Justin and Linda met in the dorms at UC Santa Cruz, back when neither of them had any idea what they were starting. A friend of theirs was standing right there when it happened, and he is still around for all of it, which tells you something about how these two hold on to people.
When we asked Justin to describe Linda to someone who has never met her, he did not hesitate. She is a nurse, and she is hardworking and selfless in a way that shows up in every part of her life, not just at work. She is deeply empathetic. And if you get past the first impression and really get to know her, she is the funniest person in the room, which her friends will confirm right before they start teasing her about falling asleep in the middle of a hangout. What he kept coming back to, though, was that Linda accepted him for who he is and for who he is not, and that she has always been able to see the best version of him.
Linda’s answer was just as certain. She called him the definition of kindness and patience, the kind of person who leaves an impact on everyone around him, who cares deeply about his family and his friends. And what makes him happiest is exactly the thing you would hope for after all this time together, her sense of humor and her playfulness, especially when she pretends to be mad at him.
Family and friends are what these two build their life around, and that was the whole intention for the wedding. Not a production, just everyone they love in one place at the same time. We got our first real sense of that at their tea ceremony the week before, watching both families move around each other with so much warmth and so much laughter, and you could feel how much these two are loved before the wedding day even arrived.
By the time the day came, that excitement had nowhere left to go. It kicked off with their first look, and after everything they have already been through together, seeing each other dressed for this felt less like a surprise and more like an arrival. They took their time with it. Whatever nerves were still hanging around left right there, and the rest of the day got to be pure celebration.
Nella Terra is a family owned estate tucked into the Sunol hills, and its signature is the staircase, seventy four steps of handmade native stone cut straight down through the middle of the vineyard to the ceremony lawn below. Linda made her entrance on those steps with the vines surrounding her on both sides, and her parents were waiting below to walk her the rest of the way down the aisle. Justin was standing at the end of it, and the look on his face as she came into view is the kind of thing we live for. They exchanged their vows right there under the pergola with the water and the hills behind them.
The reception opened with a grand entrance, the bridesmaids and groomsmen coming in first to get the room going, and then Justin and Linda after them to kick off the night. They made time for table visits, which we always love to see. Some weddings are one thing right after another and the night is over before the couple has talked to anyone, so we were glad these two got even a little while to be present with everyone who traveled to be there and with everyone who has been there for them. Then came the speeches from both sets of parents and from their best friends, the kind that lit up smiles and brought tears to the room at the same time.
And then they danced. All the way to the end of the night, the way it should be.
Congratulations Justin and Linda. Thank you for trusting us with all of it, from the tea ceremony to the last song. You wanted a day where everyone you love was together in one place, and that is exactly what it was. Here is to the two of you, and to every year still ahead. Cheers!
Love,
Your friends from FJM
