A couple's destination wedding in Big Sur was inspired by a trip to Greece and summer camp

In 2018, Leah, 27, and Dan, 33, were both working in finance, and Leah ended up giving Dan a call because he was one of her firm's clients. The conversation quickly veered away from professional topics as they spoke.

"We didn't know what each other looked like, but we just had good conversations," Leah said.

"I just really liked her voice to be quite honest, and I was attracted to it," Dan said.

Leah lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the time, and Dan was in Salt Lake City, Utah, but they kept speaking on the phone.

When Dan finally flew to Charlotte a few months later to meet Leah, they were both smitten, and Leah ended up inviting him to join her on a trip to Greece even though they barely knew each other. To her surprise, he said yes.

"Our family and friends definitely thought we were crazy, but it worked out," Leah said. "Ever since then, we've been inseparable."

Today, the Hornes live in Nashville, Tennessee. Leah owns the mental health company Damn Good Monday, and Dan works in the cryptocurrency industry.

Dan and Leah first toyed with the idea of returning to Greece where their connection really took off to tie the knot, but they decided to keep their wedding in the United States to make it easier for their family members to attend.

They ended up selecting Big Sur, California, both because it was beautiful and because Leah grew up in beachy areas while Dan grew up in the mountains. It was the perfect marriage of their upbringings.

They tapped Mariposa Events Company to plan their big day, and Asha Bailey photographed the event.

As the Hornes' wedding plans started to come together, they realized they would need to "make the rounds" if they had a large wedding, spending most of their day greeting their guests.

"Dan and I looked at each other at one point during the planning, and we were like, 'the last thing we want is to miss out on time with each other and our guests because we need to just go say hi,'" Leah said.

They decided to invite just 55 guests to their nuptials.

Leah and Dan's original wedding venue fell through after it was damaged in a mudslide, so they ended up selecting Wind & Sea Big Sur for their big day without ever seeing it in person.

"We just went by pictures, and honestly, Dan and I are a pretty lackadaisical and chill couple," Leah said. "We just trusted our wedding planner and we were like, 'we'll get married on the side of the road if we have to.'"

Luckily, the venue ended up being perfect for them.

The Hornes said their vows overlooking the ocean, and they stayed in the property's 3,000-square-foot home on their wedding night.

"I knew that I wanted something sparkly and flowy but still timeless," Leah said of her vision for her wedding dress.

Leah accompanied Dan on a work trip to Europe, and while he was working, she wandered into a bridal boutique where she saw a gown designed by Dylan Parienty in Paris. It was perfect.

The mermaid gown had a square-neckline, sheer sleeves, and it was covered in delicate sparkles. Ruffles covered the skirt, which flowed into a train.

The sleeves were embroidered with interlocking strips of sparkly embellishments.

"I wanted to feel sparkly and magical, and that's how that dress made me feel," Leah said of how she knew the gown was right for her.

Leah paired the look with a long veil, and she did her own hair and makeup so she was only with her nearest and dearest as she got ready.

"I wanted it to feel like I was getting ready with my friends before I went out type vibe," Leah said.

"He was like, 'I don't care if we do it on the beach or at a venue, but I need to definitely bring the James Bond vibes,'" Leah said of Dan's approach to his wedding day look.

Richards Bespoke designed the tuxedo.

"I wanted flowers everywhere," Leah said of her vision for the ceremony. "I definitely wanted the ceremony white and elegant."

"We made sure that there were only white flowers and greenery where the ceremony happened," she added of the flowers, which Mariposa Events Company provided.

The oversized arrangements lined the aisle, while they didn't put flowers at the front so the ocean was clearly visible as they said their vows.

"During the ceremony and reception, there were whales," Leah said. "Our guests saw like seven to 10 whales along the ocean, which was just added to the magic factor."

Dan and Leah chose whimsical decor at the reception inspired by their time in Greece.

"We picked out these emerald green, see-through plates, and the place cards were lemons with people's names on it," Leah said.

Arrangements of wildflowers completed the tablescapes, and they added disco balls to the area to solidify the party vibe.

"We wanted it to just be magic," Leah said of the decor. "We do things a little like funky and off the beaten path, but we also wanted it to be composed and elegant and timeless."

Because their wedding was smaller, Dan and Leah wanted there to be a sense of camaraderie and fun between guests, which they thought of as a summer camp energy.

For instance, they added touches to their decor that were camp inspired, like baby pools full of drinks inside of a canoe.

They also had a welcome cocktail hour the night before the wedding near a river, and guests could dip there feet in while they mingled.

Jerseys with "Horne" and the number 23, the year they got married, were waiting on Dan and Leah's chairs at the reception, giving them a memento from the day.

The staff from Mariposa Events Company wore jerseys too, which was extra fun because they provided all the staff for the event.

"Our wedding planner's husband was the DJ, and they were the chefs and they were the coordinators," Leah told Insider of their DJ, DJ Hummus. "They actually played every role, which was mind blowing and just miraculous really."

The Hornes told Insider that having a small staff made it feel even more intimate.

"No one that didn't need to be was there if that makes sense," Leah said.

Leah's best friend Alicia Frazer designed the reception dress, which made it all the more special.

The short dress had sheer sleeves, and the neckline was lined with daisy embellishments. Floral appliqué with subtle sparkles covered the bodice, accenting her first dress perfectly.

The Hornes made sure their wedding reception felt like them.

"Dan and I created every playlist for every moment of that day," Leah said, so they loved every song that played at their wedding.

They also customized the wedding by having a small wedding cake and providing assorted desserts for their other guests, and their goody bags contained edibles.

The reception made Leah and Dan even more grateful they kept their guest list small.

"It was just relieving to be honest," Dan said. "We got to enjoy more time with each other,more intimate time with our friends and family that came, and it was just, in my opinion, a better experience than having limited amount of face time with 300 people."

"It was just Dan and I, and it felt so organic," Leah said of the shoot with Bailey. "The way that she shoots and photographs, I feel like her clients don't know that she's there."

They loved that taking photos gave them intimate moments with each other throughout their busy day.

"That was a way for Dan and I to disappear for a minute even though we were getting our pictures done," Leah said.

"After the wedding, our planner actually stuck around and set up the house for us," Leah said.

Their planner set up star lamps throughout the home and prepared fresh mac and cheese as a late night snack.

"It was wild sitting there in this dress that my best friend made, eating mac and cheese with my husband, and you could hear the sea lions literally out on the rock which was wild," Leah went on to say.

Their planner also prepared baths for the Hornes the day after the wedding in Wind & Sea Big Sur's outdoor tubs to ensure they were totally relaxed after their big day.

"It's not like families get together a lot, especially if you're spread out across the US," Dan said. "The wedding went along with Leah's and I's desire to travel, and we got everyone into one spot and everyone had their own adventure just getting there."

The intimate wedding allowed everyone to really spend time together, and the Hornes said some of their guests planned a family reunion after bonding at the wedding.

"It just spoke to the moment of intimacy and connection," Dan said.

"I love how honest and raw and unapologetic we both are with each other, and I love how I can have fun with Dan," Leah said of her relationship with her husband. "Everything is fun. Going to the grocery store is even fun."

"Leah's love and compassion for everyone around her is something I fell in love with very early on," Dan said of his wife. "I had never met anyone like Leah before."