Michael wore a classic Tom Ford tux with a peak lapel and patent Tom Ford shoes. The groom carried his grandfather Mike’s gold money clip in his pocket during the wedding ceremony. “They share the same initials of MR, and he loved his grandpa very much,” Lauren says. “One of the reasons Michael went into filmmaking was because of his memories of watching movies and TV shows with his grandpa.”
During the ceremony, both Lauren and Michael’s families gathered with them under the chuppah for the Jewish ceremony led by Rabbi Leder of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. “We used Michael’s father’s tallit and drank wine from both our parents’ kiddush cups—one was even from my parents’ wedding,” Lauren says. “It was an incredibly emotional ceremony with lots of crying. Luckily my dad, as always, was extremely prepared and had tissues for all of us to share.”
Mindy and Kathleen Deery Design created the green and white floral arrangements for the chuppah and the aisles. Lauren wanted the chuppah to feel “slightly overgrown, as if it belonged in a wild garden.”
“I felt calm during the ceremony,” the bride says. “I had been mentally preparing for a complete emotional breakdown, but when I held Michael’s hands during the ceremony, I knew everything would be OK. I had been nervous about writing and reading my own vows as I don’t love public speaking, but it was beautiful to say how I feel to Michael in front of our family and friends and I’m so glad we decided to do this.”
After the ceremony, the newlyweds took photos together. Then the bride’s dress was bustled, and they made their way to the reception. “When we walked in, the room went crazy, and we went directly into our first dance,” Lauren says. “It was so special and overwhelming to feel all the love in the room and hold each other for the first time. We quickly moved into our hora—which seemingly went viral—and is a testament to the fun and excitement that was palpable that night in the room. It certainly was an unexpected tone setter and a lot of fun!”
For the after-party, Lauren and Michael wanted to create a fun escape from Napa, so Mindy and her team sourced disco balls and lounge seating. “My mom sent me a photo of a little white Oscar de la Renta party dress months earlier that was covered in paillettes and a floral pattern,” Lauren says. “I spent months trying to track it down and luckily got my hands on one! I danced in it with Michael until we were told we had to go—and it was simply perfect.”