Sarah Hancock framed her marriage to Matthew Conaghan around family heritage and California style, holding the ceremony on May 2, 2026 at the house her great-grandmother built in the 1950s in Santa Barbara. The couple tasked planners Jolene Peterson and Mariah Burke of Laurel & Rose with producing a weekend that balanced what Hancock calls "timeless California sophistication with a coastal sensibility," and the result centred hospitality and personal history.
The Story in Pictures
Their relationship began by chance in Santa Monica. Sarah says they first connected through extended social circles, and on July 25, 2023 they literally crossed paths on the sidewalk. She stopped him and asked, "Are you Mattie? I've heard we're supposed to meet!" The pair traded numbers and fell into close company after time spent together, including a padel day by the beach arranged by Sarah’s brother Charles. Their bond deepened quickly; Mattie later wrote that after one evening he knew Sarah would be in his life forever.
The proposal followed during an Easter trip to San Ysidro Ranch in 2025. While wandering the property, Mattie presented matchboxes from restaurants that marked stages of their relationship, then knelt and asked for Sarah’s hand. She describes the moment as both surprising and overwhelmingly emotional.
For the wedding weekend the couple leaned into family references across fashion and programming. Sarah worked closely with her mother, interior designer Emily Hancock, who she calls a collaborative partner in the planning process. The bride, who has a background in hospitality, made service and food priorities; she recalls telling her planners, "I didn't want anyone hunting for a drink, wondering where the hors d'oeuvres were, or searching for a server," and insisted the food be excellent.
Clothing choices traced three generations. For the rehearsal and other events, Sarah borrowed cues from her mother’s style, a polka-dot sendoff, a large bow for the welcome party at the Valley Club of Montecito, and tailored adaptations from designers including Kevan Hall, Kamperett, WoolHouse, Proenza Schouler, and Manolo Blahnik. Aaron Henry, a Los Angeles jeweler who also helped design her engagement ring, supplied custom pieces.
For the ceremony she selected a silk-wool gown by Danielle Frankel, a strapless A-line with an inner corset, tulle layering and a neck wrap. "The moment I tried it on, I felt like Grace Kelly," Sarah says. Throughout, the wedding fused personal family touches with a restrained coastal elegance that anchored the weekend in place and memory.
