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Hunter Fieri and Tallabanestein are married!
Chef, the eldest son of Food Network star Gaifieri, married a professional pickleball player on Saturday, August 30th at the Fieri Family Ranch at Huntreeda Ranch in Sonoma, California, where 350 guests participated.
“There’s control over mess here,” the 29-year-old Hunter joked to the couple’s wedding people, adding that he “like a mini stager” with Bernstein, 28.
“We just go out with friends, eat delicious food and enjoy ourselves,” the groom continues. “It’s all people who mean the most to us.”
The festival began on Friday, August 29th with a family-style feast with a pair of “denim and diamonds” themed welcome party. Under the sparkling lights of the ranch, guests dined in Mexican cuisine cooked by chef Lorena Garcia. Party attendees also signed a Yeti cooler instead of a traditional guestbook, predicting old videos and photos of the couple.
Madison Emily Hare Photos + Reuben and Sandra Photos
The elegance of the ranch mixed with a cozy camp vibe” continued until the next day. Hunter and Bernstein also stayed at the ranch, sleeping in a huge tent on their wedding night.
Bernstein’s East Coast family experienced the taste of western ranch life at the Little Penting Zoo. This featured two miniature donkeys, Brito and Takito, along with a few goats, a peacock and a dog.
“We have great animals so people want to go see them. It’s fun to add,” Hunter says. “That’s the atmosphere of a ranch.”
Madison Emily Hare Photos + Reuben and Sandra Photos
For couples, the ranch is one of their “happy places.” Hunter proposed to Bernstein, who was surrounded by both families at Thanksgiving in 2023, just nine months after meeting at the Super Bowl in Arizona.
In the center of the farm pond is an island with a large willow tree, and an idyllic ceremony is held. Since their engagement, Bernstein’s plan was to descend a flowery wooden bridge escorted by his father, Joel.
Penelope Ferry, Hunter’s 81-year-old paternal grandmother, lovingly called “Mimi” and made the wedding even more special by serving as a flower girl.
“She wasn’t excited,” Hunter recalls when he offered the role to Mimi. “But it was hilarious when we were asking her. We handed her this card, and we had flowers, she didn’t know, and she said, ‘What? Am I going to be a flower girl?” She completely guessed it before we could even tell her.
Madison Emily Hare Photos + Reuben and Sandra Photos
As Bernstein walked past with blue and white flowers, the sweet scent of Wine Country Treat’s “Flower Fieri” custom perfume filled the air. The berry- and forest-scented bride turned his head in a sparkling custom Justin Alexander ball gown featuring beaded and sequin lace appliques and scalloped cathedral leader tulle veils with lace floral embroidery.
The same designer was behind the bride’s custom strapless welcome party mini dress and her sparkling floral high line reception gown.
Bernstein’s natural makeup and wavy hair were styled by Jacqueline Dumont. With an additional personal touch, her French manicure on her index finger included her and the Hunter initials.
Hunter and his groom were all dressed in suits from the suitshop, including his cousins Jules and Bernstein’s brothers Aden and Avib, as well as Hunter’s younger brother Ryder, 19, as his best man. The Hunter wore a stone suit with an ivory accent, while his flower groommen was dressed in a blue bow tie and sunburn.
Madison Emily Hare Photos + Reuben and Sandra Photos
The wedding party of 20 people was given custom cowboy boots, made by old gringo boots, in collaboration with the surgeon.
“The details about these boots are insane,” says Bernstein. “Essentially, what we did to really personalize for our friends was obviously having our logo and their names on our boots, but then we’re writing individual messages for each of our friends, engraving them under the boots and branding them underneath the boots.”
“We wanted to bring so much into our lives and ensure that we include people there with unconditional love and support,” adds Hunter. “It’s a great way to thank you and to show that they mean a lot to us.”
Skip Boren/Getty
Hunter and Bernstein exchanged wedding bands with handwritten vows designed by Dan Corbyn.
“It’s funny because a lot of girls have had Pinterest boards (for weddings) since childhood. I was always a little more tomboy so I wasn’t really thinking about it,” says Bernstein. “Obviously I knew I always wanted to get married, but when I met Hunter, I saw him and immediately didn’t think, ‘Oh, what a goddamn, I’m married to this guy.’ He was the only person I ever thought of that… everything happens for a reason, and when you know, you know. ”
She continues: “I know it sounds cliché, but when I met the Hunter, I wasn’t looking for anything. Honestly, it’s a dream to meet someone like him, like my man’s version. We are just as similar to us.
Tara Bernstein/Instagram
After a “very meaningful” ceremony hosted by Shelby Joy Scarbrow, guests headed to the “horse trailer bar” where they signed his cocktail.
Inspired by the US Open was Bernstein’s “Honey I Dew” mocktail, a fresh combination of touches of honeydew melon, cucumber, coconut water, lemonade and blue spirulina. “Fieri Sunrise” was a family’s Santo Tequila Blanco, Aperol Splitz, Club Soda, Agave and a mix of fresh lemon and lime juice.
At the reception, guests found their seats under the sparkling string lights of the table, featuring mini Franklin’s game-ball paddles as table number.
Everyone was excited by the evening entertainment that included ace band, hip entertainment and events, Joel Young Band and DJ Illy’s “many great energy, lots of ’80s’, ’90s, 2000s music”, but the most anticipated event was dinner.
The bride and groom have created a custom “advanced” Italian menu with their favorite chefs decorated with chef’s works courts: Chef Cesar Orozco, chef Lorena Garcia, chef Antonia Rofaso and chef Aaron May have been supported by Sonoma County Catering.
“It’s almost a small mini food and wine festival,” Hunter jokes.
Jared Siskin/Getty
“We do all family styles,” the hospitality expert continues. “That’s the biggest goal I want. I want everyone to have fun with each other. A platter on the table, everyone helps themselves.”
Appetizers include: Italian charcoal grilled, vegetables, crudite with hummus, tuna crunch, avocado crunch, pizza chew. After serving warm focaccia bread on the first course of Italian chopped salad, guests squealed with a spread of al dente pasta with hand-rolled meatballs, grilled vegetable medleys, burnt prime rib sliced Napa style and grilled chicken piccata.
The dessert was “amazing” and nothing more than the Badi Varastro (48), who was behind a “country chic” wedding cake with coffee, tea and petite sweets.
The star of the cake boss tells people that the six-tiered cake towers “4 feet tall, 5 feet tall” and says it’s “a little more challenging” to transport it from a bakery in Carlo, New Jersey to Huntriede Ranch in California.
The “natural-style” wedding cake sat on a wooden stump, featuring the passion of the bride and groom’s cooking and pickles as an illustration on the chalkboard. In addition to the black and white cake with fudge, chocolate cake with fudge and confetti cake with buttercream, there was a layer of gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate truffle cake, which housed the bride’s food intolerance.
“Guy, Hunter, Tara, the whole family, the whole Fieri family, just great people and good friends, and really, I can’t say enough good things about them,” exclaims Valostro.
Mindis Mall/Getty
The great fare didn’t finish after dessert. Late at night, the guest was served by Chicken Guy! Bids and Hawaiian rolls.
The wedding “integrated the world of culinary and pickleball worlds,” so everyone danced without a curfew on the pickleball dance court in Wimbledon Green, courtesy of the Pickleroll. Bernstein’s father named his daughter after a former band who was in the name of a band he was in, and jam out with his former bandmate who traveled from all over the world to perform some songs.
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The celebration ended with a casual brunch at the ranch on Sunday, August 31st.
“I’m excited to continue building together as an individual and as a person,” Bernstein says. “It’s fun to be living with two best friends. Hunter and I are very passionate about everything we do. We’re 110%. We grow into our family.
Hunter believes that his marriage to Bernstein is “just like what’s happening now.”
“We work together. We live together. We travel together. We do everything together as we can,” says Hunter. “We support each other, so we continue to do it, have fun, and continue to bring about success for ourselves.”
Additional credits:
Photographer: Madison Emily Hare Photography, Reuben & Sandra
Videographer: Light Cannon Film
Content Creators: Samantha Pota and Chloe Zito from So Bridal Social
Planner: Paige Charbonnier Messerschmitt
Coordinator and Planner Day: Jennifer Stone Obra Grande Fete
Florist: Poppy Stone Flower Design
Bridal Salon: AP Luxe Salon
Jewelry: Happy Jeweler
Bride’s Mother: Bridal Reflection
Bridesmaid Gift: Coastal Caviar
Stationery: Mint wedding made
Audio Guestbook: After Tone
Rentals: Encore Event Rental, Pop-ups, Party
Transport: Bauer’s intelligent transport
Accommodation: Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, Outdoor
Hydration: once coconut, body aerar
Custom Water: Pass