa said of her stepfather and Maggie. “We chose Piper because we are proud of who Jim is, and we loved the idea of honoring him.”

The ceremony and the reception, at Brick in Liberty Station, had a sophisticated, rustic theme with a combination of formal and fun elements. Because they are a non-traditional couple, they didn’t feel they needed to comply with all the wedding customs. “We tried to incorporate the family,” Maggie said.

Marissa’s four brothers, her sister-in-law and her niece served as her attendants, while Maggie had four friends attend her. The bridesmaids walked down the aisle by themselves, and the brothers escorted Marissa’s mother and grandmother. Marissa was given away by her stepfather, and Maggie was given away by her twin brother and mother.

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“The theme was orange and blue in a fall-like way,” Marissa said. “Everyone looked stunning.”

The two picked out their dresses separately and didn’t know what the other was wearing until the wedding day.

“I wanted something simple, timeless and elegant,” Maggie said. To that end, she chose a flowing dress with a lace top, a keyhole back and a short train.

Marissa’s dress, a strapless gown, laced in back with a waterfall skirt and a full train, “was absolutely perfect for my personality — playful,” Marissa said.

The couple both love music and gave a lot of thought to the songs they selected for the occasion. They picked “We Bought a Zoo” by Jónsi for their entrance song and “You Sexy Thing,” by Hot Chocolate for the recessional song.

Marissa and Maggie met three and a half years ago on the set of Marie Osmond’s talk show. Marissa, 37, was a production coordinator on the set and Maggie, 28, was Osmond’s personal assistant.

“I met her backstage in the dark on my first day,” Marissa said. “Initially, I thought Maggie was one of Marie’s eight children.” The two worked together in Los Angeles, but Maggie still lived in her hometown of Las Vegas, flying back with Osmond on the weekends to assist with her shows there.

“No one is ever from Las Vegas — except for Maggie,” Marissa quipped.

The two both tried to live in Las Vegas for a short time, but decided to move to Marissa’s hometown of San Diego. Marissa now works as a live event producer for Tony Robbins, and Maggie is an executive assistant for the president of a hedge fund. They reside in Bankers Hill.

Marissa said as a producer it was hard to let someone else take control of planning their wedding, but Diane Kern, owner of Exclusive Designs and Events, handled everything. With the help of florist Annette Gomez and Cristina Cadden of CC Vintage Rentals, Kern turned the venue into a bucolic setting with candles, chandeliers and roses hanging from ladders. The wedding table was created from barn doors set on wine barrels.

Food stations, catered by Crown Point Catering, represented places the couple had traveled and included dim sum, a taco bar and beef brisket on toast. Moscow mules and charcuterie plates were available during happy hour. Instead of a cake, guests were served cookies from the Cravery.

DJ Daniel Peterson provided the music. “He was amazing. He sat with us for hours. So much thought was put into the music, with each of us picking our favorites,” Maggie said. The wedding soon “became a rocking party,” Marissa added.

“It was a very emotional wedding,” she said. “I’ve never felt more loved in my whole life.”

Schimitschek is a freelance writer.

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