Environmental Focus was Key for Nicki & Sebastian

Nicki Alexander and Sebastian Jindra-Cotilla met Labor Day weekend 2016 at U.C.-Berkeley before beginning a development economics master’s program together. The program director hosted a meet-and-greet dinner, which happened to be on Nicki’s 24th birthday (“best birthday present ever meeting Sebastian,” she said). They knew and their classmates knew, “it was love at first sight.” The two were engaged seven years later.

Nicki is a passionate environmentalist, having lived and taught here and abroad since graduating from the University of Georgia honors program. Sebastian, a fellow world traveler, went to Vassar College, received a master’s degree at Columbia University, and was a Fulbright scholar in Colombia. During COVID, the two were airlifted from Paraguay where they both served in the Peace Corps.

After spending five years in New York City, the two moved to San Francisco last summer. Nicki is the executive director of Friends of Sausal Creek, a conservation non-profit managing a 2,600-acre watershed. Sebastian is an educator focusing on English as a second language adult education.

The proposal was at the Berkeley Marina, where Nicki and Sebastian had gone on their first date to eat blueberry muffins. In 2017, while visiting the Bay Area, they rode bicycles from a Berkeley friend’s house to the marina, this time with rings instead of muffins, and asked each other to marry.

On Aug. 31, the Straus Ranch venue provided nature’s finest wedding backdrop and vistas. They had 160 guests and Labor Day weekend was chosen to mark the ninth anniversary of their first meeting.

Nicki recalled, “We immediately fell in love with Straus Home Ranch when we were dazzled by the view of Tomales Bay and the gorgeous eucalyptus grove for the ceremony, the Victorian house on the property for the mingle, and the renovated 1940s barn for indoor and outdoor parties. The diversity of unique wedding experiences in a single location completely fit mine and Sebastian’s adventurous spirits. The owners of the property are the children of Holocaust survivors whose parents purchased the farm after fleeing Western Europe. The “children” are extremely lovely people who are also very invested in environmental conservation, something really important.”

The cuisine focused on sustainability and sourcing. The menu included Moroccan chicken, a cumin-crusted salmon, arugula and pear salad, smashed fingerling potatoes, cardamom snap peas, and tahini caramelized cauliflower and sourdough bread. According to Sebastian, “A true feast!”

A bluegrass band from Berkeley, The Town Howlers, performed at the ceremony and mingle before dinner. For the processional, they played, “If Not for You,” by Bob Dylan as Sebastian and Nicki are both huge Dylan fans. At the party for their first dance, a DJ from Dart Collective spun, “Samba Pa’ Ti” by Santana, favorites for all the dancing, including some merengue and reggaeton … Sebastian is Cuban and both are bilingual, so they love Latin music and the “Hora,” too! A Volkswagen van photo bus captured unique pics.

Nicki’s gown was Israeli-designed from a boutique in New York. Nicki described as “perfect, as I didn’t want a train and it was incredibly comfortable. I had an additional reception dress that I never even put on because I loved my wedding dress so much.”

The florist, JenniFlora, was charged with designing “a wildflower vibe from her sustainable gardens. She created enchanting floral landscapes for both Saturday and Sunday nights, including Nicki’s flower crown, from blue eryngium, fennel, and xeranthemum blooms matching the bouquet. In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, they chose three: a gluten-free chocolate souffle, lemon meringue, and passion fruit Bavarian.

Doyenne Atlantan, grandma Elaine Alexander, hosted a paella rehearsal feast by starting, “The dinner the night before the wedding always used to be called the rehearsal dinner. But Nicki and Sebastian have been going out for almost 10 years. So, I think they have rehearsed enough. Let’s just call this a welcome dinner.”

The couple will go on a November honeymoon to include Kyoto, the Japanese Alps, and hiking the 50-mile Kumano Kodo trail.

Parents are Diane and Kent Alexander and Katherine Jindra and Raul Cotilla. The former described the wedding as “magical,” “a fairy tale,” and, “very Nicki and Sebastian.”