We wanted the style of our wedding to mirror the cinematography of the movie—a little nostalgic, dramatic and eclectic.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We are both lovers of language and connecting experiences. We’re both lawyers by trade, but creative by heart, with Cynthia pursuing a fantasy novel and Matthew moonlighting as a songwriter under the name Talford James (@talfordjames). Our dream is to one day own a wellness ranch. We prioritise our love in everything we do and aim to leave our little sliver of the world a bit happier and kinder than how we found it.
Being together is where we feel able to be our most vulnerable selves—whether it’s expressing our dreams, sharing our losses and triumphs, or sitting with each other through tough times. They are what make the ups so joyous and the downs bearable. We both dream of living big lives, feeling all that life has to offer, and we feel that it makes it all the sweeter to share it with someone you love. We each hold each other accountable, allowing the other to grow and change, but reminding them of who they are.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We both went to the same law school and met over a game of ping pong at a local bar…. Well, Matthew had asked Cynthia to play pool a year beforehand at another bar event, but was turned down at the time ;).. [Cynthia: In my defence, someone else had asked me to play first! Though I do distinctly remember seeing Matthew and thinking he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen…so maybe subconsciously I was intimidated or playing hard to get?] Fast forward, the time was right, and we struck it off quickly in the middle of a crowded bar playing some very high-intensity ping pong. We were both tennis players growing up, so we immediately picked up on one another’s game and quickly realised how much we have in common. It was electricity ever since. We’re actually in the market for our first ping pong table all these years later lol.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Cynthia: From the beginning of our relationship, we were pretty inseparable. We would have deep conversations late into the night about everything under the sun…our hopes, our fears, our interests, politics, religion, you name it. I think I fell in love when he told me what his deepest fear was; he was so incredibly honest and vulnerable. I knew this was the soul I wanted to live life beside for the rest of my days. He is my best friend, my safest space,, and he never ceases to challenge me to be my best. There was never really a question; I knew right away deep in my bones, in the way my body feels at peace beside him, in the way he stokes the flames of my curiosity and creativity, and in the way I am freest when tied to him.
Matthew: Honestly, I think it was our second date. We did a relatively fancy first date, and Cynthia was quick to plan a second date… it was the next day. I stopped by her apartment and we played Guitar Hero two, lol, and walked to a brewery. I was shocked at how we were immediately behaving like best friends. Just enjoying the small moments of life immediately. I’ll never forget the first time she grabbed my arm walking to the brewery, it was an electric feeling.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).
We plan to have a larger, more traditional wedding down the line, but wanted this ceremony to be a fun and creative day. One of our favourite movies is Gattaca; we love unique and thought-provoking architecture.
When we found out Gattaca was partially filmed at the Marin Civic Centre, which is close to where Cynthia grew up, we felt like it was meant to be! We wanted the style of our wedding to mirror the cinematography of the movie—a little nostalgic, dramatic and eclectic. We wanted to take some inspiration from the movie’s emphasis on close-ups, both on people and on details, as well as its wide shots that juxtapose a well-positioned subject against the grandiosity of the space—we think Cat did an amazing job of capturing this vision! The shadows, lines and lights of the place create a very engaging canvas.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
The beauty of the Marin Civic Centre did a lot of the work for us. The building itself is a work of art and creates stunning visuals. You feel inspired to create when you step into the building. Cat did a phenomenal job working with us to synthesise our vision and what was available in the space.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
Our process was a bit unconventional, given this was an elopement ceremony, so much less to plan and organise. That said, I would recommend truly being yourself and making the day truly in line with your vision/ what sounds actually fun to you. It feels like grand weddings often become massive mountains of stress for couples, and that so many compromises end up being made to please other people’s preferences. We understand that, but at the same time, it was truly nice to do something completely in our own way and on our own terms.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Cynthia: I wanted to go for something that felt both fresh and a bit reminiscent of the past—the building itself feels to me like what Frank Lloyd Wright in the 50s envisioned the future would look like, and I wanted to capture that same vibe. Something sleek and modern but with a lot of nostalgic/retro accents, combining the past and the future together. The birdcage veil felt like a call to the past, a style that was popular in the 40s/50s and mixing it with a more modern, satin gown with a scarf train. The accessories were an important aspect for me. Every piece of jewelry was incredibly meaningful to me—all were gifts from the most important women in my life, my mom, both grandmothers, and my sister, and the first piece of jewelry Matthew bought for me (a ring we saw in a shop in Florence, Italy that he surprised me with after I had mentioned in passing that I liked it—a testament to his thoughtfulness and generous spirit). The bouquet and boutonniere were gifts from my parents. My favourite flowers are calla lilies, so it was an extra special treat to have those flowers on our day.
Matthew: I really built the look around wanting to wear some old school, larger pleated pants. I think I had seen Pedro Pascal or one of the latest and greatest dudes wearing some major pants with an oversized blazer and blouse, and thought, ya let’s go for something timeless and trendy at the same time. It was really hard to find an appropriate jacket. I spent a lot of time trying on women’s suit blazers given the lapel styling and avant-garde offerings, but still could not find the right colouring. So I pivoted and went to a classic turtleneck once I found an overcoat I fell in love with. I wanted it to be timeless and classy, but not overly formal. I had always wanted a reason to wear some suede penny loafers as well, so it all sort of just fell together as these things do.
What was one, or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Photography was really important to us, we wanted to invest in someone who would be able to capture the magic of our special day—we are so grateful we found Cat, she did an incredible job of making our vision come to life while allowing us to have fun and be ourselves.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
We had a pretty seamless day, given it was a relatively short elopement ceremony.
BRIDE Cynthia, @cynchiuuu GROOM Matthew, @matthewkordowski @talfordjames PHOTOGRAPHER Cat Coppenrath, @catcoppenrathphoto BRIDE’S RING Paternal grandmother’s ring GROOM’S RING Geo Signet Diamond Ring – Miansai, @miansai BRIDE’S DRESS Custom made – StylePosh BRIDE’S SHOES Charles Keith, @charleskeithofficial BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Pearl earrings – A&M Jewelry, @a.m.jewelrystudio; Birdcage veil – Lucia Stofej, @luciastofej; Pearl ring inherited from maternal grandmother; Diamond ring gifted from mother; First ring gifted from husband; Blue stone lariat necklace used as a back chain – gifted from sister; Diamond bracelet gifted from paternal grandmother HAIR & MAKEUP By the bride NAILS Anni’s Nails, @annisnailsj22 BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE True Religion by True Religion GROOM’S OUTFIT Turtleneck – Buck Mason, @buckmason; Pants – Todd Snyder, @toddsnyderny; Overcoat – Reiss, @reiss GROOM’S SHOES Hive & Colony, @hiveandcolony GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Watch – Breitling B13048; Right-hand ring – Mexico City local artisan GROOM’S HAIR By the groom GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Wood Sage & Sea – Jo Malone, @jomalonelondon
