How did COVID-19 affect your wedding?
Many couples had postponed their weddings that would have taken place during the pandemic, so when we started planning our wedding there was artificially high demand for wedding venues and vendors. With that in mind, we had to book vendors early and work in the higher prices for vendors and venues into our budget.
How did you meet?
On a whim, Natasha hopped on a bus headed from NYC to Boston to spend a weekend there and that night met Bobby outside of a nightclub after a night out. The two immediately clicked and started dating, going back and forth between Boston and New York before moving in together in Cambridge and later moving across the country to the Bay Area.
When did you get engaged, and how?
April 2021, Bobby invited Natasha to go on a sunset stroll along the beach in L.A. during a trip to visit family. On the beach, after looking out at the water talking about the journey of the relationship, he got down on one knee and proposed with an heirloom ring from his grandmother.
#WeddingGoals
Both lovers of the forest and our life in the magical Bay Area, and with many of our family and friends coming from out of town, we really wanted to be outdoors amongst the redwoods. When we stepped foot in The Family Farm venue with its ceremony amphitheater within a grove of massive, stunning redwoods, there was no way we could have our wedding anywhere else. It surpassed our expectations and just happened to be 10 minutes away from where we lived!
How did planning go?
The planning was mostly smooth as we set a date far enough ahead so we’d have plenty of time to plan. We planned most of the wedding shortly after the engagement, however, the tricky part came when we had to postpone our wedding from the fall until the spring. We were nervous about losing any of our amazing vendors but fortunately everyone was able to accommodate our new date!
What was the biggest challenge of wedding planning?
The biggest challenge was balancing wanting to please everyone with staying true to the vision we had for the day. We had so many people coming from far away, so we wanted to make their trip worth their while. The constant cost vs. vision debate was also tough.
How would you describe the ceremony? Was there anything specific that made it unique to you as a couple?
The ceremony took place in a small redwood grove with towering, beautiful trees. The couple stood under an arch of flowers with their bridesmaids and groomsmen surrounding them. The groom’s uncle officiated with the bride’s mother and brother reciting traditional Jewish blessings over the couple. The groom had once said that our relationship was strong and “robust” like a redwood tree and here we were getting married amidst the very trees that we’d used to symbolize our relationship.
Any memorable moments from your reception? Toasts? Fun dances? Performances?
Some of our most memorable moments from the reception included Natasha’s sister’s tear-jerking speech, the best man’s story of his first time hearing from Bobby about Natasha and first time hanging out with us together as a couple, and Natasha’s swing dance with her brother to Nina Simone’s My Baby Just Cares for Me.
Did you have any special cultural features to your wedding or factors that celebrated the heritage of you or your family?
Our Jewish heritage and culture were honored with the bride’s family reciting Jewish blessings over the couple during the ceremony and kicking off the dancing portion of the evening with Hava Nagila.
Any funny or unexpected wedding moments that happened throughout the day?
Unexpectedly Natasha was unable to switch shoes in time for her swing dance with her brother so ended up doing the entire dance barefoot, which made it all the more fun!
Best Part of the Day
Natasha: The best part of the day was reciting our vows and the wave of emotions that washed over us as we promised to be together forever and walked out hand in hand.
Bobby: The best part of the day for me was the first look. It was such an adrenaline rush seeing my beautiful bride beaming up at me – it made me so happy.
Natasha’s Favorite Detail
Our beautiful floral centerpieces that captured the springtime romantic whimsical feeling we were going for.
Looking back, what do you think your guests will remember most about your wedding?
The magical venue along with the overall good spirit and joy in the air throughout our wedding. Being amongst the redwoods for the ceremony and dining under the trees is something they could only experience in the Bay Area.
What tips or advice would you give to couples planning their wedding today?
Start early! And make sure to work in miscellaneous expenses into your budget and/or make your budget more comprehensive than we did from the get go. One thing I heard throughout the process, is that it’s going to end up costing more than you expect – which was very true, so try to work those small costs into the budget early on.
What would you have done differently, if you had the chance?
Being health and fitness obsessed, we purchased Oura smart rings as our wedding bands, but shortly after the wedding decided to swap them out for traditional, classic wedding bands. If we were to go back, we’d have gone with the classic wedding bands to begin with. 😉
#VendorRaves
Our photographers, Madelynn and Amari from Foot Candles Photography, brought such amazing, calming, and positive energy throughout the whole day, and truly delivered with their amazing photographs. I would (and do) recommend them to everyone I know.
