Chacha and Matt married in the company of their immediate family and a few best friends, with some family joining virtually, as was too common in the first year of the COVID pandemic. It was moving to see how every part of the day had been thoughtfully envisioned and prepared with such care, despite the limitations that allowed only a handful of their dearest in attendance.
The early winter day began with a walk at a nearby redwood grove that was an extension of Chacha's childhood home. Grove of Old Trees is a hidden gem, tucked away on a narrow rural road in the middle of a forested neighborhood. It's a small privately owned (but publicly accessible and free to all) preserve of old-growth coastal redwood, which I happily discovered on this day and highly recommend to anyone traveling near Sebastopol!
After getting themselves ready and setting up the patio of her parent’s house, they began their Jewish ceremony in perfect unison with nature. It started raining the moment they walked under the chuppah, but they weren’t deterred in the slightest. In my experience, rain makes wedding days even more magical. They embraced the rain, ducking under an umbrella with their Rabbi when it really started pouring, radiating joy throughout.
One image from the day that has stayed with me is a spontaneous kiss before cutting their cake, with masks dangling from their ears… a tender reminder of their perseverance and a mark of that unimaginable time.
Tip: if you’re looking for a wedding venue in Sebastopol that has a backyard feel, check out Olive Oaks or the nearby Secret Gardens
BEHIND-THE-SCENES ♡ pre-ceremony location: Grove of Old Trees ~ wedding location: Sebastopol ~ photography: Rachelle Derouin [p.s. If you're planning a wedding in Sebastopol, contact me and I’d be happy to share more about my experience there!]
