Photos by Mary Kissel Photography
LOVE IS IN THE AIR, and Cupid’s on the move this February 14—especially for Lynda Goeke, 60, and Don Katz, 77. It’s the first Valentine’s Day the Carmel couple will celebrate as husband and wife. Where will they observe the holiday? “In Goa, India, probably eating curry somewhere,” Lynda says. She expects to be sipping champagne and toasting the cusp of their three-month anniversary.
The Goeke-Katz nuptials were much anticipated by the “small group” of around 500 family members and friends who attended. Invitees traveled from both coasts, Canada, and Israel to share in the celebration. As Lynda says, the couple’s November 16 black-tie wedding at the Indiana Roof Ballroom “lived up to the hype. It was epic.” Lynda, escorted by her 90-year-old mother Marilyn Goeke, made her grand entrance to the tune of “Hello, Dolly!” It was one of Don’s favorite moments as everyone jumped up, cheering and applauding. He says, “People told me what they saw was the love in the room for Lynda and myself.”
And then there was the wedding party, which included 36 bridesmaids and 31 groomsmen. No, those are not typos. In this case, the attendants were “honorary” and, as Don notes, most of them lifelong friends of the couple. Scattered across the ballroom, they stood in place as the couple took their vows (which they had written themselves), with Don’s oldest son Jake officiating. The ceremony included elements from their Jewish and Catholic faith traditions. Especially memorable? When Don turned to Lynda at the end of the ceremony and sang “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady to his beaming bride.
The first dance of the reception immediately followed, with the couple swaying to Etta James’ song “At Last,” which begins with the lyrics, “At last my love has come along. / My lonely days are over, / And life is like a song.” Afterward, the party kicked into high gear and didn’t slow down … until the last call just before midnight. The champagne and adult beverages flowed, and an array of elaborate food stations teemed with offerings like charred flank steak with butternut squash puree and charred Brussels with oven-dried apples. Dinner and drinks were served as 10-piece band GrooveSmash and vocalist Natalie Marque performed onstage.
Are you thinking over-the-top lavish? Absolutely, but why not? This was a love story years in the making. Lynda was a bridesmaid many times over, but never the bride, a wedding planner and caterer known for throwing unforgettable parties but usually for someone else. That’s not to say she didn’t have suitors. She had plenty, but she was intent on waiting for the right guy and ultimately found him.
The couple connected 10-plus years ago while attending a wedding of mutual friends, also at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. They’ve been together ever since. Why not tie the knot sooner? Don, who owns Max Katz Bag Company, says finalizing his divorce (he’d been long separated) and blending the two families “took some time.”
Katz was finally able to propose a year ago while the couple was on a cruise. But he also insisted on following protocol. Since Lynda’s father had passed away, he approached Lynda’s mother, saying, “I have something to tell you and something to ask you. Lynda is pregnant.” When everyone stopped laughing, he broke the ice and asked for permission to marry her daughter. And, of course, she said yes.
The couple could have eloped but decided they wanted to share their joy. In fact, Lynda invited not just their friends but their friends’ families. “I’ve watched them all grow up, and I wanted them to be part of the story,” she says. “It was a multigenerational group.”
Photos by Mary Kissel Photography
The celebration began well before the wedding. Friends and family of Lynda’s hosted four bridal showers and a bachelorette party. In the meantime, Don kept his prenuptial outings to one bachelor party, which he described as “guys sitting around a fire pit with cigars and adult beverages.”
And if that’s not enough, the couple hosted 150 relatives at their Carmel home the night before the wedding. Lynda, forever a hostess, catered and prepared the meal with help from Don. She did not, however, plan or micromanage the wedding. “I’m type A,” she laughs. “I had to let go and let God.”
Kate MacGill, a bridesmaid and cousin of Lynda’s, says she was thrilled to be part of the wedding and everything leading up to it. “Lynda has always been the one helping people out and ensuring their happiness,” MacGill says, “and this was her turn.”
Still, the fun and extravagant wedding no doubt has people wondering what the couple’s anniversaries will be like. But first, they’ve yet decide what adventures await on the honeymoon.
