Rikki &and Gennady

How did your proposal unfold? Was it a surprise?

What wedding planning decision was the easiest one to make? What was the most difficult?

Gennady: Easiest decision was who was going to take care of what. As Rikki used to be a party planner we knew she would handle the decorations, florals, photographer, videographer. As I work for the entertainment company More than Music as an MC, I knew I was taking care of the entertainment, music, sound, lighting. The most difficult decision was VENUE. Through our experiences we had an idea of what we wanted but knew it was none of the places we have each worked at. Finding the right place was the biggest headache, but once we did, everything else was smooth sailing thanks to the team behind us.

Rikki: Easiest decision was hiring my best friend, Bianca Blag to help us plan and coordinate everything.  He is right, I had my responsibilities and he had his, but it would have never come together without her. The most difficult, by far was the venue.  We saw over 10 venues, but the second we walked into the Grove, we knew we found our place.

Describe any specific family or cultural traditions that were important to you during your wedding planning.

Gennady: As both of us are Jewish, it was important for us to incorporate some Jewish traditions in the ceremony. No real cultural/specific family traditions. All we wanted to do was throw the best actual party we could for our guests. We did not want a traditional wedding with tons of formalities. We wanted to have everyone up on their feet.

Rikki: Gennady said it perfectly.

What did you base your choice of location on?

Gennady: FOOOOOOD. Food was the most important detail. After food, we wanted a space that only did 1 party at a time. In addition we searched for the right space for cocktail hour, ceremony, and main reception. Knowing we would have nearly 300 guests, this was no easy feat to accomplish. The Grove was absolutely the best. From the staff to the food to the ambiance. Our night would not have been what it was without this venue being as amazing as it was.

Rikki: Gennady said it perfectly and having Jason (the manager) work with us was a dream come true

On your day, what was your first thought when you woke up in the morning?

Gennady: My first thought was don’t faint during the ceremony. I reserved a basketball court nearby and took all the guys to play for 2 hours in the morning before we had to get ready for photos. It was a great way to relax, have a good time, and not stress about the day.

Rikki: Stay calm; I was just so excited to celebrate our love with everyone that we loved and my heart felt like it was going to explode with joy!

What was a highlight of your wedding day?

Gennady: I cannot say there was one highlight to the day. From the moment it started until it finished it was absolutely amazing. The highlight was seeing everything come to fruition how we thought it would be and seeing our guests having just as good of a time as we were. Instead of going around table to table, we danced with every single guest throughout the entire night. One of the highest energy dance sets was towards the end of the night when we had Nadir Simon our Saxophone player come out and play with the DJ. He turned the party up from a 10 to a 20.

Rikki: Gennady is right, it is so hard to pick a single moment because every single moment was amazing BUT the most memorable moment was when Gennady surprised me with his Michael Jackson dance.  It was AMAZING!

What do you hope your guests remember most about your wedding day?

Gennady: How seamlessly fun it was. In my profession as a trial lawyer, I know people don’t remember details, they remember feelings. We wanted our guests to remember the feeling of being at a truly loving amazing fun wedding. From eating well, to feeling the love in the room, to dancing the night away. The night as a whole as everything was just perfect.

Rikki: The amount of love that was in the room and [the amount of love] that went into the event.

Is there anything you would do differently?

Gennady: I would have had dessert! I ate during cocktail hour and I was on such a high I didn’t eat during the party at all. I remember the desserts looked so good and I didn’t get a chance to eat any. (I’m a fat boy on the inside). Other than that I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Rikki: EAT!

Which quality do you most admire about one another?

Gennady: I absolutely love how easy Rikki is. She is capable of understanding me without me having to say a word, and she knows exactly how to counterbalance me. Communication is the key to any healthy relationship and I am so thankful we are able to communicate in a healthy way. We don’t sweat the small stuff but we respect each other to know what’s important and what’s not. I love her like I have never loved another person, she is simply for me.

Rikki: His dedication. Gennady is by far the most dedicated partner, friend, and son that anyone could ever ask for.  His dedication to our relationship makes me constantly feel at ease, supported and loved unconditionally.  It makes it really easy to respect and trust him because I know he is always trying to create the best life for us. I truly feel as though I can conquer anything with him with a smile.

What is the most valuable thing that you have learned from each other?

Gennady: I have learned that neither of us have to do it all. We can trust each other and lean on each other for anything. We are an amazing team each with different set of skills and we work together, we are at our best.

Rikki: To not be so hard on myself and not take life so seriously. He has taught me (and the learning is still in progress) that I cannot carry the world on my shoulders, that it is okay to ask for help, and when things don’t go as planned, to just laugh about it. You plan and God laughs.