The pandemic put a temporary hold on Emily Goldstein and David Tell’s August 2020 wedding in Napa Valley, but it couldn’t dampen the memories of their beautiful engagement day in the mountains of France.
“It definitely was a surprise,” Emily says of David’s proposal last year. “He loves to ski, so we traveled to Chamonix in the French Alps for a vacation on the slopes. One day, we took a break from skiing to visit some of the local attractions, including the summit of Aiguille du Midi, a 12,600-foot peak. It was a lovely day, and the views were amazing.” Emily says they brought along a picnic lunch and asked someone to take some photos of them together. “As we posed, I noticed David wasn’t facing the camera,” she says. “He was down on one knee, holding a ring.”
She happily accepted while nearby tourists cheered and applauded, and David broke out a bottle of champagne to commemorate the occasion. “I never suspected that he was going to propose,” Emily says. “David loves planning surprises and is really good at it! He had been walking around with the ring in his pocket for two weeks, waiting for the perfect time and place.”
Emily and David celebrated with cocktails and dinner at a local hotel. “We didn’t tell our families the exciting news until a day later,” Emily says. “We took those first 24 hours to just enjoy being engaged and let it sink in, and then we called our relatives back home.”
The wedding has been rescheduled for this November. “To commemorate our original 2020 date, we held a small, private religious wedding ceremony with just immediate family,” Emily says. “We are looking forward to the bigger event this fall, and we want to go abroad again for our honeymoon. We are thinking of Italy, possibly Sardinia.”
For now, the couple is enjoying life together in San Francisco. Emily, an alumna of Clayton High School and Stanford University, is a brand strategist and interior designer starting her own business. David, a Miami native, is a lawyer and tech entrepreneur who currently is launching a wellness app. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University.
Emily says the two will never forget the sunny, snow-capped day that marked the start of their future as husband and wife. “I smile whenever I think how the views, altitude and proposal all took my breath away at the same moment,” she says.
resources
ceremony & reception | Silverado Resort, Napa, California
gown | Helen Miller Bridal
florist | Berry & Bloom Floral
cake | Sweetie Pies Bakery
wedding party
bride’s parents | Alan & Nancy Goldstein of St. Louis
groom’s parents | Meah Tell of Denver & the late Peter Tell