Sarah Huisenga & Stephen Feder
August 4, 2013
Trail Creek Cabin
Trail Creek Cabin
This traditional Jewish wedding, set in the stunning mountains of Sun Valley, was about as perfect as they come. With a pre-wedding Tisch, a Ketubah painted by Stephen's aunt, a homemade chupah quilted by Sarah’s step-mother and one amazing Hora, Stephen and Sarah were finally able to tie the knot after eight years together. Read their interview, along with wedding tips and a local vendor list.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SUN VALLEY?
My (Stephen’s) grandparents, the Cardozos, have been coming to Sun Valley for over forty years. Along the way, I took full advantage of their incredible Villager condo and knew that eventually I would need to find someone who would love it as much as me. Took a bit of time but … success!
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I grew up in Skokie, IL—a suburb of Chicago—and Sarah grew up in the northwest corner of Iowa, in a town with one stoplight—Sibley.
OCCUPATIONS?
Sarah is a Producer for CBS News and I am a Film Producer and Production Executive.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
We met at a documentary production company in Chicago over 10 years ago (which also apparently doubles as a matchmaker service since we know of a multitude of other married couples who met and fell in love there). Sarah and I dated for a couple years in the Windy City before we both decided to do something crazy—I moved to Los Angeles and she moved to New York. We maintained our long distance relationship for three years before finding a way to be in one place (Brooklyn) at least for a spell. Our jobs never seem to allow us respite. Now we’ve made it to Los Angeles and have hung up our hats. Our marriage was a longtime coming—eight years in the making—but we wouldn’t have it any other way.
NUMBER OF GUESTS?
130
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING THEME?
If we had to pick, it was something like: “It’s about f-ing time.”
ANY SPECIAL TRADITIONS?
We did a traditional Jewish wedding with our own personal twists. We had a Tisch before the ceremony where the men and women went off separately for some singing, “toasting,” and nuggets of marital advice before being carried together for the signing of the Ketubah (traditional Jewish marriage document). During the ceremony, we had symbols for those that could not be present with us under a hand-made chupah, and friends and family offered their own interpretations of the seven blessings. And then there was the marathon Hora … which was literally mind-blowing and lasted over 25 minutes.
SONG THAT YOU WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TO?
“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys.
SONG FOR YOUR FIRST DANCE?
“Nothing Can Change This Love” by Sam Cooke, sung by my sister Stephanie Streja and played on guitar by one of our best buddies, Daniel Engelman.
HOW DID THE NIGHT END?
With a Hora reprise … then a bus ride into town and nightcaps at the Casino.
WHERE WAS YOUR HONEYMOON?
Alaska. It was awesome.
WHAT MADE YOUR WEDDING SO SPECIAL?
Having friends and family out for a long adventure together was the greatest. Among the fun-filled activities, our buddy Matt Robins organized a rafting trip and our brother-in-law David Streja set up a golf tournament—it was perfect. People rented homes, condos and some stayed in the official Sun Valley properties. It was so much fun walking around town and running into everyone having their own adventures as well. We felt like we owned the town.
WHAT WAS THE GROOM’S FAVORITE MOMENT?
My favorite moment was the hora to end all horas, hands down. But if my wife says the ceremony, then I also agree with her.
THE BRIDE’S?
The hora! (See, we’re meant to be.)
D.I.Y PROJECTS? GUEST FAVORS?
Our save-the-date was designed by our good friend and artist Steve Juras. He depicted and interpreted the insane number of zip codes we lived in (separately) during our 8-year courtship. I designed the invitations and programs and used an incredible drawing of Baldy that was made by my aunt Karen Cardozo. The most important DIY project we had was our chupah, which was quilted by Sarah’s step-mother Becki Huisenga, with fabric squares that were each personalized by our closest friends and family. We stood under it when we got married—it couldn’t have been more perfect. Also, my Aunt Karen painted our Ketubah (traditional Jewish Marriage License)—it represents Sun Valley and all of the places we've lived together (Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York).
TIPS FOR SOMEONE PLANNING A SUN VALLEY WEDDING?
Hire a coordinator, make some decisions up front and trust that every vendor that you choose will come through. Micromanaging is the secret to losing your mind. Also, we had our rehearsal dinner at Rico’s Pizza and Pasta which was amazing. Highly recommend it.
VENDOR LIST:
WEDDING PLANNER: Amanda Seaward of Absolute Weddings
FLOWERS: Tara Bella Flowers
HAIR: Jennifer Fife
MAKEUP: Susannah Collins
LINENS: Barbara’s Party Rentals
DRESS/SHOES: Reem Acra / oh-so-comfortable Tom’s bridal shoes
GROOM'S ATTIRE: Ermenegildo Zegna and some fun Johnston & Murphy Saddle Shoes
MUSIC: DJ Lenny Joseph
FOOD: Sun Valley Company Catering
DESSERT: Sun Valley Company Catering
INVITES: Minted
PHOTOGRAPHER: Dev Khalsa Photography
OFFICIANT: Rabbi Jocee Hudson
