Izabella Elkis and Jordan Rubin were introduced by their best friends. “Before our first date, Jordan sent me his CFA exam study notes, because I was just starting to study for a level he had passed,” Izabella shares. “His notes were actually short novels summarizing every book and were extremely intense.
I really appreciated it but started to think I might just go on some dates for these notes that clearly replaced a need to do any actual reading. But after our first date, I immediately knew he was special. He was deep, interesting, thoughtful, and really fun. It felt like we connected on a different level from the beginning.”
“I BRAGGED TO MY FRIENDS ABOUT THINKING SHE’D BE THE ONE – AND THAT FEELING CLEARLY NEVER LEFT ME.”
“I had a special feeling about Bella before our first date – to the point that I called her a few times just to chat before we even went out,” Jordan adds. “I bragged to my friends about thinking she’d be the one – and that feeling clearly never left me. Our first date was perfect, aside from the fact that I accidentally stepped on her toe the first time we kissed on the cheek and said hi. Rough start but it only got better from there.”
Fast forward to the day before Izabella’s birthday. The couple was walking through Battery Park along the water, right when the sun was setting. Jordan suddenly asked a man with a guitar if he could borrow his instrument – a man he had secretly hired for the occasion. “He sat down and sang lyrics he wrote to James Arthur’s ‘Say You Won’t Let Go,’ which he played on the guitar,” says Izabella. “Luckily, a photographer who was hiding in the bushes got everything on camera. We went to dinner afterwards, just the two of us, and my birthday party the next day turned into an engagement party with a few more surprise guests.”
A destination wedding in California was soon in the works, and Izabella and James scoured over the details with their planner, Jeannie from Details Details. “It was definitely important to have Jeannie on the ground in California,” Izabella explains. “She was very familiar with our venue and all the vendors in the area, and just handled everything with ease and so professionally. She made us feel very confident and secure even when we were so far away.”
When the wedding day arrived, the bride and groom were overwhelmed with happiness as soon as they saw each other. During the reception, their vision of an intimate room came together, surrounding guests with a warm ambiance draped in taupe and glowing with candlelight. A live band kicked off the evening, and the dance party ended with a DJ, electric violinist, drummer, and loads of confetti.
Right after the celebration, the newlyweds decompressed with a minimoon in Big Sur. A few months later, they headed to South Africa for a wine country and safari adventure before relaxing in the Seychelles.
WEDDING TALENT
Location and Caterer: The Resort at Pelican Hill Newport Beach, CA; Planner: Details Details, Irvine, CA; Wedding Dress: Galia Lahav; Groom's Attire: Tom Ford
