Monica Gisele, a psychotherapist specializing in treatment for victims of sexual trauma and partner violence and the lifestyle blogger behind Monica Gisele, and Arthur Simanovsky, the founder and CEO of Dryver, connected on JSwipe. Exactly a year from the beginning of their courtship, he proposed with a sapphire ring during a walk through Palisades Park in Santa Monica with their French bulldog, Pierre.
The bride always knew she wanted her wedding dress to be ethereal with long sleeves and a giant bow. After two boutique visits, she tried the custom route and created a vision board to bring to her designer. “She created the most perfect gown, with a detachable skirt, so I could change into a fun, little custom tutu—which, of course, had it’s own, equally glamorous, bow,” Monica says.
Inspired by their first big trip together, which was to Portugal, Italy, and France, they originally wanted their wedding to be on a magical summer night somewhere along the Mediterranean. However, they also wanted all of their friends and family to be in attendance, and luckily found a similar aesthetic in Simi Valley, California. To bring their vision to life, they hired Michelle Spina from Events Like Clockwork.
On August 17th, Monica walked down the aisle by herself to Lauryn Hill’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”—requested by Arthur. Pierre was their ring bearer and wore the rings on his bowtie. During the reformed Jewish service, the couple decided to circle around each other seven times, instead of just the bride circling the groom, to illustrate equality and respect. After Arthur successfully broke the glass on the first attempt, everyone headed to the courtyard for the reception.
At dusk, surrounded by candlelight, guests gathered to celebrate the new couple. The delicious meal, including braised short ribs and tortellini, came to a close when the wedding cake was served. “Our cake was so beautiful,” Monica says. “I have no idea what it tasted like, but does that even matter?”
The newlyweds kicked off the dancing with “At Last” by Etta James—“a dance we hadn’t prepared for until that morning in the Whole Foods parking lot,” admits the bride. Later in the night, mini grilled cheeses kept everyone happy.
Late night, the couple made their exit through a line of sparklers and insisted everyone follow suit. And then what felt like immediately after the night ended, they took off to the Greek Isles. “I washed my face and set my alarm for just shy of three hours later,” Monica says. “Before our insanely prompt honeymoon flight!”
