Wedding Day

Howard Resort

Ceremony and Reception

Our Wedding

Matt and I started off the best way, as friends! He was working Lake Patrol and I was helping my family with the Marina on Kaweah Lake in my transition to living back in Visalia. I didn't notice how often he came inside the marina because it was busy season, but he did invent the quadruple burger in which I just added an extra dollar for each extra patty since we didn't have anything that large on the menu. He thought that I was younger than my brother, who is 12.5 years younger than me, ;). Long story short, life happened and we remained acquaintances. He dated a few winners, I dated a few losers and bamb, here we are today! Jk. Jk. No, but really, we dated other people and then one day he asked me how I was and that was that. We had hit a moment in time where neither of us were dating. On August 14, 2017 we had dinner at what was my favorite sushi place and had a tasty beer at BarrelHouse after. I liked how nice he was. It's hard finding people who are genuine. We share a love of old/antique things (history and art, furniture, etc.), so many of the beginning trips we took were to ghost towns/old mining towns where we explored (hence our fascination with Ghost Adventures.) Our favorite mining town is Virginia City. I couldn't believe it when I found out Bananza was filmed there with parts of Lake Tahoe. Bananza! lol. Yeah, I've just aged myself and some of my family members. We love learning about the history of any place we visit and the people who make that place possible. Our most favorite place, which many of you know, is Las Vegas. There is so much to do there and we like just taking a trip and relaxing, only a 45 minute plane ride away, but we, for some reason, like to drive. There's always something new we plan to see every time we go. Amongst travels, we share a love of vintage or antique shops. We can spend hours in them hunting for some really cool items, others might find the search a tedious task. We also share a love of furry friends and are crazy enough to own 5 dogs together (the first and last time I will have that many.) They are loves and it's great to have the company when Matt works late. Nearly 6 years has flown by and I wouldn't want to hang out with anyone else. Happy to continue our journey together.

How We Met and Our Life Together (Janelle's perspective)

Matt really can't keep secrets because he gets really excited about the secret he's supposed to keep. Needless to say, we tell each other everything. He did manage to hold onto this one though. I knew something weird was happening because he would throw down little hints like, "Can you live with this forever?" (which by the way is a scary question, lol). I just didn't know when it would happen and with whom might be there. All my friends know I hate having all eyes on me. So when the plan didn't go accordingly to Matt (earlier in the day with siblings and parents), he made a new plan to do it in front of my entire family at Christmas. First off, my dad never says Matt needs you for something. And when he said that, I felt my heart skip a beat. It was coming. It happened so fast my family recorded the tail end of the proposal. But it was pretty special and I feel pretty blessed.

How He Proposed

Our Story

Photos

Bridal Party

Lanette Howard

Kristin Bolda

Stefanie Moreno

Bayley Howard

Emily Woodyatt

Alicia Balderas Bejarano

Marissa Oliveira

Ashley Cox

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Grooms Party

Julian Sprague

Dalan Oliveira

Nathan Howard

Brandon Howard

Marqus Blevins

Rudy Bejarano

Bobby Hill

Craig Houston

Wedding Party

We don't have many rules other than to respect one another, the property and the vendors. Please have fun and enjoy the day with us!!! Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sweater. April weather is unpredictable in the valley. My parents property has rocks and dirt. On a side note, here's some silly facts about Matt and Janelle.

Q + A

Accommodations

We have a wide range of hotels in the Visalia area. We have just listed a few here that are closer to the wedding location, but you are more than welcome to seek other accommodations.

Cute Art Deco little boutique hotel located in Downtown Visalia. About 10 minutes from the wedding spot.

The Darling Hotel

Another hotel located in Downtown right across from the Visalia Convention Center.

Comfort Suites Visalia - Convention Center

Located right next to the Convention Center in Downtown Visalia.

Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center

Fairfield Inn by Marriott Visalia Sequoia

Located off of 198 and Plaza Drive near the airport.

Wyndham Visalia

Travel

Activities Around the Area

There are a lot of activities to do in Visalia. We have a cute downtown with boutique shops and a diverse range of food for a small town, we are considered the Gateway to the Sequoias, not too far from the big trees, and there are landmarks outside of Visalia to visit as well, like Kaweah Lake, Hanford's Superior Dairy, Lindsay's Orangeworks Cafe, the Tulare Historical Museum, Exeter's BellCraft Brew Company, and Cutler's La Esperanzas to name a few.

Downtown Visalia has a brewery district on East Main. Take a walk up and down and you’ll hit Barrelhouse, Lake Bottom Brewery and Distillery, Long Shot Brewery, Stacked, the Planing Mill, Brewbakers and Sequoia Brewing. Plus another favorite that’s off the beaten path, Kaweah Brewing Co Taproom and Restaurant.

BarrelHouse Brewing Visalia - Taproom and Beer Garden

A downtown staple of Visalia for a morning brew.

Component Coffee Lab

A great place to bring the kids. Lots of indoor and outdoor games including a small water park.

Adventure Park

Another great place to bring the kids with a pond in the center of the park. You may even come across wild peacocks.

Mooney Grove Park

Yes, Visalia has a small airport and on the other side of it is Plaza Park. It's a cute park right next to the Wyndham hotel with tennis and softball fields. You'll come across ducks and geese by the fishing pond.

Plaza Park

Mexican Food that I've had since birth. The OG of Mexican food. And a great place to stop after a dental appointment. lol.

La Esperanza

Take a boat out on the lake. Only 25 minutes from Visalia. A peaceful and beautiful place to relax. A place I grew up swimming and fishing as a kid.

Kaweah Marina

There are quite a few things to do while you visit Visalia. After all, we are the Gateway to the Sequoias. On your way to the big park (Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks), stop off at Reimer’s Candies. This place has been around forever. Originally owned by a German couple, it’s a local favorite for candies, ice cream and gifts.

Reimers Candies & Gifts

Where the big trees live and my ancestor Hale Tharp pioneered.

Sequoia National Park

Exeter is known for its murals and a lovely town to visit. BellCraft is a staple of Exeter and across from Exeter's Coffee Co., another love of Exeter. Walk up and down Pine and E Streets for a taste of Exeter and visit its beautiful antique shops.

BellCraft Brew Co.

Art and Historical Museum in Tulare. Just one of many reasons to visit Tulare. Did you know Tulare's Mefford Field Airport houses the Memorial for a WWII airplane and a Vietnam jet that you can see right off of Highway 99? It's a civilian airport that was once used as a flight school for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Tulare is also known for the largest annual Ag show, the World Ag Expo.

Tulare Historical Museum

Best ice cream around. Even a small ice cream is the size of someone's head. lol. Lets just say you'll be living it large regardless of what size you get. While you stop for ice cream, visit the Hanford Civic Center Park which is breathtaking, a square that houses the Old Bastille, the Hanford Civic Center Auditorium, and the Hanford Fox Theater, buildings that date the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Janelle & Matthew

Janelle & Matthew

Q + A

What is Matt and Janelle’s favorite place to eat in Visalia?

Where did Matt and Janelle meet?

When did Matt and Janelle move into their first house together?

How many dogs do Matt and Janelle own?