‘Masked’ Pandemic Cover Couple Tie the Knot in Florida

For the past two years, Jordyn Aronowitz and Blake Simon have been looking forward to getting married. The power couple met eight years ago, in their first year at Emory Law School. Like many brides and grooms, they were forced to reschedule their wedding date to ensure that family and friends could attend. They finally made the decision to marry on 2-20-2022, a memorable date that sounded just right.

The couple graced the cover of the AJT Style issue in summer 2020, in surgical masks, just as the COVID pandemic was beginning to lead to event cancellations and postponements. The scene of the proposal was staged for Jordyn by Blake at her home in Plantation, Fla., where she grew up.

Bride and groom make music together. // Jeff Kolodny Photography

Family and friends joined in via Zoom, and the celebration took place in spite of the pandemic. The couple selected Temple Kol Ami Emanu-El — where Jordyn’s mother and father, of blessed memory, had also wed — as the setting for the ceremony. Guests stayed at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa, with its private beach and resort ambiance.

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In the months leading up to the wedding, Jordyn and Blake moved back to Atlanta from Manhattan, where they had been working. Both landed their dream jobs: Jordyn is now a real estate litigation associate at Arnall Golden Gregory and Blake is an associate at Austin & Byrd, working in the litigation and trial practice group.

The festivities began on Saturday night with a fabulous welcome dinner hosted by the groom’s parents, Lori and Arthur Simon, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale. Food stations, memorable toasts and a dessert extravaganza with an ice cream truck delighted the guests. At every turn, there were meaningful details reflecting the bride and groom’s love of family, their interests and personable style. (The ice cream truck had been a familiar feature at Blake’s birthday parties while growing up.)

Jordyn and Blake in an ice cream truck at their rehearsal dinner. // Mavila Photography

On Sunday night, a memorable black-tie wedding was hosted by the bride’s mother, Lisa Aronowitz. Blake’s tallis was placed on the chuppah and the couple was wrapped in the same tallis that Jordyn had used 17 years ago, during her bat mitzvah on the same bimah. The bride wore a glamorous and timeless Pronovias gown. The creative appetizer hour featured fun foods like mini tacos and mini margaritas, little burgers with small Dr. Peppers and fried chicken and waffles.

The bride and bridesmaids carried modern floral bouquets wrapped in Jordyn’s father’s ties. // Jeff Kolodny Photography

“The food choices at the wedding and appetizers were all Blake,” said Jordyn. “His excitement about the food was important and we wanted everything (from the food, the band, to the photobooth) to be fun and different. The unique appetizer stations were a big part of that.” Even the wedding cake was original, iced in gold and white with a replica of the bride and groom and their beloved cockapoo, Bruce.

Fusion band Rock With U provided the entertainment — a combination of DJ and live band. The couple’s first dance was to “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” by the Backstreet Boys. “Before we began dating,” Blake said, “we bonded over late ‘90s and early 2000s pop music, which obviously includes boy bands. Our first date was actually an Aaron Carter concert (one of the Backstreet Boys’ little brothers), so it only made sense to include the Backstreet Boys as our first dance song.”

Jordyn and Blake celebrate their long-awaited wedding. // Jeff Kolodny

Floral decorator Dalsimer Atlas created the bride’s bouquet, while the bridesmaids carried their own bouquets, composed of calla lilies wrapped in Jordyn’s father’s ties.

“My father passed away when I was 11,” Jordyn said, “and my mom saved his ties along with a favorite tie that I got him for Father’s Day. It was important for us to feel like he was incorporated into the wedding.”

After two nights in South Beach, the couple headed back to work. “We are hoping to honeymoon next year, ideally if the world is back to normal, in South Africa,” the bride said.

“We are so grateful to Jordyn’s mom and my parents for planning the welcome dinner,” said Blake, “because we’ve both been so busy between moving states, finding new jobs, finding a place to live, and it’s been a whirlwind. We leaned on our parents a lot and they came through to make this a wonderful weekend for the two of us. Our wedding exemplified everything that we hope for in our marriage: love, joy, happiness, fun and creating memories with those who matter most. The entire weekend was perfect and exactly how we envisioned sealing the deal.”