Stephanie and Matt’s love and happiness were due to the brilliant matchmaking of a mom, an aunt and a manicurist friend that prompted a blind date at Coffee Bean in 2005. Their caffeinated spark led to 4.5 years of dating and a proposal was inevitable. Stephanie arrived home one afternoon, opened the front door, and saw that the hallway was lined with red and pink rose petals and tea light candles. Steph found Matt on one knee with ring in hand and a gorgeous bouquet of red, yellow and pink roses behind him with a bottle of champagne. After Matt said some beautiful words and asked Steph to marry him, she noticed the camera that was set-up on the fireplace that captured the entire proposal! But the fun wasn’t finished yet: Matt had another surprise. As a kid, Matt used to write adorable poems and Steph always wondered why she never received one of these masterpieces, so he asked the graphic designer at his office to help with an illustration of their first date at Coffee Bean in the style of one of Matt’s favorite poets, Shel Silverstein. He then had it framed with a poem about their first date below the illustration and he proceeded to read it aloud to Steph. Afterward, she glanced down at her newly-jeweled hand and realized her nails were not looking too hot. Matt, quickly responded with “That’s okay, you have a 5:30 manicure appointment!” So Steph went from prettying up her digits to a dinner with Matt and a surprise visit for drinks by her parents at her favorite restaurant.
Their story is magical, so it’s no surprise that their wedding day followed suit. Personal touches sprinkled all over the wedding: Stephanie’s mom hand-knit shawls for months prior to the wedding for guests to wear in case they were chilly during the outdoor ceremony. The programs also contained the Seven Blessings so that during the ceremony, Steph & Matt could turn to the audience to have these blessing bestowed upon them by all of their loved ones. They were also able to tie in several generations, by topping the flower-filled chuppah with Stephanie’s grandfather’s tallit. The ring she used for the ceremony was her great grandfather’s. They used Matt’s father’s tallit to cover them during the rabbi’s blessing and they also drank wine from their own bar and bat mitzvah kiddush cups. Stephanie wore the same veil her sister wore during her wedding, and her garter was made from pieces of her grandmother’s wedding dress and her mother’s veil.
It’s easy to see in the pictures that a sweet story, family members, and two people in love created a beautiful wedding day.
Mazel tov, Stephanie and Matt!
Venue – Skirball Cultural Center
Photographer – Kim Fox
Floral Design – Flora by Fauna
Band – Debois Entertainment
Cake – Cake Crumbs
Rabbi – Rabbi Ken Chasen
Makeup – Kelsey Deenihan
Ketubah – Gallery Judaica
Kippot – Simcha Centre
Jeweler – Jonny Ritz & Company, Inc.
TV Monitors – AV Masters
Rentals – Luna Party Rentals
Bridal Dress – Pebbles Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses – Renee Strauss
Chocolate Fountain – Amor Chocolate Fountains
Candy Station – Custom Candy Buffet Bars
