Sami Bernstein and Andrew Spalter Wed in a Tuscany-Meets-Texas Affair

Sami Bernstein & Andrew Spalter
April 29, 2023

Fitness entrepreneur Sami Bernstein remembers the exact date she first laid eyes on Andrew Spalter. “It was December 17, 2019—crazy memory I know,” she laughs. “I showed up to my good friend’s birthday party super early because I had a flight to Thailand to catch, and the only other person there was Andrew.” Mutual friends had wanted to set them up for a while, and the two were instantly smitten. They went on their first date the night Sami returned from her Thailand trip, and a little more than a year later, they tied the knot in a Tuscany-meets-Texas affair at the Dallas Arboretum that celebrated their love-at-first-sight romance.

Dressed to Impress

“I remember saying that I wanted to feel like an Italian princess,” says Sami of wedding-dress shopping. And she did in the Monique Lhuillier gown she ultimately chose, with its full skirt, sweetheart neckline, and lace detailing.

Memories of Mom

“My mom saved this garter from my Aunty J’s wedding,” says Sami. “I found it in an envelope she saved for me after she passed.”

To Love and To Cherish

After tragically losing her mom, Honey, just four months before her wedding, Sami worked closely with planner Lindsey Morgan of by Bello Events to honor her mother throughout the weekend—from recreating her wedding dress for the Jewish ceremony to twirling to her favorite Etta James song for Sami’s first dance with Andrew. “It was so important to me that she felt present the whole time,” says the bride. Lindsey helped facilitate additional touches, like a front-row seat at the ceremony that was decorated with Honey’s favorite lavender roses and a bee pin for all the groomsmen to wear in honor of her nickname, “Honey B.” Lindsey says, “Sometimes the best way to honor someone is to incorporate those subtle details that maybe not everyone will catch on to, but you’ll be able to look back and have that memory with you.”