A Little About Us
Rebecca and Adam met through a series of unrelated circumstances that most likely shouldn’t have resulted in a marriage, but somehow ended up that way anyway. It all started, as many things do, with money and Rebecca’s unfortunate habit of forgetting vital details (in this case it’s bus routes).
Luckily, she discovered a quite standoffish individual waiting broodingly at the UC Merced library bus stop, having missed the first several buses he planned to catch (we all know he was never going to make them anyway). Luckily, this person just so happened to have the dollar necessary for city bus fare that would whisk them both away to the train station where they would continue their journey south for Thanksgiving break. She would never ask for money, of course, but he knew there was no time to withdraw funds from the closest ATM and gave it to her. She felt so grateful (and guilty?) about receiving money from a stranger that she talked his ear off for the remaining 5 or so hours before they parted ways at Union Station in Los Angeles.
Both of them would go on to live completely separate lives until the next year when they attended the same class, a history of Western Music seminar taught by the conductor of the Sacramento Ballet Orchestra. Rebecca, again, forgot something (this time it was the classroom number). Luckily she recognized the silent boy from the year before, holding the textbook for the class, and decided to ask him where the classroom was located. She offered free coffee as a way to repay him for helping her twice at this point, and as a normal college age male he gladly accepted.
As luck would have it, they were put into a project group together and grew closer over time discussing music for hours in the school library. Gradually, they began to realize they shared other interests such as hiking and playing music in the school band. Over the next few months, they would collaborate on projects for the band program that led to several late nights reviewing paperwork and budget details on the floor of a dorm room (Adam wishes to reiterate how much he dislikes spreadsheets). After several weeks of daily close interaction, and several days of pointless rehearsal, Adam finally asked for a date as Rebecca was all but running to a chemistry lab class. She yelled back, “Sure!” as she sprinted away across the quad.
Their relationship has only grown over the following decade as they navigated college, graduation, job-seeking, tight budgets, frequent moves, a cat that adopted herself, and the general struggles and joys of growing into their adult lives. In December of 2020, after coronavirus had cancelled the holidays, they decided to go on a hike into the Chino Hills State Park. There, while Rebecca was busy enjoying the view of the valley, a ring appeared. She didn’t say “Yes” immediately, but instead asked how he had managed to keep the ring and his plans for that day hidden. After a couple minutes, she remembered that one ought to respond with “yes” or “no” to a proposal (you know her answer).
It’s been a long engagement but finally, in the fall of 2022, we’re overjoyed to be sharing our special day with all of our friends and family.
About the Venue
History
The Christmas House is an elegant, three-story, turreted Queen Anne style home located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The house was constructed in 1904 by H.D. Cousins, a lumber magnate and shipwright, for himself and his wife to live in luxury and entertain the high-society of early 20th century Southern California.
Their time at the Christmas House was short-lived, however. In 1910, the Whitson family purchased the residence and 80 acres surrounding. There they began to plant peach and orange orchards, all the while maintaining the grand opulence and frequent society parties that the house had become known for. The house stayed in the family until 1976 when the land and house were sold to a local land developer. The developer, Thomas O. McCutchen, gave the house and one acre of land surrounding it over to the San Bernardino County Museum a year later.
The house sat in stasis for a few years until it was finally purchased by John and Cecilia Morrison in 1984, who organized renovations and opened the house as a bed-and-breakfast. Over the years it became known for its wonderful Christmas parties and tea luncheons in addition to hosting the occasional wedding ceremony. By the late 2000’s, however, its popularity as a wedding venue overtook all other features and it transitioned to operate solely for wedding; the house still maintained a yearly Christmas party and occasional tea parties but closed all bed-and-breakfast operations.
The Christmas House has recently transitioned to new management, but the love and care given it by its owners and staff reflect its grand history and all the memories it holds. In 2022, the Christmas House turns 118 years old; we hope that it will continue for another century, providing couples for generations to come a place to start their lives together surrounded by the history and beauty of its lovely grounds.
Features
The Christmas house is a beautiful building, constructed in a Queen Anne style with all the features of a Victorian mansion. Three stories of hand-carved old woodwork and original stained-glass windows give the house a depth and beauty so indicative of houses of the time. The house sports seven full fireplaces, each constructed of a different wood and each with a unique design.
Every room is filled to the brim with lovingly preserved furniture and wall accents, high ceilings, and antique silver. The inside features three sitting rooms on the first floor and 5 elegant bedrooms on the second floor, accessible by a breathtaking antique wooden staircase.
The Christmas House provides the perfect combination of greenery and paved space to provide guests with a relaxing atmosphere without feeling like they’ve stepped into a grove. It features wide spaces for socialization, but also provides ample seating away from the main reception space for those who wish to sit in privacy for a moment. We hope that everyone who attends our wedding will be as blown away by the Christmas House as we were upon our first visit, because it truly is a magical place.
