Exclusive: How 'Halloweentown' Stars Kimberly J. Brown & Daniel Kountz Planned Their "Timeless" SoCal Wedding

The former Disney actors reconnected—and fell in love—12 years after sharing the screen.
sarah hanlon entertainment and celebrity editor the knot
by
Sarah Hanlon
sarah hanlon entertainment and celebrity editor the knot
Sarah Hanlon
Entertainment & Celebrity Editor
  • Sarah is the Entertainment & Celebrity Editor for The Knot, with special focuses on pop culture and celebrity wedding news.
  • Before joining The Knot Worldwide, Sarah was a contributing writer for Bravo at NBC Universal.
  • Sarah has a degree in journalism and resides in New York City.
Updated May 03, 2024

Kimberly J. Brown and her husband Daniel Kountz have a love story better than anything you'd find in a Hollywood script. The actors shared the screen in the 2001 Disney Channel original movie Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, where Brown starred as Marnie and Kountz appeared as villain Kal.

"We got along great and had a lot of fun working together, but nothing romantic happened," Brown recalls in an exclusive interview with The Knot. But they remained friends via social media, and 12 years later, she got back in touch with her former colleague. "I was filming some sketches for my YouTube channel and asked him to film with me," the content creator says. "We realized along the way that we were starting to have feelings for each other."

The rest was history. Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz got married on April 19, 2024, in Camarillo, California—and they used The Knot to help plan their "timeless" celebration. (Stars, they're just like you!) We caught up with the newlyweds to chat about how they brought their special day to life, including their favorite memories and the tips they want every to-be-wed to know.

In this article:

Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz's Wedding Photos & Details

Following their June 2022 engagement at Griffith Observatory, which was also the site of their first "official" date, Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz quickly got to work planning their wedding. Though she was unsure where to begin at first, she came across articles on The Knot explaining how to get started—and it kicked off her love affair with the process.

From there, the couple began hiring vendors who understood their vision, including some of those listed on The Knot Vendor Marketplace. "The vendor section was my favorite [tool]," Brown tells us. "The fact that I could see photos, find out key information, and read reviews of other people's real experiences on one profile was amazing."

The Vibe

From the start of their planning journey, Brown and Kountz envisioned their wedding to be "soft and timeless with modern accents." One of the key first steps to achieving that look, they say, was hiring their wedding planner, Kaylen Davidson of Sara Judith Events.

Not only did she connect them with other vendors, she helped them modernize classic wedding traditions to make their event feel authentically personal. "Kaylen helped our wedding become completely 'us,'" Brown says. "When the day arrived, we were much happier doing what we wanted to do and not what we thought people would expect."

The Venue

Davidson also introduced Brown and Kountz to their dream wedding venue in Southern California. "We got married at Spanish Hills Club in Camarillo, which is one of the places our planner sent us to consider," Brown recalls. "It was the first venue we visited, and it always stayed at the top of the list."

Given their affinity for nature and spending time outdoors, Brown says the country club's sprawling lawns and manicured landscaping provided the perfect backdrop for their ceremony. "We could overlook the gorgeous mountain range while we said our vows, then dance it up in their Camara Room in the evening," she says.

Once their setting was secured, the couple allowed the Spanish-inspired architecture to inspire custom wedding elements, including their invitations and signage, which were designed by More Than Words Fine Papers. "We love how Spanish Hills is classic with some modern elements, so we used that as inspiration for our stationery items," Brown explains. "We also incorporated Griffith Observatory on our place cards since it's such a special place to us."

The Fashion

In keeping with their timeless aesthetic, Brown wore a strapless ball gown wedding dress with a sweetheart neckline and a voluminous skirt by Stella York, which she found at Lili Bridals. The salon also created a custom veil for the bride, which was adorned with pearl and crystal beading.

Her bridesmaids, including Mean Girls star Lacey Chabert, wore different styles of elegant black evening gowns by David's Bridal.

Kountz—along with all of his groomsmen—were outfitted in classic black suits from SuitShop. They accessorized their ensembles with the brand's satin slim ties and Oxford dress shoes.

Keen to wear the same dress throughout the evening, Brown worked with Lili Bridals to create a custom bustle to transform the look of her gown (which they later named "The Kimberly"). The bridal also swapped her ceremony shoes for sparkly sneakers, perfect for dancing the night away with her loved ones.

The Ceremony

Before the ceremony began, Brown and Kountz shared a private first look at their venue. "It was important for us to get a little bit of special time together right before we said 'I do,'" Brown says, "and to have that moment captured forever."

Instrumental renditions of the couple's favorite love songs played as they walked down the aisle. Kountz entered with both of his parents, while Brown was accompanied by her father. The bride's friend, singer and actress Briana Cuoco, surprised guests by singing Sara Bareilles' "I Choose You" for the emotional processional.

Ahead of the wedding, Brown told us she was most looking forward to the vow exchange—a moment that delivered humor and heart. While sharing personalized promises, she says, "We ended up speaking on some of the same things, which just made us more emotional. I vowed to always make sure there's enough peanut butter in the house, because our dog Luna seems to go through it so quickly." In actuality, she says with a smile, "Daniel eats it all."

Around this time during the ceremony, Brown recalls, her shoes started sinking into the ground. "In a moment of trying to be funny, I kicked my heel off with apparently more gusto than I thought because it flew across the aisle and landed right on my seven-year-old flower girl," she says. "I was so mortified in the moment. She was not injured, thankfully, and now thinks it is hilarious."

After a much-needed shoe change, the newlyweds joined their guests for cocktail hour. The group sipped on the couple's favorite beverages (an old fashioned for him, and a dirty martini for her), and nibbled on snacks before the main course. "We had a flatbread station [before dinner], because good food throughout the whole day was very important to us," Brown says.

The couple splurged on fun activities for their guests to enjoy, including Jenga and cornhole (complete with custom-designed bags, which the bride found on Etsy).

Dinner consisted of several courses, including chicken Napoli, pasta primavera, and the bride's favorite, New York-cut steak. ("It was a must-have for me," she says.) "Later in the evening," she recalls, "we had a French fry bar and a cappuccino bar with custom coffee drinks."

The Party

Kimberly J. Brown and husband Daniel Kountz dancing at their reception
Photo: The Big Affair

To kick off an evening of celebrating, the newlyweds shared their first dance to "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne. "We love him as an artist and debated about a few songs, but ultimately this encapsulated everything for us and was such a celebratory tune," Brown says of their selection. "The icing on the proverbial cake was that our DJ [Tyler Varnell] came out and played a live saxophone solo while we were dancing."

Guests were wowed by Varnell's talents, which included both live performances and pre-made playlists of the couple's favorite hits. "We really wanted the music to be a reflection of us, and Tyler made that happen," Brown raves of the musician, who was recently named one of The Knot's 2024 Ones to Watch honorees. "We leaned on some of our favorite artists, like Marvin Gaye and Earth Wind and Fire, and very thoughtfully picked what song would play where."

Dancing paused only for the couple to slice their wedding cake: a vanilla bean confection with cinnamon cream cheese icing and vanilla buttercream, courtesy of Sugar Lab Bake Shop. "We wanted some fun treats for everyone beyond the cake," Brown continues, "so we had gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, brownie bites and iced bride and groom sugar cookies that were so yummy."

With their wedding day behind them, Brown and Kountz are excitedly counting down to their honeymoon at Casa de Campo, a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic. "We've never been to the Caribbean so we can't wait," Brown muses.

Looking back on their wedding day, Brown wants her nuptials to show other to-be-weds that modernizing tradition—and doing away with "rules"—can be a good thing. "Daniel and I really wanted our wedding to be a reflection of us, so we were very deliberate in how everything unfolded during the day, including leaving some traditions out," she says. "I thought I was going to want to hold fast to all of them, but we realized we didn't have time to include everything."

Plus, she adds, never underestimate the power of a great photo and video team. "I was so grateful we had hired a videographer along with our photographer," she concludes. "I didn't realize until the day of that I wasn't going to get to watch everyone walk down the aisle, or see our guests' reactions to different parts of the day. It's amazing to experience your wedding again, whenever you want."

Kimberly J. Brown's Wedding Vendors

Venue: Spanish Hills Club; Planner: Kaylen Davidson, Sara Judith Events; Photographer: The Big Affair; Florist: Tipsy Tulip Designs, Petal Driven; Entertainment: Tyler Varnell; Wedding Dress: Stella York via Lili Bridals; Shoes: Badgley Mischka, Betsey Johnson; Groom's Suit: SuitShop; Groom's Accessories: SuitShop; Bridesmaid Dresses: David's Bridal; Groomsmen Suits: SuitShop; Glam: Violeta Meyners; Stationer: More Than Words Fine Papers; Bakery: Sugar Lab Bake Shop; Honeymoon: Casa de Campo Luxury Golf Resort

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