Welcome, friends!!!!

Please text Leyla or Joseph the address of your lodging in Volterra so that we can arrange for your pick up with the shuttle company. If we do not have your address, we can’t have you picked up!

We met at the local book store (AKA Bumble) in the Spring of 2018. Joe asked Leyla to a date at a nearby winery. They agreed on a Friday date on a Tuesday and come Friday, Leyla FLAKED LAST MINUTE! Our friend Alexia, who you’ll get to meet at the wedding, was in medical school at the time and made a surprise visit from out of town that day. Having had her fill of dating app mishaps, Leyla made the wise but potentially life altering decision to call off the date. In true millennial fashion, the two stayed in loose contact via social media over the next couple of months, catching a vibe, if you will, for each other. Through some dating trial and error of his own in the subsequent months, Joe discovered that a beach walk is the ideal first date. No interview-style awkwardness or forced eye contact, just beautiful scenery and the option to keep the walk going for as long or short as you want it to. Come July, Joe’s wounded ego had healed. He asked her to join him for a walk at the local dog beach. The conversation was effortless and the chemistry was strong. And from there, a Summer of joyful play began that hasn’t stopped since!!!

If you take a walk around the Santa Barbara bird refuge around 6 pm on a weekday, there’s a strong chance you will bump into me (and sometimes Leyla) strolling around taking in the sights and sounds of both the local wildlife and their buddies at the Santa Barbara Zoo. We were inspired to check the place out because it reminded us of Centennial Park in Nashville, one of our favorite places to go for an afternoon stroll. Last Spring, a family of geese settled in at the bird refuge. We would go visit them several times per week, watching them grow from fluffy yellow chicks, to gangly big footed adolescents and ultimately, (near) fully grown geese capable of flying across the pond. Sometime in between the baby fluff ball and gangly tween stage of development, I planned a very special date where we would go to our favorite breakfast spot (Alessia Patisserie-highly recommend), take a quick stroll around the bird refuge, and, to Leyla’s shock and awe, I would pop the question. It was the biggest surprise I had ever planned and had to keep…so naturally, she knew with 100% certainty that May 13th would be that day. The clues that tipped me off to her knowing? As I was trying on a cheetah print shirt before breakfast, Leyla said “maybe you should wear the plain tan one instead? It will look nice with my blue dress”. Also, knowing full well we would be taking about a 1.5 mile walk after we ate, she wore her favorite pair of heels… Don’t worry-that didn’t stop her! When we reached our friends, I professed my love (I even managed to relate it to the geese), got down on one knee and asked Leyla if she would marry me. In spite of this website and the plans we’ve subsequently made, I’m still not 100% sure the wedding is on because what came out of her mouth did not remotely resemble “yes.” Jokes aside, her joy in that moment is a memory I will cherish forever. As joggers, bikers and even a friend passing by in a car cheered us on (really, Santa Barbara is so small), we snapped some pictures and walked back to our car, basking in the afterglow of our victory. The rest of the day was spent with beloved family and friends at the Santa Barbara Mission. This was actually the same day that I proposed we get married in Italy. To make a long story short, that day was easily the best day of my life. I’m thinking it might be a close second after 9/17/2024. We’d love to see you there!