The Artisans
The pandemic hit artists, small businesses, and creatives in LA — and the world — especially hard. So when we dreamt up our elopement, we envisioned it as a way to support the creative community by giving back directly to our neighbors, women entrepreneurs, and other small businesses.
We call it conscious consuming: acquire things only if they have meaning. Read their stories below, and, if you are able, please support their works.
Yasmine Mei
Our engagement shoot flowers were handcrafted by LA floral artist Yasmine Mei, who sold her works in Drew’s old neighborhood of Atwater Village. When we asked her to include kumquats, she valiantly searched the city, only to find out they weren’t in season. But her pincushion proteas added all the explosions of orange we needed. yasminefloraldesign.com.
Albert Nells
Albert Nells is a Navajo jeweler based in Flagstaff, Arizona, and his handmade jewelry mixes modernism — and art deco — with traditional Indigenous influences. Drew purchased his bola tie from Garlands, a Sedona, Arizona trading post that has been supporting generations of Native American jewelers with ethical pricing and financial support beyond sales, including Drew’s childhood neighbor, artist Jesse Monongya. garlandsjewelry.com
Parts of Four
When Drew proposed, he passed down a family ring that had been in the Tewksbury family for generations. We also decided we wanted additional rings that represented us as we are today. We went to West Hollywood design shop Hammer & Spear to pick rings made by the Indonesian and Parisian designers Parts of Four. Our salesman Drake helped us find rings made with diamond shards, the pieces of diamonds that are organic, one-of-a-kind shapes. He also didn’t mind that Drew dropped the rings a few times. partsof4.com
NinaKURU
Based in Ojai, the small Santa Barbara-area town – and one of our favorite places in the universe -- Ecuadoran-American owner and designer Jennifer Moray works with Argentine wool and South American milliners to craft her headwear, including Sophia’s wedding hat. ninakuru.com
Jessica Jameson Photography
Canadian photographer Jessica met the love of her life at Arcosanti a few years ago, and she never left. Jessica and her husband live on-site, where she single-handedly photographs, styles and coordinates photo shoots throughout the campus, while taking quick breaks to check on her 2-year-old daughter Nova. She’s the kindest superhero we’ve ever met, and her work in the deserts of Arizona and California is incredibly beautiful.
jessicajameson.com
Andrés Otálora
Within months of meeting each other, Drew invited Sophia to Bogota for Christmas. In classic Kercher fashion, she was like: Yeah, sure. We spent a magical holiday there, so we wanted to give something back to the incredible place — and the people — that started our love story. Sophia discovered the work of Colombian fashion designer Andrés Otálora, who she chose for her Integratron wedding dress. andresotalora.com
Alissa Garcia Photography
Alissa not only shot our Integratron wedding in the boonies near Joshua Tree, but she also snapped Sophia’s headshots in Downtown LA, and our engagement photos at Vista Hermosa Park. She’s also really funny. alissanoellephotography.com
Short and Sweet Pop Ups
When Sophia found out that Short and Sweet was throwing an elopement at the Integratron, Drew said HELL YES. He also remembered that he had to propose first. Anyway, Short and Sweet curated the entire affair, from florals and cakes to photography and a celestial soundbath. shortandsweetpopup.com.
Just What I Kneaded
The tiny vegan bakery in Frogtown, just a few minutes from our home, made us an olive oil and berry wedding cake, which we like to think was honoring Drew’s mother. Her maiden name was Anne Berry Oliver. It was just as sweet as she is. justwhatikneadedbakery.com
Arcosanti
Donate to the Arcosanti Foundation to help keep this creative retreat and experimental community alive. We stayed in their minimalist accommodations and took a ceramic bell-making classes from — and it was entirely inspiring/life-changing. arcosanti.org
Going Steady Studios
When it came to her floral headpiece, Sophia gave only one instruction to florist/wunderkind Katie O'Gorman: “make it subtle… and epic.” Luckily they fully unraveled the paradox and delivered a piece that was even more amazing that we could imagine. Their bouquets and set pieces brought a natural vibe to the Integratron’s architectural space. goingsteadystudios.com
Hollywood Hatters
This Melrose Avenue haberdashery is packed to the rafters with Stetons, bowlers, and every imaginable hat. Their main clients are the movie studios, TV shows, and musicians — along with regular folks like us walk through the doors. hollywoodhatters.com
dean. Leather Goods
The longtime Sunset Junction handmade belts and leather goods shop has been in business for two decades, but during the pandemic shutdown, they were almost forced to close. Luckily, they’ve survived the shutdown. dean-accessories.myshopify.com
John Varvatos
Okay, so he’s not an indie designer, but his company makes really great handmade Italian boots. In 2020, he filed chapter 11, so maybe support his company, so Drew can keep buying shoes from the Venice Beach-raised sales dude at the Century City mall (whose twin brother, like totally works at the Malibu store!) and who just proposed to his wife and showed Drew their ring. johnvarvatos.com
