We wanted the celebration to feel like an Italian summer.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
When we married, we promised each other we would return to Italy as often as we could. It is our happy place. We reconnected there in 2019, and since then, whenever Molly has her two-week summer break, we try to make our way back – usually beginning in Rome, then drifting through other regions.
Travel has become an important way for us to slow down together and reconnect. It’s always on our minds: when can we escape, where can we wander, and how can we make time for just us.
How / where / when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We first met at a high school football game in the San Fernando Valley when we were fifteen. What followed was a story that would unfold over more than two decades.
Our teenage years were filled with the usual milestones – prom, homecoming, first love – before we parted ways for college, Zach to UC Santa Cruz and Molly to NYU. We tried long distance for a time, but eventually followed separate paths.
Zach returned to Los Angeles to pursue music, forming Mini Mansions and working closely with producer T Bone Burnett, while Molly remained in New York for a pre-med program at Columbia. Even as our lives moved in different directions, we stayed in touch.
In 2013, when Molly returned to California for medical school, a chance encounter in Los Angeles brought us back together. When she began her residency at LA County Hospital, we moved in together – navigating long hospital shifts and touring schedules side by side. Through those years, and especially during the pandemic, our bond deepened in quiet and lasting ways.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding.
Our vision was inspired by two places in Italy we love deeply – Lo Scoglio, a small seaside hotel with one of our favourite restaurants in the world, and Il Pellicano, a hotel Molly had dreamed of visiting since childhood after discovering it in a Slim Aarons book.
We wanted the celebration to feel like an Italian summer – warm, romantic, effortless, and rooted in beauty.
What styling and visual elements worked best for you?
La Dolce Vita became the guiding spirit of the weekend – reflected in the colour palette, the florals, and the energy of the day. We kept the lighting soft and classic, and leaned into the natural elegance of Santa Ynez, which reminded us so much of Tuscany.
We were married beneath an ancient oak tree at Grassini Family Vineyards, surrounded by 250 friends and family. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and our own Grassini Family wines as the sun settled over the vines.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and any tips for couples?
In the midst of planning, we took a pre-wedding trip to Il Pellicano. That time away gave us perspective and reminded us why we were doing all of this – not for perfection, but for joy.
Our advice is simple: pause together, step away when you can, and remember that the marriage matters more than the wedding.
Tell us about your creative team.
We felt incredibly fortunate with our team. Jill guided the process with such care, and Meg’s classic approach to photography captured exactly the timeless feeling we hoped for. Nuude Botanicals translated our vision beautifully through the florals – everything felt natural, thoughtful, and cohesive.
Tell us about your main outfits.
For the rehearsal dinner, Molly wore a floral La Double J dress and Zach a Dries Van Noten suit.
For the wedding, Molly chose an asymmetrical lace Gucci gown with pearl-covered Jimmy Choo heels, finished with family heirloom jewelry. Zach wore a custom Celine suit with Saint Laurent boots, and cufflinks gifted by T Bone Burnett – a meaningful detail from someone close to his musical life.
Tell us about your rings.
We exchanged rings filled with family history – Molly gave Zach her father’s gold band, and she wore her grandmother’s diamond band herself.
What were one or two elements most important to you?
We created custom jewelry for our wedding party in honor of Molly’s late brother, Leo, and embroidered Bode pocket squares featuring symbols that held meaning for us – small details that carried great significance.
Was there a favorite moment you’ll treasure always?
Our ceremony was shaped by dear friends from both medicine and music, many of whom played meaningful roles in our lives and in the proposal itself.
Later, the evening unfolded in an unforgettable way when a group of Zach’s musician friends surprised us with performances. They called themselves Mr and Mrs Friend and the Family Band, and gifted recordings of the songs to close friends afterwards — a moment that felt both intimate and entirely unrepeatable.
LOCATION La Tarantella at Grassini Family Vineyards — Santa Ynez, California, USA, @latarantella_gfv BRIDE Molly, @mollowollo GROOM Zach, @zachary_dawes PHOTOGRAPHER Meg Smith, @megsmithstudio VIDEOGRAPHER Cana Family, @canafamily STYLIST Maradee Wahl, @dearmaradee PLANNER Jill Remy of Jill & Co. Events, @jillandcoevents FLORIST Kelsey Day of Nuude Botanica, @nuudebotanica ENTERTAINMENT Custom Wedding Band – Curated by the groom; DJ Nahchey, @djnahchey HIRE BBJ La Tavola, @bbjlatavola; Bright Event Rentals, @brighteventrentals; The Ark, @arkeventrental; Theoni, @theonicollection Lighting – Images by Lighting, @images_lighting CATERING DUO Events, @duocatering CAKE Doan’s Bakery, @doans_bakery_woodland_hills STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Lazaro Press and Design, @lazaropress RINGS Family heirloom rings – Molly’s grandmother’s diamond band; Zach’s father’s gold band OTHER SIGNIFICANT JEWELLERY Custom jewellery honoring the bride’s late brother, Leo BRIDE’S DRESS Ceremony – Asymmetrical Lace Gown – Gucci, @gucci; Rehearsal Dinner – La Double J, @ladoublej BRIDE’S SHOES Jimmy Choo, @jimmychoo BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Family heirloom jewellery HAIR & MAKEUP Team Hair and Makeup, @teamhairandmakeup GROOM’S SUIT Ceremony – Custom Made – Celine, @celine; Rehearsal Dinner – Dries Van Noten, @driesvannoten GROOM’S SHOES Yves Saint Laurent, @ysl GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Custom Cufflinks – Gifted by T Bone Burnett BRIDAL PARTY OUTFIT Embroidered Pocket Squares – Bode, @bode PHOTO BOOTH Mirmir, @mirmirphoto TRANSPORTATION SB Airbus, @santabarbaraairbus; LimoLink; Go Executive Limo ACCOMMODATION Hotel Corque, @hotelcorque; The Genevieve, @thegenevievehotel; The Landsby, @thelandsby; Santa Ynez Inn
