Tell us a little about yourselves!
Luke and I met almost three years ago at a photoshoot. Luke is a photographer and was asked by our mutual friend to come help her on this shoot she was putting together. I happened to be modeling at the shoot, and Luke and I connected. Four months and several rejections later, we started dating. We knew pretty early on that we were going to get married.
We just recently moved from southern to northern California, where Luke is working in Film and photography and I am pursuing a career in fashion styling.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Since before we even got engaged, Luke and I had talked about getting married in Italy. Unfortunately though, due to pandemic restrictions , we decided we had to change our plan to something more local. We looked over almost every location in California, until we came across the most perfect European style estate called Retreat to the Farm, just outside my hometown of Sacramento. It felt like we were in the countryside of Italy and immediately knew this was the place for us.
How many guests did you have?
We had 60 guests at our wedding.
Tell us about your outfits.
My ceremony dress was a simple, silk gown designed by Jenny Yoo. I carried a small bouquet of white spray roses and was wrapped in a baby’s breath garland which was inspired by the beautiful floral garlands and crowns in the Rodarte spring/summer 2018 fashion show. I accessorized with a beautiful pair of strappy Jimmy Choo heels and dangly freshwater pearl earrings.
My reception dress was my absolute dream dress. I wore a linen Jacquemus gown from the summer 2021 collection. Jaqcuemus is both mine and Luke’s favourite designer, so wearing him felt emotional and sentimental and so so right.
Luke wore a black double breasted suit by DSquared2. He also wore classic black Gucci loafers and a loose, droopy bow tie made for him by his mother out of ribbon.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We knew that we wanted our wedding to feel intimate, like a family dinner. To us, this translated as one long dinner table for all of the guests, us at the center.
Another thing we knew we wanted to have was a champagne tower. It felt opulent and exciting, and we knew it would be so much fun. It ended up being our favourite part of the reception.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
When I was 13, I read about Kate Moss’s all white wedding in a spread in Vogue. To this day, the details of the wedding make me swoon; it felt elegant yet whimsical, and totally and completely timeless. I was mesmerized. I knew right then that I would follow the same theme at my own wedding, having my bridal party join me in wearing white.
I also wanted to incorporate my Russian heritage into the wedding, so dinner was followed by tea and a traditional Russian layered honey cake called Medovik from Irina's Pastries.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Our florist, Jessica Botsyan, just started her floral business this year, and we were her first ever wedding. It's actually hard to believe that that is true. She is so talented and knowledgeable. She really made our floral dreams come true.
Our photographer, Malorie Kerouac, was another vendor who made our day so so special. Since Luke is a film photographer, it was so important to us to find someone with the same approach to wedding photos. We loved that Malorie focused so much on candid moments and truly managed to capture the feeling of our wedding.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?
Remember why you're doing this! When plans change (as they inevitably will) and you feel stressed, remember that the only thing that actually matters is that you get to marry the love of your life. Be flexible. It’s easy to let the pressure of your wedding get between you, but knowing you're on the same team and choosing to prioritize non-wedding related time together is so important.
Photographer : Malorie Kerouac @maloriekerouac | Videographer : Ezra Nelson @ezra.nelson | Ceremony and Reception Location : Retreat to the Farm, Walnut Grove, CA @retreattothefarm | Celebrant : Golibe Omenaka Personal pastor/friend @the_golibe | Entertainment : John Thompson - Net Sound Pro @netsoundpro | Planning + Styling : Simona Simonyan @sam_simonyan | Flora : Jessica Botsyan @jessicabotsyan | Makeup : Lily Funk @scarletlily_ | Hair : Rosie Thompson @_fryyyy_ | Catering + Beverages : Sacramento Catering Collective @sacramento.catering.collective | Cake : Irina Beliy @irinas_pastries | Stationery : Papier @papier | Ceremony Dress : Jenny Yoo @jennyyoonyc | Reception Dress : Jacquemus @jacquemus | Suit : DSquared2 @dsquared2 | Rings : Kinn Studio @kinnstudio | Shoes : Jimmy Choo heels (Simona) + Gucci loafers (Luke) | Earrings : Freshwater pearl earrings | Wedding Party Attire : Silk Maison @silkmaison