We had no idea when we met the delightful couple in the general admission area of a San Jose Bruce Sringsteen concert that it would lead us months later, to an equally delightful wedding in the woods! Having given the couple a card and talked about weddings during the show we were pleased and surprised when Bonita Hart Andrews, the fairer part of the couple, contacted us about a wedding she was coordinating,
Of course it is true that fans of the Boss share a lot of common values and tend to be cool, lol. Therefore in retrospect it should be no surprise that Nikki and Darren’s wedding was similarly wonderful. Bonita does a great job! I recommend you contact us for her info. One thing that particularly both impressed and dazzled us was the use of many many candles with electric tea lights, honoring the strict no candle rule while creating a really lovely and romantic candle-lit atmosphere anyway!
Stern Grove in December was a bit of an unknown proposition but the heavens cooperated- staying dry and not too too cold for the day. The woods were magical that day, and a shaft of light shone down on Nikki during her portraits before the ceremony. The ceremony, too, was lit in a fairy tale way set in the tall trees.
Love was the theme, love of a special kind- family love that had already been tested and found strong and lasting. During their six years together they had already added a darling little girl Madison to Nikki’s sweet daughter Alyssa so that it was truly a family getting married that day. Madison and her cousin Audrey were flowers girls, and Alyssa proudly gave her Mom away. Their vows were incredibly moving , and refreshing in their honesty about the sometimes difficult path that had brought them to that day, the work they had put in to their relationship, and on a lighter note, her promise not to rub it in when his college football team loses and his promise to make her coffee every day and never make her learn to grill a steak.
They were surrounded by loving family and friends and even more unusually- not only is Alyssa’s father a good friend and part of their extended family- but he was the DJ! His girlfriend was a guest,his sister a bridesmaid, his parents attended- truly this couple knows how to make family and friendship an abiding principle to live by.
The reception atmosphere was totally dominated by the big crackling fire that filled in the spaces with warmth wherever love did not already do that. After a really delicious meal by Small Thymes Catering , as well a beautiful and yummy cake by Ellen Johnson at Yumm , that very DJ Alex Merino with Spintronix kept the place rocking and rolling. What better way to celebrate a family come together in love and commitment in this way but to dance? And dance dance dance they did.
Congratulations NIkki and Darren! Thank you for including us in your day.
