In matching navy tuxes, Chris Sarli and Aramis Alvarez stood in front of family and friends on a sunny May day to share their love. It was the first time a few of their family members had met, but the mood was joyful and relaxed. “I thought I was going to be anxious,” remembers Chris. “But it was pretty easy for us; I was invested in the moment.”
His husband Aramis agrees. “And then the ceremony came, and that’s when your heart beats the fastest. That’s when a lot of the tears were flowing.”
The couple, both hardware engineers at Apple (Aramis works on the iPhone and Chris on virtual reality headsets), first met as electrical engineering students at the University of Florida. For their loved ones, especially their young nieces and nephews, they wanted their wedding to be emblematic of the knowledge that love is love.
“This was the first gay wedding that we’ve ever been to—our own wedding. We wanted it to be a really memorable event,” explains Chris.
The couple chose music from a classical cellist and violinist and served a beautiful meal of halibut and rack of lamb, plus a gelato bar with Port and other dessert wines—Aramis’s special request. To bring in elements of pride, the couple wore bow ties and socks with subtle patterns of rainbows and hearts, then cut into an elaborate rainbow cake for dessert as their friends whooped and cheered.
“Sometimes it still feels like a blur, because there’s so much emotion, in a good way,” says Aramis. The couple left for a honeymoon in Bora Bora the very next day. “It was ‘Wedding. Boom. Honeymoon.’ We wanted to keep it on that high.”
Resources
Planner: Katrina Reed, Bravo Weddings & Events
Photographer: Lily Rose Photography
Location and wine: Jacuzzi Family Vineyards
Catering: Park Avenue Catering
Floral designer: Succulents SF
Cake: Jill Habansky, Sweet Cake Sonoma
Music: AMS Entertainment
Custom tuxedos: Indochino