Flavor Meets Fairway: Hunter Fieri Marries Tara Bernstein in Star-Studded Sonoma Ranch Celebration
Guy Fieri’s Eldest Son and Professional Pickleballer Exchange Vows in “Upscale Country” Nuptials, Featuring a Culinary Dream Team and Quirky Ranch Charm.
Sonoma, California – August 30th marked a momentous occasion in the Fieri family as Hunter Fieri, 29, the elder son of Food Network icon Guy Fieri, exchanged vows with professional pickleball player Tara Bernstein, 28. The “upscale country” wedding, held at the picturesque Fieri family property, HuntRyde Ranch, welcomed 350 guests for a weekend celebration that seamlessly blended the culinary and pickleball worlds.
The festivities kicked off on Friday, August 29th, with a “Denim & Diamonds”-themed welcome party. Under a canopy of twinkling lights, guests savored a family-style Mexican feast curated by acclaimed Chef Lorena Garcia, who added a personal touch with Venezuelan fried hot doughnuts. In a unique twist, attendees signed a YETI cooler instead of a traditional guest book, while old videos and photos of the couple played, setting a nostalgic tone for the weekend.
The ranch’s inherent charm provided a backdrop of “ranch elegance mixed with cozy camp vibes.” Guests embraced the immersive experience, with many camping on the property in trailers. The newlyweds themselves spent their wedding night in a grand tent on the ranch. A delightful petting zoo, featuring miniature donkeys named Burrito and Taquito, alongside goats, peacocks, and dogs, offered Bernstein’s East Coast family a taste of authentic Western ranch life. “It’s the ranch vibes,” Hunter quipped to PEOPLE, highlighting the playful atmosphere.
The Fieri ranch holds deep significance for the couple. It was on this very property, amidst their families, that Hunter proposed to Bernstein on Thanksgiving 2023, just nine months after their initial meeting at the Super Bowl in Arizona. The ceremony itself was held on an idyllic island in the ranch’s pond, beneath a majestic willow tree – a spot Tara had envisioned walking down to since their engagement. Escorted by her father, Joel, she traversed a floral-accented wooden bridge, making her grand entrance.
A particularly heartwarming moment came as Hunter’s 81-year-old paternal grandmother, Penelope Ferry, affectionately known as “Mimi,” took on the role of flower girl. Hunter recounted Mimi’s “beyond thrilled” reaction, recalling how she excitedly guessed her role before they could even finish asking.
The bride, radiating elegance, wore a sparkling custom Justin Alexander ballgown adorned with beaded and sequined lace appliques, paired with a scalloped cathedral-length tulle veil. Her ensemble was complemented by a bespoke “Flower Fieri” perfume from Wine Country Treats, featuring berry and forest notes. Justin Alexander also designed Bernstein’s custom strapless minidress for the welcome party and her sparkling floral high-low A-line reception gown, as well as the bridesmaids’ airy blue satin gowns. Hunter and his 20-person wedding party, including his younger brother Ryder (19) as best man, were outfitted in sharp suits from SuitShop – Hunter in a stone suit with ivory accents, and the groomsmen in tan with blue bow ties. A remarkable detail for the wedding party was the gift of custom cowboy boots, a collaboration between Old Gringo Boots and The Surgeon, each engraved with personalized messages from the couple.
During the “extremely meaningful” ceremony, officiated by Shelby Joy Scarbrough, Hunter and Tara exchanged handwritten vows and unique wedding bands designed by Dan Corbin. Reflecting on their whirlwind romance, Bernstein shared with PEOPLE that she “wasn’t looking for anything” when she met Hunter, describing their connection as a “dream come true” with a “guy version of me.”
Following the ceremony, guests moved to a “horse trailer bar” for “His & Hers” signature cocktails. Tara’s “Honey I Dew” mocktail, inspired by the US Open, was a refreshing blend of honeydew melon, cucumber, coconut water, lemonade, and blue spirulina. “The Fieri Sunrise” featured the family’s Santo Tequila Blanco, Aperol Spritz, club soda, agave, and fresh lemon and lime juice.
The reception was a true highlight, embodying the “culinary world and pickleball world” merge. Guests found their seats at tables adorned with sparkling string lights and uniquely numbered with mini Franklin pickleball paddles. The dinner, the most anticipated event of the night, was a “phenomenal” creation by the bride and groom alongside acclaimed chefs Cesar Orozco, Lorena Garcia, Antonia Lofaso, and Aaron May, assisted by Sonoma County Catering Co. Hunter humorously dubbed it “a little mini food and wine festival.” The family-style Italian menu featured appetizers like Italian charcuterie, tuna and avocado crispy rice, and pizza bites, followed by a first course of Italian chopped salad with warm focaccia. The main spread included al dente pasta with hand-rolled meatballs, a grilled vegetable medley, charred prime rib sliced Napa style, and grilled chicken piccata.
No Fieri event is complete without an extraordinary dessert, and this wedding delivered. “Cake Boss” star Buddy Valastro, 48, crafted a majestic six-tiered, four-to-five-foot tall “country chic” wedding cake. Transporting the confection from Carlo’s Bakery in New Jersey to California proved “a little more challenging” than delivering their pickleball-themed engagement cake across the Hudson River to New York City in June 2024. The “nature-esque” cake, perched on a tree stump, featured chalkboard illustrations representing the couple’s passions for cooking and pickleball. It offered multiple flavors: black and white with fudge, chocolate with fudge, and confetti cake with buttercream, plus a special gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate truffle layer for the bride’s dietary needs. Later in the night, guests enjoyed late-night Chicken Guy! tenders and Hawaiian rolls.
The celebration’s unique blend of passions extended to the dance floor, a Wimbledon-green colored pickleball court courtesy of PickleRoll. Guests danced “without curfew” to the energetic sounds of The Aces Band, HIP Entertainment and Events, Joel Young Band, and DJ IRIE. A special performance saw Tara’s father, Joel – who named his daughter after his former band – reunite with his old bandmates who had traveled from around the world to play a few songs.
The unforgettable wedding weekend concluded with a casual brunch at the ranch on Sunday, August 31st. Looking forward to their married life, Tara expressed excitement “to continue building as individuals and as people together,” emphasizing their shared passion and commitment to family and friends. Hunter echoed this sentiment, stating that married life would be “the same as what it is now” – a journey of collaboration and support, “doing everything together as much as we can.”
