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76 A S H L E Y P I T T M A N + T A Y L O R H A M R A B Y C H R I S T I N A G E Y E R . P H O T O G R A P H Y J O S E V I L L A . L.A. STORY Ashley Pittman Ashley Pittman and Taylor Hamra E ffortlessness has always been the epitome of chic — and few w e d d i n g s embody this notion more than the nuptials of jewelry designer Ashley Pittman and television writer Taylor Hamra, both Dallas natives now living in L.A. "One word that describes Ashley and Taylor as a couple is 'authentic,'" says longtime friend Sara Fay Egan, owner of Jackson Durham Events and the maestro behind the couple's L.A. wedding. "They're the real deal." "We had planned the whole thing originally at San Ysidro Ranch," Egan recalls. "But one day, Ashley called and said, 'Let's just do it at home. I've always wanted to get married at my mom's house.'" And so, just like that, they switched gears from Santa Barbara to Bel Air. The Mediterranean-style home of Renvy Pittman is steeped in Tinseltown history. Built in the 1920s, Cher and the late Sonny Bono called the Bel Air mansion home in the 1970s. An interior designer, Renvy was heavily involved in the wedding-planning process, working closely with Ashley and Egan. "My mother beautifully incorporated family heirlooms and antiques into the garden tent," Ashley says. "Antique silver was used to hold large bouquets of dahlias mixed with hydrangea from our garden. Custom tablecloths made in Quadrille cotton and my mother's crystal pagoda chandeliers hung throughout the wedding and after- party tents." Egan adds, "Everything was specifically designed to look like an extension of the house. The high-gloss green of the tent floor was matched exactly to the paint color of the home's front door." Lemons and cumquats were snipped from citrus trees; cut roses were arranged with lavender and bougainvillea from the garden; and the ceremony arch was covered in stunning yellow solidago, a native California wildflower. Even the potpourri tossed on the bride and groom during their departure was collected from the garden. "You didn't know where the garden stopped and the wedding started," Egan says. Wedding rules need not apply to Ashley and Taylor. There was no long line of bridesmaids or groomsmen, and the officiant was a friend of the couple, Edward McPherson, which brought a personal bent to the ceremony. And Ashley's choice to switch gowns last minute was a testament to her personal style — a lesson in letting instincts, not expectations, lead. "I had chosen a beautiful dress originally," she says. "But the longer I looked at it, the less it felt like me." During a shopping trip to Neiman Marcus, Ashley's mom spotted a nontraditional caped Oscar de la Renta column gown. "It was absolutely perfect," Ashley says. "Kind of a meant-to-be find."