Forget Cutting the Cake. They Made Each Other ‘First Martinis’ Beneath the Redwoods Instead.
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For fine artist Sarah and cinematographer Steven whose roots stretch from Los Angeles to Napa home ultimately proved to be the most meaningful destination of all. Though they first crossed paths at Cadet a wine bar in Steven’s Napa hometown their story traces back to Sarah’s time living in Los Angeles, the city where many of her closest friends still reside and the backdrop for one of the most thoughtful proposals imaginable.
Before getting down on one knee Steven arranged what Sarah describes as a series of spontaneous reunions with her favorite people. “Knowing how much she was missing her people, Steven took her on a surprise trip to Los Angeles and arranged a series of ‘casual’ encounters with some of her closest friends—a thoughtful move that made Sarah feel very loved and very seen.” The proposal itself unfolded at Bar Flores in Echo Park after an abandoned plan involving a live podcast taping. “It was there on the brick patio that he got down on one knee.”
A Proposal Rooted in Los Angeles and Napa
When it came time to plan the celebration the couple approached the process with instinct and trust rather than a detailed blueprint. “We wanted a place that had the ‘summer camp’ vibe of a destination wedding without actually going too far away,” they say. “Since we’re both native Northern Californians… it felt right to keep it close to home.”
Planning a Northern California Celebration in the Redwoods
They found that at The Stavrand in Guerneville, a recommendation from one of Sarah’s oldest friends who also officiated the ceremony. The unity between the region their community and their creative collaborators shaped everything. “We made most of the decisions based on people and places that just felt right,” the couple says—“the whole wedding was basically an exercise in that.”
Planner Kendra Nixon of Nomad Nixon became in their words the architect of the day. When asked how they approached planning the day the couple replies: “Short answer: we didn’t. Kendra did.”
A One of One Chartreuse Bridal Look
Sarah known among her friends for “turning a look” ultimately turned to someone who had known her since her Napa art-school days: designer Kelsey Randall. “Kelsey basically reached directly into Sarah’s brain and pulled out this gown in what Sarah calls a ‘beautifully disgusting’ chartreuse green… It’s truly one-of-one, extremely ‘Sarah’ and worlds better than any off-the-rack wedding dress we looked at.” She paired it with an eight-foot organza bow from Kamperett—an irreverent sculptural counterpoint to the redwood grove backdrop.
Traditions Reimagined for a Russian River Valley Wedding
Rather than follow convention Sarah and Steven rewrote rituals to reflect what mattered most to them. “We are both lovers of tradition but our own personal ones that have specific meaning and value to us,” the couple tells us.
When the heirloom rug that Sarah’s family uses at every wedding didn’t make it to the venue her aunt and siblings braided embroidery thread together at the last minute to create a symbolic stand-in—“a ‘mini-rug’ to keep the tradition.”
Instead of cutting a cake the couple chose a ritual that felt more like them: “we made each other our first martinis as a married couple.” They toasted guests with vintage glassware sourced from Barkeeper in Silver Lake—a nod to Sarah’s former Los Angeles neighborhood.
Both walked down the aisle with both of their parents, a choice they say honored family while removing “the icky patriarchal element.”
Dinner Party Atmosphere Under the Redwood Canopy
Their vision for the celebration was clear: “We wanted it to feel like the world’s best backyard dinner party with friends: a little bit of intense emotion, lots of love, great food, new friends, a little too much wine.” Long tables wound through the trees dressed in sculptural florals by Napa-based Hana Floral Studio.
Chef Nick Balla, who catered the wedding, served a menu that ended with his signature bay leaf vanilla soft-serve—a full-circle moment given his longstanding connection to Steven’s family.
The couple greeted guests as they arrived choosing presence over pageantry. “It was so fun to watch everyone come in,” they recall, “and it didn’t take an ounce of magic or impact away from the aisle moment.”
Film Photography That Captured the Redwoods Setting
When selecting their photographer the couple applied their same approach as they did for the rest of their vendors. “We made most of the decisions based on people and places that just felt right,” they say. “We didn’t want to be overly prescriptive with details” and, both creatives themselves, they tell us, “we firmly believe in finding talented people and letting them do their thing.”
Photographer Taylor Mosby—whom they selected after giving in their own words an “incredibly vague description” of their vision—photographed the celebration on film, complementing the wedding’s intimate unfussy atmosphere as well as their artistic affinities. They describe her work as being “so much more than ‘just’ wedding photography.”
A spontaneous decision to add a first dance the day before the wedding became one of their most cherished memories. “It ended up being a really sweet moment… It feels like an invitation into our relationship, which is kind of the point of the wedding.”
A Northern California Beginning Surrounded by Chosen Family
For two people raised among redwoods vineyards and coastal air the Russian River Valley felt like a natural place to begin their married life. “Having both grown up in Northern California, there wasn’t a more idyllic setting than the redwoods and the Russian River Valley—it’s basically a combo of all the places that mean the most to us.”
Looking back they say the wedding distilled their shared philosophy: that the meaning of life is time spent with chosen family. “Throwing a big party with the people who mean the most to us was an experience neither of us will ever forget. We want to do it all over again every weekend.”
Vendors
Planning: Nomad Nixon
Photo: Taylor Mosby Photo
Venue: The Stavrand
Florals: Hana Floral Studio
Hair: Oh Snip Snip
Makeup: Alexa Javor
Dress: Kelsey Randall
Catering: Field Day Catering
Video: Aperture Media
DJ: Aaron Castle / Ceremony DJs
Rentals: Encore Events / The Oni Collection
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