Feinstein & Fishman Flourish at Four Seasons

The wedding of Ali Feinstein and Sam Fishman took place on Oct. 3 at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas (Texas) at Las Colinas in front of 250 guests. Friday night Shabbat dinner was hosted by the bride’s parents, Susie and Allan Feinstein; Saturday night events were hosted by Beth and Evan Fishman, the groom’s parents. Ali said of the venue, “I wanted to get married there since I was a little girl. It’s such a beautiful resort. That’s where Sam proposed to me, so it has extra sentimental value.”

Sam said, “The wedding was truly the deepest, most meaningful day of my life. The most fun. The feeling when I broke the glass — knowing it was official that Ali and I were married and starting the rest of our lives together — was pure ecstasy. I knew the first night we ‘officially’ met in College Park in 2016, that my life was going to change. I was right.”

Sam meets his bride. //Photo by Carter Rose Weddings

The couple met at the University of Maryland and started dating during Sam’s junior year (Ali’s senior year). When Ali graduated, they had a “long-distance relationship” before Sam moved to Dallas to attend Southern Methodist University law school. Sam is a commercial litigation attorney, and Ali works in sales and marketing at her family’s business, Maui Foods International, a wholesale manufacturer of gourmet muffin batter and cookie dough for the resort, retail grocery store, and cruise line industries.

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Since the couple met in college, Rabbi Ari Israel, the executive director of the Maryland Hillel, performed the ceremony. Ali said, “We both had close relationships with Rabbi Israel in college; it meant the world to us to have him play an important role in our wedding. We met with him (virtually) many times to discuss the meaning of the wedding, and marriage in general. He gave important context to a lot of the traditions we took part in throughout the day.” Sam grew up attending Chabad of North Fulton, so Rabbi Hirshy Minkowicz was a special guest.

The couple chose a modern Lucite chuppah. //Photo by Carter Rose Weddings

A charming twist to the story is Sam’s friendship with Alexandra Morris throughout their childhood at the Woodward Academy, resulting in almost concurrent weddings. Sam said, “Alexandra and I grew up together; we are essentially family. We have always maintained a close relationship, and it’s honestly wild we got married within two weeks of each other.”

Ali’s elegant backdrop was filled with white florals: white moth orchids, Hawaiian orchids, hydrangeas, large garden roses, spray roses, ranunculus (buttercups) and lisianthus. Likewise, her bouquet overflowed with alabaster tropicals. A modern Lucite chuppah was designed with a floral banding in white tones with texture and volume. Its surface was accented with glowing candles at varying heights. The chuppah was elevated on a white Lucite stage.

Ali’s strapless dress was by Meira Zwillinger. “When I first tried it on,” she recalled, “I knew instantly that this was the one! It fit like a glove. Each detail was absolutely stunning, and I felt amazing wearing it all night. I never wanted to take it off!” Attendants wore contrasting floor-length black gowns. Sam’s tux was by Zegna. One of the kiddush cups belonged to Ali’s Bubbe from Poland. Sam’s cufflinks were passed down from his great-grandfather, for whom he is named. Sam was also wearing his late grandfather’s watch.

Ali and Sam’s first dance was to “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” by the Talking Heads. //Photo by Carter Rose Weddings

The couple’s first dance was to “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” by the Talking Heads. Sam joked, “We took dance lessons, but they didn’t seem to help so much.”

Looking back, Ali’s advice for other brides is: “Focus on what matters, don’t get lost in the sauce. At the end of the day, it’s about the two of you. It’s ok to get emotional with this heavy and serious undertaking. Appreciate it and embrace the feelings … and once that glass breaks, get your party on!”

Sam concluded with thoughts about Ali’s virtues, “The amount of love in her heart. Her smile when she laughs … and that she’s smoking hot!” Ali mused, “My absolute favorite thing about Sam is the immense love he has for me, his family and friends — he truly is the sweetest man in the world. I’m so lucky to call him my husband. And Sam’s intelligence always amazes me!”