Good things come to those who wait, and no one knows this more than Andrea and Robert. After 15 laid-back and lovely years together, they decided that it was time to tie the knot. Down on one knee with their beloved dogs Spike and Isaac by his side, Rob asked for Ande’s hand in marriage.
All of those years together gave the couple a different perspective on the planning and preparation of their wedding. They decided to aim for easy and relaxed rather than formal and finicky. Given that Rob travels rather extensively for his job, Ande did the majority of planning herself. They both knew that a traditional wedding wouldn’t fit their style; instead, they planned a night of good food and good times with good friends.
Bucking tradition in favor of what felt right gave the duo’s wedding its own unique fingerprint. An elegant black-and-white-themed affair, the ceremony, held at The Park Ultra Lounge, was simple and sweet, followed by a fantastic reception with an urban-contemporary feel at Cafeteria 15L at The Park Downtown. The couple’s entire wedding was centered on celebrating with loved ones, not following the status quo. “Our wedding party was a mix of men and women on each side with our 18-year-old niece as the flower girl (we promised her when she was five years old and she remembered),” Rob says.
Yet, Ande and Rob wanted to make sure that they included a few traditions that they held dear to their hearts, such as a signed guest book and handmade favors for guests. It was also important to them that the Jewish tradition of the breaking of the glass be a part of their wedding ceremony. “Unfortunately, a piece of glass got in my shoe and cut my foot. As I was walking out after the ceremony I felt like my shoe was wet; I looked down and saw red drops,” Rob says. They passed on elements that they didn’t feel was a natural reflection of them, like the bouquet and garter toss, and chose to let their reception take on a free form flow.
The pair enjoyed the flexibility of their photographer as well. Though they made sure to snap a few portrait-style shots for their parents, they kept the rest of the shots whimsical and fun, employing the beauty of downtown Sacramento as their backdrop. Ande explains, “We wanted to capture something other than the standard ‘prom’-style picture.”
Looking back on the day, Ande feels their wedding complemented them perfectly.
“It wasn’t traditional, stuffy or overproduced,” she says. “It was just simple, fun and real.”
