Love Stories

Love Stories

Whether beneath towering redwoods in Mendocino County or in a tropical Hawaiian garden, these couples’ wedding day celebrations were a perfect reflection of their lives together.

BY LOTUS ABRAMS

Moli’i Gardens, Kaneohe, HI, June 10, 2022

James Rubio, jamesrubiophotography.com

Aaron Singer and Saskia Thompson

What started out as friendship eventually blossomed into love for Saskia Thompson, a paralegal, and Aaron Singer, owner of Seaplane and Aero Adventures in Sausalito, and part-owner of the Commodore Seaplane Base and Heliport property — where the couple met by chance walking along a path. When it came time for the couple to select a wedding venue after getting engaged on the bow of a ship in the Caribbean Sea however, there was no doubt in their minds about where they wanted to tie the knot. “We knew from the beginning that we wanted to get married in Hawaii, because of its unbelievable beauty,” Saskia says.

Aaron and Saskia chose the Moli’i Gardens site at Kualoa Ranch, located on Oahu, for its idyllic scenery that includes a historical fishpond and two-tiered garden setting that allowed the ceremony and reception to take place in same location, but still feel distinct. The couple’s 65 guests traveled from California, as well as Oklahoma, Florida, New York, Colorado and even Jamaica to celebrate the big day, which incorporated a number of different cultural traditions, including the blowing of a conch shell, the Jewish custom of breaking a glass and a reading of “Zeke’s Poem (I am).” Another thing that made the day special for the couple was having their friends and family participate in the ceremony. “Our officiant, Tanya Smith, is a close friend and was on the path the day we met — she was the perfect wing woman!” Aaron says. “My daughters, Samantha and Amelia, and Saskia’s brother, PJ, read a poem my son had written when he was 12. Saskia’s best friend sang a Whitney Houston song during the ceremony. The village totally surrounded us.”

Details

Venue: Kualoa Ranch – Moli’i Gardens, kualoa.com/molii-gardens; Event Planning and Design: Sandra Williams, Finishing Touch Hawaii, finishingtouchhawaii.com; Catering: Memoirs Hawaii, memoirshawaii.com; Photography: James Rubio, jamesrubiophotography.com; Floral: Sweet Pea & Petunia, sweetpeapetunia.com; Rentals: Pacific Party Rentals, pacificpartyrentals.net, and Aloha Artisans, alohaartisans.com; Dress: Eve of Milady, eveofmiladybridals.com; Hair and Makeup: Joanna Lee, @joleeartistry; Music: Island Kings Band, hawaiianwedding.band; Invitations: Serendipity Beyond Designs, serendipitybeyonddesign.com

Stable Café, San Francisco, September 4, 2022

Jenny Morgan, Oh Happy Dawn, ohhappydawnphotography.com

Elizabeth Marken Fiorentino and Jon Gubman

As they pledged their commitment to each other at the Stable Café in San Francisco, Elizabeth Marken Fiorentino and Jon Gubman were surrounded by an intimate group of 75 family and friends that included their grown children, making the day especially memorable. Their two sets of kids walked them down the aisle, and Liz’s niece officiated the ceremony. “One bonus of a second marriage is that your children, nieces and nephews can celebrate with you,” Liz says. “They have a unique perspective, and all spoke with sentiment and humor about how Jon has changed me — for the better!”

The couple had their first date at a restaurant in San Mateo, where Jon lived and Liz worked, and although they weren’t initially expecting a connection, it didn’t take long after they started dating for them to realize that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. The couple got engaged at Butterfly Beach in Santa Barbara, and then searched for a casual venue that would reflect their lifestyle and native California heritage — they’re 4th and 5th generation Californians. “The Stable has a beautiful courtyard with eclectic décor, succulents and native plants,” says Jon, who grew up in Mill Valley. “Once we visited, we knew it would be where we would hold our wedding.” The venue was booked solid, but had one day open, the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend. With only four months to plan, the couple had to move quickly. Once the day arrived, everything came together perfectly. “The food was outstanding, the flowers beautifully merged with the décor, and the DJ kept everyone moving,” Liz says. “Jon seamlessly merged with my world early, and it was nice to have everyone I love together.”

Liz with her daughters.

Details

Venue: Stable Café, stablecafe.com; Photography: Jenny Morgan, Oh Happy Dawn, ohhappydawnphotography.com; Videography: Christopher Bollini; Floral: Ampersand, ampersandsf.com; Dress: Nili Lotan, nililotan.com Groom’s Suit: J. Crew; Music: Santa Cruz DJ Company, santacruzdj.com; Invitations: A Day in May, adayinmay.com

The Palace of Fine Arts and The Golden Gate Club, San Francisco, May 27, 2022

Leona Photography, leonaphoto.com

Jeremy Lynch and Abram Cortez

It wasn’t until their wedding day that Jeremy Lynch paid Abram Cortez back the $20 in cash he had borrowed from him when they first met waiting in line outside the End Up bar in San Francisco, a symbolic reminder of the night that brought them together. Jeremy and Abram both recall when they knew they wanted to commit their lives to one another. For Abram, it was early on, when he had to rush Jeremy to the hospital after he had a severe allergic reaction to walnuts, and for Jeremy it was when he brought him to meet his family at the cabin his great-grandfather built in Vail, which is also where he ultimately proposed on New Year’s Eve of 2019. “I knew if Abram could navigate my crazy family, he was the one!” Jeremy says.

They initially planned to get married in Napa or Sonoma, but had to change their plans due to Covid-19, and several fires. Not wanting to delay their plans any further, they decided to celebrate their wedding on their home turf in San Francisco, choosing the Palace of Fine Arts for the ceremony and the Golden Gate Club for the reception. The day proved worth the wait as they pledged their love to each other in front of 100 guests who hailed from Mexico, London, Costa Rica, and cities across the country and California. The ceremony, co-officiated by the couples’ two best friends, and reception celebrated their families’ mutual Mexican heritage — a mariachi band played Abram’s grandmother’s and mother’s favorite songs, and Jeremy added some words in Spanish to his vows. In the end, the magical day was as it was meant to be. “It was perfect and turned out to be more than we could have dreamed of from the beginning,” Abram says.

Details

Venue: The Golden Gate Club, wedgewoodweddings.com/goldengateclub; Event Planning and Design: Wedgewood Weddings, wedgewoodweddings.com; Photography: Leona Photography, leonaphoto.com; Videography: Inspired By Studio, inspiredbystudio.com; Floral: Rosedale Floral Design, rosedalefloraldesign.com; Grooms’ Suits: Giorgio Armani, armani.com

The Brambles and The Madrones, Philo, August 21, 2022

Jojo Legnitto Photography, jojolegnitto.com

Nurit Sarah Rafael and Brewster Jack Ludwig

When Nurit Rafael and Brewster Ludwig had to cancel the “dream wedding” she had planned in Mexico in November 2021 after the Covid-19 Delta strain hit and her father’s health had been compromised by cancer, the couple put their plans on hold to regroup. “We had more than 130 guests booked at the Hyatt, along with everyone’s flights booked, but it was an easy decision to make in respect to my father,” Nurit says. Then, fate — or rather James Roberts and Brian Adkinson, owners of The Madrones and The Brambles in Philo — stepped in to help. Roberts and Adkinson, who also own a cannabis brand sold by Nurit’s Marin County-based cannabis delivery company ONA, generously offered up The Brambles property for their wedding venue. The site, set in a fairytale-like redwood grove, turned out to be the perfect location for the couple’s celebration, and it was worth the wait. “We both love the style of the venue being Victorian-meetsindustrial steampunk, and their slogan ‘come for the wine, stay for the weed,’” Nurit says. “We could be our true, authentic selves at this location.”

Nurit planned the entire wedding for 130 guests herself, and every detail reflected the Tiburon-based couples’ shared life and personal passions. During the interfaith ceremony, the couple walked down the aisle atop Persian carpets from Nurit’s father’s collection, received the seven Jewish blessings from Nurit’s father and a protection prayer in Spanish delivered by Brewster’s mother; Brewster also broke a glass in the Jewish tradition. After the ceremony, the festival party vibe lasted all night, with a DJ playing classics, as well a global mix of music from Panama, Israel and Iran, on the dance floor under a custom disco ball installation created by friends; photo booth and bar trailers; a rose petal toss; confetti poppers; bubble guns; ribbon wands; a henna and bling bar; an afterparty in a yellow school bus; and of course, cannabis on offer for those who wanted to partake. “I never even saw the bar at my wedding or went in the photo booth though,” Nurit says. “I was on the dance floor the entire night. It was the best day of my life.”

Details

Venue: The Brambles and The Madrones, themadrones.com; Photography: Jojo Legnitto Photography, jojolegnitto.com; Videography: NB Media+, Nicholas Bernett, nbmediaplus.com; Floral: The Boonville Flower Farm (Coordinated by The Boonville Hotel, boonvillehotel.com); bridal bouquet was from the rose garden at The Madrones; Hair and Makeup: Ella Leyva, ellaleyva.com; Music: DJ TonyTone, djtonytone.net; Bar: Mendocino Outland, mendocinooutland.com; Photo Booth: Penny & Co, pennyandco.net; Catering: Sonoma County Catering, sonomacountycatering. com, and Lilac and Lime Catering, lilacandlimecatering.com

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