Love and Joy Were at the Forefront During This Intimate, Family-Focused Celebration in Occidental, California

"We actually got engaged twice," says Michelle Felder, the founder and CEO of Parenting Pathfinders. Her now-husband, Arthur Felder, a youth sports and fitness consultant, first proposed in Zaragoza, Spain, while the pair was visiting the Alhama de Aragón, a thermal lake; they had met three months prior at an event in New York City. His second proposal, which came six months later, couldn't have been more different—it was a Sunday afternoon, and the duo had just returned home after taking Michelle's daughters, Zoë and Noa, to dance class. Arthur convinced Michelle to rest for a while, noting that the girls were working on a surprise; she was asked not to come downstairs until her children called for her. When the call came, she headed back down, and was promptly presented with two handmade cards. "Zoë gave me hers first—it was a picture she had drawn of me in a flowing gown, with tears streaming down my face, and Arthur on one knee giving me a ring," she says.

Life soon imitated art—Noa's card spelled out that question with check boxes that read yes, no, and maybe—and Michelle spun around to find Arthur kneeling on the ground with a ring in his hands. "He told me how deep his love was for me and how he was committing his life to me and the girls," reflects Michelle. "I told him that I couldn't wait to be his wife." Arthur then turned to the girls, and conveyed that his proposal applied to them, as well. He told them that he was also making a commitment to them—to love them, to protect them, to encourage them, and to be there for them every single day," says the bride. "Our sweet Noa said 'I'm so happy, I just have to cry!' We all hugged and had a happy cry together. It was a moment I'll never forget—they were so excited that we were getting married!"

Just as the pair began thinking about where they wanted to get married, the country experienced the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic—and while the New York City duo originally decided to wait it out, they ultimately realized that they wanted to tie the knot sooner rather than later. When restrictions showed no signs of easing, they made the call: They would plan an ultra-intimate celebration for the following year in California, where Michelle's father, aunt, and uncle reside. "We weren't going to ask them to fly across the country during a pandemic, so we decided to go to them," she explains, noting that her aunt and uncle graciously allowed them to host their wedding at their home in Occidental, California, flanked by massive redwood trees.

They hired Chanda Daniels for a Monique Affair to help them tackle the challenge of planning their celebration from across the country, which took the pressure off. "Chanda made the process of designing our wedding as fun and easy as it could be. She was fantastic!" says the bride. Shortly after, the rest of their big-day team came together. "We were intentional about choosing creatives that are BIPOC," explains the bride; the groom adds, "What was incredibly important to us was supporting Black-owned businesses in the area, and Chanda did a great job of connecting us with a variety of vendors and talents." They saw their celebration come to fruition seamlessly on June 27, 2021, starting with a meaningful ceremony that celebrated their melded family unit and ending with a next-level vegan meal and dance party.