Four years ago, Lyndsy Fonseca and Noah Bean met how many actors in Hollywood meet: on the set of a television show – in this case, Nikita. “Lyndsy and I sometimes worked together and other times against one another to take down various bad guys over the course of four seasons. Through some long, cold Canadian winters, we fell in love – and beat all the bad guys,” laughs Noah. Soon after meeting Lyndsy, Noah knew that he would be lucky to spend his life with her. “I had a conversation with my father before he passed away that made me realize there was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy life with someone I loved right in front of me and that I better grab ahold of that,” he shares.
It wasn’t long before Noah asked Lyndsy’s parents for their blessings and prepared to propose with his great-grandmother’s diamond ring. “We were at the house his late father built in Conway, Massachusetts,” Lyndsy begins to explain of the proposal site. “He took me on a short drive to an old bridge overlooking a stream, read me a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson called 'Success,' and got down on one knee” to propose, which she joyously accepted. Though Noah thought it was meaningful to offer Lyndsy an heirloom that was a part of his family, he assured his beloved they would source ethical and environmentally friendly jewelers in New York to pick out a perfect new engagement ring together.
Deciding to host their nuptials near Noah’s hometown in Connecticut – “He had more guests than I did, so we decided fewer people would have to fly to the East Coast,” explains Lyndsy – they chose a vineyard setting designed to have an earthy, natural feel to honor the bride’s home in California. On the day of the ceremony, 160 loved ones were greeted with hot cider in a courtyard before barn gates opened to reveal the alfresco space by the vines. Chairs decorated with ferns and ribbons lined a grass aisle sprinkled with flower petals leading to a chuppah built by Noah using poplar trees from his late father’s property and a linen that belonged to his grandmother. “This was a very important element to me that I was happy to be able to make happen,” he notes.
Noah waited patiently beneath the structure for his bride, who emerged in an A-line gown and carried a bouquet of purple blooms that also adorned her braided updo, which she styled herself. Friends of the couple performed the music, including a beautiful rendition of “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, and the groom’s best friend conducted the ceremony. “Chris did a fantastic job of incorporating all of the things that were important to us,” says Noah. “It was honest, fun, emotional, and an uplifting call to everyone to come together and help guide and support us through our lives.” The pair wrote their own vows in poem form, perfectly complementing the eclectic service, which included a scene they shared in Nikita comedically acted out by two friends, readings from Jewish and Buddhist traditions, and an old Spanish custom to honor the presence of late loved ones.
Following the cocktail hour, which included a wine tasting from the on-site vineyard and an avocado station to bring in more California influences, guests found their table assignments suspended from twine by miniature clothespins. Entering the warm reception space, they discovered twinkling globe lights and dark wooden chairs that matched the walls of the space and surrounded tables strewn with ivory linens. Low arrangements of cream, lavender, and fuchsia blooms decorated each tablescape, as well as various DIY elements made by Lyndsy and her friends.
“As we were planning our wedding, we remembered how many creative and talented friends we had and wanted to take advantage of their gifts,” notes the groom. Thus, they asked various loved ones to make the day more personal by baking the wedding confection, creating the cake topper, building a photo booth, decorating their truck with “just married” signs, and singing during the father-daughter dance, among others. “We cherished all of these details and they helped to make it an even more unique day to remember,” he adds. Celebrity guests included Melinda Clarke and Aaron Stanford from Nikita, as well as fellow actors Aly Michalka, Jeremy Strong, and Jennifer Westfeldt.
A local, organic, and 100% vegetarian dinner was served and wine flowed as guests enjoyed dancing to classic rock ‘n’ roll and Motown hits along with some current favorites. Lyndsy and Noah shared their first dance to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” which they had planned with the band to stop at one point and act like they needed something more special. Lyndsy then revealed tap shoes and performed a memorable dance. “It was a big surprise to the guests and was tons of fun!” exclaims the groom. For the father-daughter dance, the bride’s younger sister, Hannah Leigh Dworkin, sang “Gracie” by Ben Folds with the band’s support behind her, and at the end of the night, the band led a memorable sing-a-long serenade of “Stand By Me.”
After planning the fête themselves, the couple offers sound advice to future brides and grooms. “Stay present and let the day fall as it may,” shares Lyndsy. “We had so much fun! It also felt like our wedding since we personalized everything.” The groom agrees: “Even the moments that didn’t go exactly the way we planned helped make our wedding special and unique. Take a breath, look around, smile and say thank you to all of these incredible people who came together to support you and be witnesses to this special day.”