The powerhouse planner distilled years of magic making into her own union with Patrick Tobin over one ultra-customized weekend
Photography by LARA PORZAK and OLIVIA RAE JAMES
Words by KELSEY McKINNON
Since launching her own firm in 2017, Stefanie Cove has become the go-to planner for high-end weddings the world over, but during a brief pause during the pandemic, she had her own date with destiny when she met Patrick Tobin, who works in the entertainment industry.
The couple became engaged on a snowshoe adventure in Jackson Hole a few years later and finally sat down to contemplate the big day. Surprisingly, it wasn’t something they had ever really considered. For starters, they decided they wanted to stay in California. They loved going to Montecito during the early days of their relationship, and as an homage to the bride’s parents, who were married at the Beverly Hills courthouse, they had a simple civil ceremony at the Santa Barbara courthouse on a Thursday afternoon in front of their nearest and dearest.
“I don’t like to be the center of attention and I was actually happy not to have to do the whole walking down the aisle thing with everyone staring at you,” says the bride, who entrusted Neely Shell, the director of production at Stefanie Cove & Co., to lead the weekend’s festivities.
On Friday, the couple welcomed more than 100 guests to an elegant garden party at San Ysidro Ranch, where Stefanie arrived in a green Monique Lhuillier dress that her friend and stylist Tara Maietta had reproduced just for her. The following night, at a grand Spanish Colonial estate in Montecito, the wedding celebration slowly evolved from cocktails to dinner to dancing. Chef Eduardo Baldi of E. Baldi in Beverly Hills was an early phone call in the planning process, as was friend and longtime collaborator Mexican florist Gabriela Salazar, who worked with local farms in Santa Barbara to produce all the florals for the weekend.
“We didn’t have to come up with some crazy idea just because of what I do and have people say, ‘Oh my God, she did the most unique thing for her wedding.’ I’ve always felt people should do what fits them and that nothing has to be traditional or normal,” says Stefanie, who is looking forward to spending her “honeymoon” at home in West Hollywood with Patrick and their three dogs.
Stylist: Tara Maietta
Dresses: Safiyaa, Monique Lhuillier, and Vivienne Westwood
Tuxedo: Ralph Lauren
Flowers: La Musa de las Flores
Catering: E. Baldi
Dessert: Roxanne Rosensteel
Band: Sound House
This story originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of C Weddings.
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