The Bride Wore a Custom One Of Look for Her Elevated Backyard-Style Wedding in Ojai

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At a time when distance kept the world apart, Britni Sumida—a model, actress, and fitness instructor—found an unexpected connection with professional skateboarder Sean Malto. The two first met at a mutual friend's 51st birthday during the pandemic, where guests stood six feet apart on curbs in a parking lot. "It wasn't the most romantic situation," Sumida admits, but in that fleeting moment of cautious connections, she took matters into her own hands and broke the ice. "I got down on one knee and asked him to take a shot with me… of tequila." He refused but swiftly explained why. Malto had driven to the soirée, offering to give Sumida a lift to her car instead. "He says that's when he 'risked his life' to be with me because stranger danger during a global pandemic, but love knows no limits," she adds.

From that night on, the two became inseparable. Their relationship grew through a shared love of dive bars and the Kansas City Chiefs and, more importantly, through their family and friends. "Every day we get to spend time with each other is cherished, especially since we both travel a lot for work," Sumida says. And travel they did. For a skateboarding trip to Japan, Sumida had the opportunity to join Malto. Since she is half Japanese and had never visited the country, she had always dreamed of being fully immersed in her culture, and this was her chance. "I made the mistake of thinking we were getting engaged in Italy the year prior and felt slightly defeated when it didn't happen, so I told myself to put the expectation of a proposal on the back burner and focus on Japan and all of its beauty," she says.

After traveling from Tokyo, the couple arrived in Kyoto, checked into their hotel, and prepared for the evening. "I heard Sean pacing upstairs," she recalls. "He asked me to meet him on the second story to take a 'fit pic,' which is extremely out of character." Moments later, everything changed. "I agreed and posed next to him, and before I knew it, his arms fell to his sides, and suddenly, [he] dropped to one knee," she continues. "He asked me to spend the rest of my life with him, and I shouted 'Yesss!' I think everyone in the quiet town of Kyoto heard me. Sumimasen!"

When it came time to plan their wedding, the couple approached every decision with intention. They initially considered locations tied to their roots in Missouri and Arizona, but ultimately, Ojai, California, felt like the perfect choice. They previously stayed at the Capri Hotel, and its grounding, welcoming energy drew them back. "It's a place that didn't feel like his or mine. It felt like ours," Sumida shares. They set a date for October 1, 2025, and leaned into an "elevated backyard party" aesthetic. "Initially, I tried to force a springtime feel for our October wedding, influenced by other events, and I lost sight of what felt authentic to Sean and me," Sumida notes. "A month before the wedding, my amazing florist and coordinator, Brittany [Porter], helped me pivot. We traded the bright bunches of flowers designed for our reception tables for bud vases filled with a single red poppy and tea lights that gave the perfect orange glow throughout the evening." Read on to admire Sumida's two-in-one One Of look from LOHO bride and all the small but significant details that made their wedding incredibly meaningful and personal.

"My good friend and longtime makeup artist, Victoria McGrath, did the makeup for my wedding and engagement photos. I wanted to work with someone who knows my face like the back of their hand and would be a grounding energy to spend my morning with. She knows every minor to major detail about my face and skin, which made the entire experience so seamless. It felt like we were just hanging out."

"The [makeup] look we went for was natural and radiant. I wanted warm tones and flushed cheeks."

"Sean wore a custom brown suit from Alba and Gucci loafers. A black suit felt too serious, and white didn't fit the vibe, but all brown? Perfection."

"I gifted each of my best friends a hand-engraved compact mirror and curated at-home spa items so they could get ready with me."

A look at the back of the bride's dress.

WWW Weddings Tip: "Find a moment to ground yourself the morning of the wedding. You are about to have the best day of your life, and it goes by so quickly."

"As a girl who wears all black every day, trying to imagine myself in a white dress was difficult. I thought I knew what styles and silhouettes I liked, but once I was in that fitting room, it was a whole different ball game. Christy from LOHO Bride saw me struggle with talking myself in and out of a dress we both knew wasn't the one. She asked me to sleep on it and invited me to a bridal event they were putting on the following week. When I arrived at the event, I met the designer Patricia Voto from One Of. We immediately started chatting and hit it off. She invited me to meet and talk about creating a custom wedding dress together—easily the second-easiest yes of my life. Over the next eight months, we met on Zoom and flew back and forth between NY and L.A. to create my perfect dress."

WWW Weddings Tip: "The day flies by. Find little moments with your spouse and focus on the pieces that build a core memory—what you hear, smell, see. Otherwise, it's all over in the blink of an eye."

"I loved that Patricia's and Christy's teams listened to every 'what if' and 'I don't know' from me and reassured and guided me to my perfect dress. They even helped me find a beautiful off-white ivory that complemented my skin tone and wiped away any bridal imposter syndrome I was experiencing."

"[The dress] was a concoction of all of the many details I loved from every dress I tried before. I wanted a strapless, corseted bodice with boning that curved in toward my navel to accentuate my waist. We added subtle hip padding to add some more shape and drama to the silhouette. I wanted the top of the corset to feel airy to juxtapose the linear boning, so we added a sheer pleat. I knew I didn't want to wear a long gown all evening, so we created two bottoms: a long skirt with a puddled train and a miniskirt for the after-party."

Sumida and Malto pose with their friends.

WWW Weddings Tip: "Do an engagement shoot or a meet and greet with your wedding photographers before the big day. If you or your partner are camera shy, this is a game changer for your big day. Establishing a relationship with the people who are capturing will only create better photos."

Sumida and Malto pose around the Capri Hotel.

"We wanted every detail to complement the energy and essence of the venue, such as a beautiful backdrop that our good friend and set designer Seth Cook created. It caught the afternoon breeze, and the green-and-white flowers framed us as we said 'I do.' It also doubled as a projector screen during the reception."

"Instead of a flower girl, we had Nuge, the shot bearer. It was an epic pump fake."

Malto hugs the wedding officiant and his mother.

"When it was my turn, I had my best friend since seventh grade by my side. I walked down the aisle to a string version of Paramore's song 'The Only Exception' and tried my best to hold back tears. I really put the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray to the test."

"Waiting for me at the altar was the man of my dreams and the man that introduced us—ironically both named Sean. Sean B's birthday was where this all started, and he brought us into this next chapter. Such a beautiful full-circle moment."

WWW Weddings Tip: "Listen to your gut! An 'obvious' tip but so often overlooked when wedding pressure is added. If something or someone doesn't feel right, change it."

The bride and groom leave the ceremony and head to the reception.

"We have always loved Ojai and have spent the last three years celebrating our birthdays and anniversaries at the Capri Hotel. During our last trip before getting engaged, we were lounging by the pool (avoiding checkout) and both casually said the Capri would be the perfect place for a wedding. When it came time to pick a venue, it was a no-brainer."

"Our grand entrance was one of my favorite parts of the night: walking into the reception hand in hand with my husband while the dreamy 'Could Heaven Ever Be Like This' by Idris Muhammad played softly behind us. Then we did a little spin-dip moment, and the song changed to Mac Dre's 'Feelin' Myself' as Sean lifted me back up. We made our way to the sweetheart table—hugging and laughing with everyone on our way down."

"As much as the wedding was focused on Sean and myself, we really wanted the day to highlight and champion all of our friends and family that have been by our sides. We wouldn't be who or where we are without the community of incredible people around us."

"Essentially, we wanted an elevated backyard party. I didn't want anything to feel stuffy and too formal. We had long family-style dinner tables set up so that other rows could still mix and mingle. The centerpieces were minimal to avoid obstructing the view of the person across from you, and the lighting was dim and romantic. I opted for a giant tiramisu instead of a cake. Nothing is more upsetting than seeing a gorgeous cake untouched at the end of the night. No one can resist tiramisu, especially if it's made by Kelsey Brito at The Dutchess."

WWW Weddings Tip: "Gift your guests something they will keep or use throughout the wedding weekend. We made custom shirts that read 'I only party with the best' and custom matches that said 'Maltos 2025.'"

WWW Weddings Tip: "Expect and plan for the wedding to go into overtime when you're booking your venues, vendors, photographers, etc. I missed out on having the after-party [professionally] photographed, but trust—fun was had."

Photographers: Phil Chester and Sara Byrne
Men's Stylist: Misha Rudolph
Makeup Artist: Vix Mcgrath
Wedding Coordinator: Brittany Porter
Florist: Florstead Co.
Venue Décor Designer: Seth Emery Cook
Dessert Baker: The Dutchess

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