[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/garden-wedding-botanica-oceanside-california\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/garden-wedding-botanica-oceanside-california\/","headline":"Erika and Melissa’s Garden Wedding at Botanica in Oceanside, California","name":"Erika and Melissa’s Garden Wedding at Botanica in Oceanside, California","description":"Erika Beursken and Melissa Brodsky married at Botanica in Oceanside, California, in a summer garden wedding filled with sunset-hued florals, a Supreme Court acknowledgment and deeply personal touches including donation cards for every guest benefiting endometriosis nonprofit Project Endo. The couple, who exchanged two proposals before their June wedding, brought two years of planning and a lot of intention to every detail of their day.","datePublished":"2026-07-28","dateModified":"2026-07-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/#Person","name":"Kirsten Palladino","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/kpalladino\/","identifier":2,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/76421eab241dc39d43a493849d7bc676e4b1c60c6b1167f727466599b6882eca?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/queer-wedding-botanica-oceanside-california-pamela-tatz-photography-equally-wed-028.webp","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/queer-wedding-botanica-oceanside-california-pamela-tatz-photography-equally-wed-028.webp","height":1199,"width":1800},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/garden-wedding-botanica-oceanside-california\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew","name":"Erika and Melissa's Wedding Highlight Film | Botanica in Oceanside, California","description":"MusicBed SyncID: MB011ZNUUQU1CPY","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VprG4S5TCew\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VprG4S5TCew\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VprG4S5TCew\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VprG4S5TCew\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VprG4S5TCew\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2024-09-16T18:58:22+00:00","duration":"PT7M21S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VprG4S5TCew","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCabdoisI3DkDlCZz5iU5-0A#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCabdoisI3DkDlCZz5iU5-0A","name":"Pamela Tatz Photography","description":"Intimate, documentary-style wedding, elopement, and engagement photography and videography in Los Angeles and beyond with a candid, authentic approach. Contact us to create an unforgettable experience and lasting memories.\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/fN4zultI3DgfyduivC18dC2qhtH34wCIaXWKiNC-uSlOV3d5qkkZjYUhVZ_vgnpchiJ3Ddoycw=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":749}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VprG4S5TCew#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":10}]},"about":["Real LGBTQ+ Weddings from Equally Wed"],"wordCount":858,"keywords":[" lesbian wedding"," pink"," two brides","California","double proposal","garden wedding","live wedding painter","orange","outdoor wedding"],"articleBody":"Erika Beursken (she\/her) and Melissa Brodsky (she\/her) married at Botanica in Oceanside, California, on a summer afternoon surrounded by lush greenery and sunset-hued florals in shades of orange, pink, purple and white. The ceremony included a tequila shot, a nod to the Supreme Court and handwritten cards for every single guest.\u00a0The Sunset Palette: Botanica’s Gardens in BloomFloral designer By Georgia Douglas crafted a floral world that felt native to Southern California, threading warm oranges, deep pinks, soft purples and clean whites through every arrangement. The palette drew from the kinds of blooms Erika and Melissa passed on their regular walks through their Long Beach neighborhood, a life already lived outdoors that translated naturally into a wedding rooted in plant life.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Peonies, roses, ranunculus, snapdragons and cosmos appeared across the ceremony and reception spaces in that signature sunset range. Nothing felt hothouse-precious. The arrangements had the loose, gathered quality of flowers that belong where they’re placed, spilling and curving rather than standing at attention. Botanica’s own gardens provided a splendid natural backdrop for the garden wedding’s bright floral design..\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Two Proposals, One CoupleErika proposed to Melissa on July 14, 2022, in Seal Beach after executing what the couple describes as an elaborate plan to keep Melissa from finding out what was happening. Melissa, apparently not one to be outdone, proposed to Erika just seven weeks later, on September 4, 2022, during a surprise photoshoot in Joshua Tree National Park. Two engagements. Two rings. One two-year runway to Botanica.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The CeremonyErika and Melissa came down the aisle to a violinist, with Ben Hoyt Violin providing the kind of live accompaniment that made the walk feel unhurried. The ceremony itself stayed secular, but the couple made one deliberate pause to acknowledge something larger than the day itself.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0“We did take a moment to honor the 2015 Supreme Court decision that allows us to be legally married in all 50 states and those who came before us and fought to make that decision possible,” Erika says. “We felt that honoring this legacy was important to share with our guests.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0That acknowledgment carried real weight in a room full of people who had gathered to watch two women marry in California, in a garden, on a summer afternoon, because the law finally caught up to what was always true. The couple closed the ceremony by taking a tequila shot together at the altar.\u00a0\u00a0How They Made It TheirsThe seating chart is worth its own paragraph. Erika and Melissa designed and built it themselves, writing individual cards for each guest by hand. But the cards weren’t just table assignments.\u00a0\u00a0“On each of the cards, we shared with our guests that we had made a donation on their behalf to an organization near and dear to our hearts, called Project Endo,” Erika says. “Both of us have endometriosis and are passionate about raising awareness and improving education on the disease. It was very meaningful to be able to share that with our guests on our big day.”\u00a0\u00a0Project Endo is a nonprofit dedicated to endometriosis education and advocacy, and folding it into the wedding’s fabric, quietly, through a card each guest held in their hands, was a genuinely personal move. It turned a logistical element into something guests would carry home.\u00a0\u00a0The tequila shot during the ceremony added a different kind of punctuation: irreverent, specific to these two people and completely committed.\u00a0\u00a0The LooksErika wore a custom suit from Sharpe Suiting. Melissa wore a gown by By Lillian West, sourced through Mon Amie Bridal Salon, and changed into a second look from Rosie Etienne Bridal for the reception. Custom cuff links, shoes from Aldo and hair and makeup by Touch of Rose’s Brittney Blake and Artistry by Samantha Rae, respectively, completed the picture.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The ReceptionDJ Keelez ran the reception, and Erika and Melissa opened the dancing with “Way After Forever” by vaultboy. A live wedding painter, Nicolette Martin Art, captured the scene in real time while guests cycled through the Designed By Love Photobus photo booth. Desserts came from Mili’s Sweets. Catering was handled by Trademark Venues’ Morgan Costa. The whole evening moved with the kind of energy that happens when a couple has actually thought through what their guests will do, eat, see and feel across every hour. \u2764\ufe0f Featured LGBTQ+ Inclusive and Queer Affirming Wedding VendorsPhotographer and videographer: Pamela Tatz PhotographyWedding Ceremony and Reception Venue: BotanicaFlorist: By Georgia DouglasPlanner\/Coordinator: Trademark VenuesDJ: DJ KeelezInvitation Designer: Truly EngagingAttire for Erika Beursken: Sharpe SuitingAttire for Melissa Brodsky: By Lillian WestSecond Dress for Melissa Brodsky: Rosie Etienne BridalCatering: Trademark Venues (Morgan Costa)Live Wedding Painter: Nicolette Martin ArtViolinist: Ben Hoyt ViolinDesserts: Mili’s SweetsPhoto Booth: Designed By Love PhotobusTransportation: San Diego CharterHair: Touch of Rose\/Brittney BlakeMakeup: Artistry by Samantha RaeDress Boutique: Mon Amie Bridal SalonCustom Cuff Links: EtsyShoes: AldoDance Lessons: Bella Ballroom Dance StudioHotel and Welcome Party Location: Cape Rey ResortDay After Sunset Cruise: City ExperiencesFiled underlesbiantwo bridesErika BeurskenMelissa BrodskyBotanicaOceanside Californiagarden weddingSouthern California weddingsummer weddingsunset floralsorange pink purple weddingendometriosis awarenessProject EndoSharpe SuitingBy Lillian WestPamela Tatz Photographytwo proposalstequila shot ceremonyvaultboyWay After Forever"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Erika and Melissa’s Garden Wedding at Botanica in Oceanside, California","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/garden-wedding-botanica-oceanside-california\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]