The Bride and Groom Threw 100 Heart-Shaped Stones Into the Ocean at Their Northern California Wedding

Shayne Kybartas and Miles Johnson first spotted each other from a distance while studying art at Montana State University. “In a sea of cowboy hats and agriculture majors, I remember thinking, this guy might be the most interesting person I’ve seen here,” remembers Shayne. Miles shares that when he saw Shayne across the hall, he was “immediately smitten.”

However, it took the pair of them signing up for the same design publication course the following year to actually meet. “I tried to play it cool, but inside, I was way too excited knowing I’d be spending the next couple years in classes with him,” says Shayne. While the two bonded in class, they mostly traded design critiques and collaborated on projects. “Eventually, our time spent together became less professional and more romantic, and we started our relationship just after Shayne graduated,” Miles recalls. “I know…a bit late to the punch, but my perseverance was strong and clearly everything worked out.”

From then on, Shayne and Miles stayed by each other’s sides as they settled in Portland, Oregon, and built their careers in design. After seven years, Miles says, “It was due time to get it together and ask the big question.” He spent six months looking for the perfect emerald-cut stone for Shayne’s engagement ring, telling no one of his plans save her parents, who gave him their blessing. In October 2023, Miles finally popped the question. “We were hiking in the Dolomites, this Sound of Music dreamland of rolling green hills and gray-blue mountains, when Miles started acting nervous—which is basically never,” Shayne remembers. “He insisted I follow him down a hill we’d just climbed (which I begrudgingly did), and out of nerves, he dropped to two knees instead of one, saying he wanted to spend the rest of his life adventuring by my side. Then, he pulled out the ring—a custom east-west emerald cut he’d designed—and I realized I was getting literally exactly what I wanted.” The next two weeks were spent celebrating their engagement across Italy and Spain.

Deciding on a wedding location was a more difficult decision for the couple. “Our visions were totally different,” notes Shayne. “Miles wanted a casual, buffet-style mountain wedding; I wanted a romantic, one-table-in-the-meadow vibe in California without feeling cliché.” When they came across The Sea Ranch Lodge on the Northern Californian coast, it felt like the perfect compromise. “The first time we arrived in Sea Ranch for the tour, I was blown away," shares Miles. “I honestly just felt so lucky to get to marry my lady in this incredible place.”

With the date set for April 12, 2025, planning went into full swing. Shayne took the lead on execution alongside their planner, Callista Osborn of Callista and Co. “She had the taste and style to match my obsession with detail, combined with type-A organization that we desperately needed,” explains the bride.

When deciding on her fashion for the wedding weekend, Shayne subscribed to a mentality of “look good, feel good.” After trying on options at six different bridal salons, she could not stop obsessing over a Vivienne Westwood gown. “It was a bit out of our price range, but I’ve always believed if I feel right, everything else falls into place,” she shares. Shayne paired the gown with six-inch silver Valentino platforms for both height and stability on the cliffside. “And because, honestly, I’m not a white-shoe girl,” she adds. As a sentimental touch, she wore her grandmother’s diamond earrings and bracelet as a way to honor her. For her beauty look, Shayne wanted to look natural: Extensions along with a ’90s blowout were “sophisticated enough to feel bridal, but still very me,” she says.