“I absolutely love an East Coast fall because it reminds me of growing up in Connecticut,” Emma Stein says. And while she and boyfriend of three years Kevin Azpeitia were visiting New York City in October of 2022, he dropped to one knee along the East River in Brooklyn. “To celebrate, we enjoyed dinner at The River Café, accompanied by my aunt and best friend, who helped plan the proposal!”
“We went to Santa Barbara for our one-year anniversary and had the best time,” she shares. “We planned a return trip to check out different venues, and we quickly fell in love with Montecito’s gorgeous and elegant charm!” While The Montecito Club wasn’t originally one of the venues on their list, they happened to drive by and decided to look around. “Although it poured rain the entire time, we knew if the Montecito Club was that beautiful in the rain, it would be even more stunning on a summer day.”
As for aesthetics, Emma planned to capture the natural beauty of coastal California, and photographer Kristina Adams did exactly that. The day held a textural palette of white and green, and for dinner the couple—alongside planner Nina Moore—decided on several pops of color with fruit adorned tablescapes. Aerialist Press matched the tone with a bright floral invitation suite.
Emma and Kevin wed on June 15, 2024—her grandparents’ wedding anniversary. On the day-of, Emma wore Carolina Herrera. “Fashion runs deep in my family, as my great-great-great grandmother founded I. Magnin and my great-great-grandfather founded Joseph Magnin,” the bride explains. At Jin Wang in San Francisco, Jin personally showed her The Sarah—a strapless ivory column with an attached overskirt. It made it even more special for Emma that it was one of the last bridal collections designed by Carolina Herrera herself.
Kelly Russell of Over The Moon Styling curated the final touches, and Marla & Co Beauty added to the elegance opting for a radiant makeup look.
Emma walked arm-in-arm with her parents down the Ojala Floral–lined aisle, as pianist Kevin Fox played Austin Farwell’s “Once Upon a Time.” “It was one of the most meaningful moments of my life,” the bride shares. “My uncle–who previously served as president of Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco–married us under a chuppah. We both felt extremely present, calm, and filled with so much love.”
The alfresco dinner was held under glittering string lights in the garden. Guests sat atop wicker chairs indulging in a seafood menu followed by cake by Lelé Pâtisserie. Specialty cocktails flowed as Dart Collective quede vinyl. The newlyweds danced to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” and when it was all said and done, “Doses and Mimosas” echoed “which was a hit that got everyone excited for the after-party,” the bride recalls. After a night spent celebrating, Emma and Kevin jetted off to France for the honeymoon.
