The newly engaged couple returned to Southern California to scout wedding sites in the Los Angeles area, a
location chosen for the hometown factor— Sarah grew up in nearby Santa Barbara and Dax was born in San Diego. After a fruitless search for the perfect spot (Sarah looked at nearly 100 private estates between Santa Barbara and Big Bear), they stumbled upon The Orcutt Ranch, an adobe-style estate set amidst grand oak trees, a citrus orchard and a delicate rose garden. The quaint home and verdant grounds satisfied the bride’s vision for an elegant and intimate garden party.
Sarah designed the look of the wedding by combining her affinity for effortless vintage fashion with the
glamorous and eclectic vibes of the couple’s tightknit dance community. The result was a harmonious medley of casual elegance and swanky poise. The bride says, “Dax and I have been to a lot of cookiecutter
weddings over the years, so we really tried to figure out how to make the day feel like us.” The bride’s do-it-yourself sensibilities shined in the weeks leading up to the event. She delighted in scouring local thrift stores for ornate and well-worn vintage furnishings that her sister quickly reupholstered to reflect the color direction of the day. Victorian wing back chairs, button-tufted sofas and antique fainting couches dotted the outdoor ceremony site.
Because of the couple’s prominent status in the swing dance community, they faced the challenge of limiting their
guest list to under 100 celebrants. “We either had to throw a really big party or keep it small and intimate,” says
Sarah. They opted for the latter, and since most of the couple’s lifelong friends were traveling from overseas to
attend, Sarah and Dax joined their guests from Argentina, France, Australia and London at a vacation home nearby for the entire weekend.
Once Sarah selected a color palette of soft metals—think rose gold, mercury glass and champagne—all of
the personal details fell into place. Fortunately for the pair, the nearby Los Angeles flower mart was abundant in blooms in pale shades of blush, nude and ivory to inspire the bouquets.
Sarah trusted the independent fashion leanings of her bridesmaids and simply offered up a color palette for style direction. When it came to finding her dream dress, Sarah surprised herself by falling in love with an asymmetrical-cut Oleg Cassini gown. “I don’t know what came over me, but when I tried the dress on and looked in the mirror, I started twirling around in circles,” she says. “I felt like Cinderella!” She gave the frothy layers of tulle a traditional twist by adding a long blusher veil to her look. “I’ve always loved the symbolism and tradition of lifting the veil,” the bride says.
The couple’s dear friend and violinist Peter Vawter mixed in traditional wedding music with swing style jazz tunes resulting in a spontaneous processional of dance and laughter.
Dax was debonair in a vintage suit and bow tie plucked straight from his personal collection.
The September 5, 2013 ceremony took place in front of the home alongside the rose garden.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Hock decided to forego the honeymoon (since they spend most of the year traveling), and instead, opened a dance school dedicated to the vintage swing era in downtown Los Angeles, the Lindy Loft.
The newlyweds join together on the dance floor every day at the Loft, a sweet reminder of how their
romance began.
The sunlit afternoon commenced in nature where crystal chandeliers were strung from grand oak trees and garlands of greenery adorned long tables.
A string of café bistro lights cast a warm glow over party-goers as they dined on warm comfort food served family-style. And for dessert, a stack of homemade carrot cakes adorned with fresh flowers was simply delicious. The three-piece jazz swing band “Icy Hot Club” played throughout the evening— then came the dancing, and lots of it! Stylish guests arrived in frocks made for dancing— not necessarily for a rug-cutting reception, but for a roaring cabaret show that included the Lindy hop, the boogie woogie, tap dancing and swing.
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