Munier + Greta by Samantha Couick

More than anything, we wanted the day to feel low-stress, authentic, low-production, etc.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We met and live in Los Angeles, CA. I moved out to LA without knowing anyone in July of 2019 and have fallen in love with it – the culture, the food, the people, the proximity to nature. Munier is from the Bay Area and moved to Los Angeles alongside a few close friends from college (Cal Poly SLO) in the Summer of 2018. We both work in technology – me at Shopify and Munier at Anduril. I work primarily in the fashion category at Shopify, and worked at a fashion tech company, NuORDER, before Shopify, and I’m very grateful to be able to blend that very real personal interest of mine into my tech career. We spend a lot of our time travelling (currently writing this from Punta Mita, Mexico!), but when we are home in Los Angeles, we love grilling out with friends, trying new restaurants and cafes, going to the beach, hiking, all of the typical LA activities. I grew up skiing and took Munier skiing in Utah for the first time in 2021, and now he loves skiing, probably more than I do, sometimes waking up at 3 am on a Saturday to drive to Mammoth and get a full day of skiing in. Last thing to note is that we adore our tiny cat named Zeus. We take him to the beach, the park, the Bay Area when we drive up there to visit Munier’s family.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Greta: We met at LA Historic Park on July 26, 2019, at an Odesza concert through mutual friends. I had lived in Los Angeles for just a week at that point, and was struck by Munier’s kindness and inclusivity as I was definitely a fringe person in the friend group at that point. It wasn’t until about a year later when we were part of the same little COVID crew that would hang at parks and the beach together that we developed a close friendship, which eventually turned into a romance in the fall of 2020.

Munier: Greta’s beautiful, and it’s easy to remember thinking that as she walked up to the group. What stood out to me in my interactions with her that night were her thoughtfulness and a strange sense of familiarity. Greta is such an intentional listener, and it was disarming talking with her that night and noticing how thoughtful she is about everything she says. I also immediately felt comfortable around her, as if we’d known each other for years.

Wedding Day

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).

We were not convinced we wanted to do the big traditional wedding, but the idea of having all of the people that we love the most together for a big party was hard to forget about. When it came time to pick a venue, we struggled. More than anything, we wanted the day to feel low-stress, authentic, low-production, etc. My sister got married in my parents’ backyard in October 2020 with 13 people in attendance due to COVID, and it was so intimate and perfect. In my mind, if we were going to invite the ~90 people we had in mind, the wedding would be too large to have at my parents’ home. I couldn’t get the idea out of my head, though, and so we asked my parents, and they graciously obliged. My parents’ house is the same one that my mother grew up in and then moved back into to raise my siblings and me, and as such, it has been collecting familial character, art, and style for nearly 60 years. My mother is an artist, and it is an artist’s home. Experiencing that dream of a day within the same four walls that I grew up in and have had so many formative experiences in was incredibly special.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

Wedding planning became really fun once we had all of the big things sorted and signed. The last month or two were relatively stress-free compared to the beginning when we were comparing vendors, talking budget, organising the guest list, etc. I think our advice would be to really lean into the areas that pertain to your natural interests. We both love food and had so much talking about the menu, going to the tasting, deciding which specialty cocktails to serve, etc. I love fashion, so getting to plan our wedding looks and work with the team at DF were some of my favourite parts of the process. There will inevitably be parts of planning that are stressful or just boring, but focusing on the ones that light you up will lighten the load.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

Endive Catering was lovely to work with. We went back and forth with them so much, tweaking minute details of the food (presentation of the hors d’oeuvres, bucatini vs spaghetti, which specific herbs would be in the summer salad, etc.), and they were flexible, accommodating, and supportive throughout the entire process. I feel like everyone says this, but we had so many guests tell us that our wedding food was the best they’d had. If you’re planning a wedding in the Atlanta area, we highly recommend Endive!

DJ Zack Falls with MixPro Atlanta was not only an excellent DJ but a wonderful support in guiding our guests throughout the day without being too much of a presence. We did not want our DJ to be MCing the whole event, and Zack completely understood the vision and how to add value to the day. He guided each transition throughout the day gracefully, and read the crowd’s energy perfectly during the reception. Everyone had so much fun. – Munier

Samantha Couick was such a joy to have around for photography. We literally could not be happier with our photos, which we were expecting after reviewing her portfolio, but we are also so thankful for how Sam understood our intention for the whole weekend. We wanted to live the weekend as if there were no one documenting it, and Sam understood that. Nothing felt forced, rushed, or overdone when it came to Sam. Somehow, we still ended up with a huge album of both portrait and candid photos that turned out stunningly. She captures the moment perfectly and quickly, and her energy is just great to be around.

I am so thankful to have found Bond Syfan for the florals. He came recommended through a friend of a friend, and we first spoke on the phone about working together about 40 days before the wedding. Florals are tough because you can’t always predict what will be in bloom, whether it will be too hot for certain flowers, etc., so it was very important to me that I felt my florist understood my vibe and aesthetic, which is what I found in Bond. We made a loose plan to use foxgloves, poppies, and globe thistles, but he was able to find smoke bush, which I adore but know is generally a fall bloom, so he swapped out some of the foxgloves for smoke bush. Being able to trust him to make quick decisions like that week-of, when he was actually buying/receiving the florals, was so nice.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Munier: I wanted to do something classic with a twist. Greta suggested I look at double-breasted tuxedos as a starting point, and another friend who had recently gotten married spoke highly of their experience with Suit Supply. We bonded immediately with our stylist, Eddy, at SS Newport Beach. He was great to work with through every apparel decision about my wedding looks, big and small.

I’d been following and admiring Danielle Hirsch’s work for a few years and knew that I wanted to have the experience of going to the Los Angeles atelier to try on her gowns. Danielle Frankel is the first studio I went to, and the Leighton was the first dress I tried on at that appointment. I decided to try Leighton first as it was the only ballgown I’d pulled for my DF fitting (I figured I would find it way too feminine for my personal style) and I just wanted the experience of trying on a ballgown style wedding dress. I walked out of the fitting room and into the sun-drenched, butter yellow lounge and looked in the mirror and fell in love. I went on to try on a few of her column and bias-cut silk gowns, not loving any of them as much as I loved Leighton, but I figured it was maybe just because it was the first wedding dress I ever tried on. I went on to have a couple other appointments, one of which was at Loho Bride also in West Hollywood, where I tried on Leighton again, and loved her again. I went back to DF for a final appointment with Daniel (adored him and the whole LA DF team), who helped me decide between my final two, Leighton and Arlo. Arlo felt more “me”, but there was just something really special about Leighton. I struggled with feeling like she didn’t align with my personal style, but I got over that and am SO glad I did.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

We worked with a mutual friend, Sean Eitani, who does custom jewellery design in downtown Los Angeles. Greta was inspired by Angelina Jolie’s engagement ring, so we worked with Sean to create something similar – an emerald-cut centre stone flanked by channel-cut baguettes. Greta designed our wedding rings, which Sean created as well – low dome bands each inset with a small emerald and a small sapphire, representing the two of us. Mine is yellow gold and Greta’s is white gold to match her platinum engagement ring. – Munier

What were 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?).

We were aligned on photography being a huge priority. We knew we cared a lot about getting beautiful photos, but we did not want any parts of the day to feel forced or purposed for photos. Sam’s work is beautiful, but it was really after meeting her and connecting on our vision for the day that we knew she was the right choice. – Munier

I cared a lot about loving my wedding dress and am so thankful to have been able to prioritise that. I really loved the Victoria Beckham gown I wore to our welcome event on Friday as well.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

Watching Greta walk down the aisle is an experience I’ll never forget. – Munier

Ugh, it’s so hard to pick just a couple. While this wasn’t my favourite part of the day, I think waking up together and having breakfast delivered to our room was the perfect way to start the day, and I 10/10 recommend it to anyone that isn’t sure about staying together or not the night before. Starting the day together was so fun and exciting. I think our first look and private vows were my favourite part of the day. It was so sacred to privately honour the actual purpose of the day in that way. I think my second favourite moment is the one where it was just us and both of our immediate families squeezed into my parents’ kitchen, waiting for the queue to start the processional and walk out the kitchen door into our backyard. All of us together as one family, joyful and jittery, preparing to do a formal, structured thing in the space that has seen every version of me.

What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?

Greta and I have been committed to each other for years, and even so, marriage feels so distinctly different. We have been helping each other grow and become more ourselves for years, and for me, marriage is the commitment that we will continue to do that forever. We have more fun together as the years go by. We understand each other and both of our blind spots more as the years go by. I can’t imagine a better person for me to build a life with than my best friend. – Munier

A specific part of my sister’s speech has stuck with me since May 9th and comes to mind now – “Marriage is the certainty of a lifelong partner who doubles your joy and cuts your burdens in half.” Munier has been doubling my joy and cutting my burdens in half for years, and our marriage means we get to do that for each other for the rest of our lives. Marriage to Munier means I get to laugh really hard, feel safe, and witness an incredibly kind heart and beautiful mind for the rest of my time here on earth.