Desiree Barnett and Joel Ides

Desiree Barnett and Joel Ides both work for the HBO cable network, so it’s no surprise that their Oct. 8 wedding had the magic of an Emmy-caliber production.

“It was beautiful beyond our expectations,” Barnett said. “It was like a wonderland ... like ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’”

Barnett, 26, who coordinates events and awards for the network,and Ides, 34, a video editor, were married at the Orcutt Ranch in West Hills. The setting was transformed into an exquisite fantasy world. There was a gazebo resembling an enormous birdcage, trees illuminated by small lanterns and topiaries graced with lifelike butterflies made of brilliantly colored fabric. As the couple walked down the aisle, the 120 guests tossed rose petals of orange, yellow and pink.

“I remember this blur of color coming at me,” Ides said. “It was like a Flaming Lips concert.”

Like every great romance, there’s a backstory here. The Santa Monica couple first met at HBO in 2007. They flirted, but Ides, wary of an office romance, invited her to a movie with a group of friends — then couldn’t even sit next to her because another guy got there first. After the film, everyone went out for sushi. Feelings between Ides and Barnett warmed up over sake, then the group moved on to a friend’s apartment. It wasn’t until the others left and their host fell asleep that the couple found themselves alone.

After that night, “We really didn’t want to be apart from each other,” Ides said. “She just felt like the right person to be with.”

The proposal, however, ran into production difficulties. Ides wanted to pop the question the day before Valentine’s Day 2009 at Leo Carrillo State Beach. “Poor guy,” said Barnett. “We were driving up the coast and it started to pour.”

They spent the night in Solvang. The next day, the ring was burning a hole in Ides’ pocket as he scouted locations to propose. He drove from one winery to another, but they were crowded with tourists. He finally reached the breaking point: In a winery parking lot, in his Honda Civic, he presented the ring. Not ideal, but, said Barnett, “It did the job.”

The couple wrote their own vows for their wedding, officiated by Mary Jean Valente of A Ceremony of the Heart. Among the readings were a Chinese love poem, a passage from the Bible and an Apache marriage blessing.

“We wanted a ceremony that was all inclusive and incorporated many diverse cultures,” Barnett said. “Everyone feels the same way about love.”

— Maxine Nunes, Custom Publishing Writer