Wedding Day

Ceremony

Welcome Reception

Welcome to Camp Neucek (the Neufer-Stovicek wedding!)

Our Wedding

Raised in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City, Zandy took a leap of faith and decided to move cross country for her first job as a nurse practitioner. Little did she know, history would be made two weeks later in the Arizona desert. She’d go on a Hinge date to a blues and beer festival with a goofy bald guy - despite him being dressed as a swamp creature on his dating profile. Their first date lasted nearly ten hours, spanned over two meals (Cane’s and Paradise Biryani), and it was the first time Jared’s new dog Jasper decided to relax from his constant vigil staring out the window by the door. The rest was a whirlwind. They were endlessly amused by each other’s creative, curious minds, and saw each other as kindred spirits. On their third date, Jared asked, “can we make this official?” and Zandy said “slow your roll.” But even before she changed her answer to “yes” a month later, Zandy told her mom on the phone that she thought this could be the person she would marry. And they continued to fall in love, energized with the same excitement for adventure.Jared showed Zandy his favorite hiking trails in the Superstitions. Together they backpacked the Havasupai trail in the Grand Canyon and the Laugavegur trail in Iceland. They shared a love of sushi and oyster shooters, reading out loud at bedtime, and collecting hot sauces, boasting a several-dozen-bottle collection. Zandy soon became a staple at Jared’s shows, learning the lyrics to his songs (sometimes even better than Jared) and getting the whole crowd to dance. Their fondest memories of Phoenix together include long walks with Jasper in their Coronado neighborhood backyard, where they threw raucous Halloween parties and hosted several patio concerts. Then on December 7, 2024, Jared proposed to Zandy on a hike in the Four Peaks Wilderness, an iconic area in central Arizona. Zandy’s answer came a little quicker than Jared’s first question over two and a half years before. Another year later they continue to live life to the fullest, getting to know their new home in Charlottesville, Virginia and planning their epic wedding with all of you!

Our Story

Photos

Meet the Wedding Crew!

Jules Vermeulen - Zandy's First MateJules has been central to Zandy’s life since 2014. We like to joke that Zandy has followed in all her footsteps, meeting first at Wesleyan University, attending Yale School of Nursing together, and influencing each other to move to (or come back to) their beloved state of Arizona. They can have fun doing pretty much anything together, whether hiking in the desert or dancing at Jared’s shows. What can we say? She brings out the Zandy in Zandy!

Rachel Bachman - Jared's First MateRachel is Jared’s *musical* soulmate. Following Jared’s pattern of meeting the special people in his life right after they move to town, Rachel showed up at an open mic two weeks after she arrived from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their friendship and musical connection has survived difficult times, long delirious road trips, and even the most horrible of blues jams.

Julia Scheinman - Bride's CrewJulia is Zandy’s graduate nursing school best friend and partner in crime. They formed a strong bond by riding the waves of blood, sweat, and tears together. Zandy and Julia’s friendship story features a love of musical theatre (shout out Yale Rep/Broadway days) and fondness for their shared Ohio roots. Julia brings out Zandy’s fast-walking city girl side, and she reminds Zandy a lot of her mother, Vicki. Julia developed a pen pal type relationship with Vicki, and their connection is something that always makes Zandy smile.

Sonia Max - Bride's CrewSonia is Zandy’s college best friend, and brings out her spiritual, cozy, and tree-hugging sides. You can find them workshopping their headstands together and having spa nights. While they pursued a liberal arts degree at Wesleyan together, Sonia coincidentally also decided to go to nursing school after college. Living just three hours apart this year is giving them a lot more opportunities to spend time together and Zandy could not be more grateful!

Olivia Stovicek - Bride's CrewThe eldest triplet sister of the bride, Olivia, is our gentle peacemaker. Olivia and Zandy share more than ADHD - they geek out on queer fantasy and sci-fi novels together, gravitate to each other’s counsel during difficult times, and share a healthy love for spicy and unusual foods. And dancing!

Nadia Stovicek - Bride's CrewThe middle triplet sister of the bride, Nadia, is the life of our party. Nadia and Zandy share a love of fierce debating on social issues, epic hikes (they backpacked together in Patagonia in 2024), and share (well, mostly it’s Zandy copying Nadia) a silly sense of humor. Together they speak so quickly that they’ve been asked “what language are you speaking?” by English-speaking strangers - twice.

Caitlin McGlade - Groom's CrewDespite being an award-winning investigative journalist, Caitlin is the friend that indulges the part of Jared that Zandy grudgingly puts up with - his incredibly stupid sense of humor. If Jared and Caitlin aren’t intentionally misspelling words or over-quoting I Think You Should Leave, they’re probably gorging themselves on crab or making up new dumb nicknames for their dogs.

James Taylor - Groom's CrewJames Taylor (no relation) is the guitar player, graphic designer, and the voice of reason in Jared’s band Chrome Rhino. His guitar solos can figuratively melt faces, while his dark British wit can cause literal burns. He’s the Statler to Jared’s Waldorf as they snob out about music (meanwhile, Travis is Fozzy Bear).

Travis Prillaman - Groom's CrewTravis is the bass player, rhythmic backbone, and the voice of unreasonable ambition in Chrome Rhino. It remains to be seen which grows faster, the number of songs he has written, or the number of Disney-themed mugs he owns. He also is definitely the friendliest person you will ever meet.

Ian Neufer - Groom's CrewIan is the groom’s only brother - and a fellow musician, programmer, and bearded-bald-guy. Despite their four year age difference, Jared and Ian grew up thick as thieves, inventing their own imaginary world with its own basketball league, in which they were obviously the star players. Though they look similar and share many interests, Ian is the quiet, contemplative, wiser foil to Jared’s goofy, childish (childLIKE!) demeanor.

Gork - OfficiantIn your opening credits to a movie or TV show, you typically put someone truly notable last. So we conclude our opening sequence with “and Gork.” Like Bono, Cher, and Sade, he requires only one name, and only four letters. Jared met Gork, a fellow musician and songwriter, around 10 years ago in the Phoenix music scene, and they soon became close friends - so, an obvious choice for a groomsman. But given his larger-than-life stage presence, as well as his deep friendship with Zandy, he’s recently been promoted to officiant. We’re honored to have our marriage ceremony conducted by such a legend.

Jasper - Absentee RingbearerJasper is sadly unable to make the trek with us to Maine, because he was told he may disturb the wildlife on the island. But he deserves a spot here nonetheless because he is the sweetest boy there ever was and ever will be.

Meet the Crew

The wedding will take place on Sunday August 30th. We have decided not to have a formal gathering of all guests on the 29th and focus our efforts on the wedding day itself! Q: How will guests get to the island?A: Fogg’s Water Taxi will pick up guests at the dock at 72 Commercial St in downtown Portland, near a restaurant called Scales. Guests will walk towards the end of the dock and wait for the taxi there. We will be providing ferries back. As we get closer to the wedding we will have an official list of all the boats we have scheduled to and from the island. Q: I’m driving to the wedding or renting a car. Can I park my car near the ferry pick-up? What if I’m camping?A: Yes! Unfortunately, as Portland has a busy downtown, there are no free parking options. We recommend carpooling or taking a ride share to the docks from where you’re staying.If you would like to park, Simba Parking Lot (216 Fore St) is a 7 minute walk from the ferry pickup and offers a $20 flat rate to park all day, but not overnight. There are several parking garages nearby as well, and the parking app Spot Hero can be helpful in finding predictable short term parking. Casco Bay Parking Garage54 Commercial StreetRates: $5 per hour | $50 daily maximum (Rates may vary) Thames Street Lot67 Thames Street$15 per 24-hour period (up to 15 days, rates may vary)Pay at the kiosk or via the Passport Parking App using Zone 7116 Q: What is the dress code?A: Summer cocktail attire. However, we recommend wearing comfortable shoes or bringing a spare pair, as you will be walking on dirt/grass between different places on the island. Q: I have dietary restrictions, how can I get those met?A: The wedding meal will be served buffet style but dietary restrictions are of the utmost priority for the catering staff. They are very comfortable working with restrictions and the RSVP has a section to mention them. Q: What is the bathroom situation?A: There are two handmade cedar portable bathrooms, each a little bigger than a port-a-potty. They are very nice and very clean! Q: Is there electricity? Wifi?A: The central event tent has solar-powered battery packs for charging phones and devices. There is no wifi, but the cell signal is strong to use as a hotspot in most areas. Q: I hear the party will continue when the band ends-can I stick around?A: Absolutely! If you're not camping and would like to be at the afterparty, let us know in the RSVP - Fogg's runs ferries late into the night and we will be providing them. Q: What will happen in the event of an emergency?A: There is an AED and first aid kit on the island. We can call 911 and the Portland Fire boat would be able to reach us within minutes, just like on land. Two of the Fortland staff have ER experience. Not to mention Zandy and her three friends on the wedding crew are all healthcare professionals! Q: What will happen if there is bad weather?A: We will have a plan in place in case of rain - we may move some things around so that everyone is under cover, but the party will go on, rain or shine! If there’s rain in the forecast as we approach the date of the wedding, we’ll keep everyone updated.

Q + A

The wedding will take place at Fortland on House Island, a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown Portland. Ferries to and from the island from downtown will be provided for all guests. Ferry pick-up location:The dock at 72 Commercial St in downtown Portland.It is right next to the restaurant called Scales. This is a really popular time of year for a vacation in Maine, so lodging in Portland can be quite limited. We recommend securing lodging sooner rather than later if you already know you plan to attend. Here are some options: 1) Our hotel block at Courtyard Marriott Portland Airport: Two night minimum stay, $249 a night for a king-only room, $269 a night for two queensComplimentary parkingStarbucks cafe on site for breakfast10 minutes from airport, complimentary airport shuttle10 minutes from downtown Portland (ferry pickup location) You can book at <a href="http://bit.ly/neucekhotel" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bit.ly/neucekhotel</a> or call the hotel directly at 207-253-5005, mentioning the group name “Neucek Wedding” to receive the discounted rate. 2) Airbnb and VRBO have lots of options. We recommend Munjoy Hill as a great neighborhood location, but you really can’t go wrong! 3) Camping on the island. Camping is only available for the night of the wedding, so you would need to secure lodging for the night before. You'll have ample time to set up before the ceremony and a designated area to get ready. This is not fancy camping! 4) Hotel in downtown Portland. Hotels can be significantly more expensive in this area but walkable to the ferry pickup downtown. Hilton Garden Inn is one of our favorites! 5) There are several other islands in the vicinity and we don't have experience with them, on whether or not you can travel directly to House Island or if you'd need to come to Portland first. All of them require transportation via ferry, regardless of what google maps says! This would most likely be a private ferry and so you'd need to schedule it in advance. Portland Sea Taxi: 207-879-2562Casco Bay Custom Charters: 207-879-2562Casco Bay Lines: 207-774-7871Fogg's Water Taxi: 207-415-8493. The wedding party and immediate family will be staying on the island itself Saturday and Sunday night.

Lodging

Camping is available on the island the night of the wedding - let us know in the RSVP if you'd like to camp! Q: What will I do for breakfast?A: We have a refrigerator on a different side of the island. We will be supplying bag breakfasts for the morning after the wedding. Fortland will be supplying coffee! Q: When would I set my tent up?A: Campers will be offered an earlier ferry to have time to pitch their own tents before the ceremony. Fortland staff will lead campers to their tents, and they have a vehicle available to help transport luggage. We’ll also have a designated area for folks to freshen up after pitching their tents. Q: What are the camping amenities?A: There is no running water, but we will be supplying water. There will be portable solar camp showers, a foot pedal sink for washing dishes, and the camp bathrooms mentioned above. Campers will not be able to make their own fires, but we’ll have a fire going the night of the wedding. No cooking or food is allowed at tent sites, but we will be supplying snacks after the reception as well!

Info for Campers

Portland is a great city to walk around! You can explore breweries, thrift stores, and other cool places. The area features many rocky beaches and lighthouses available by car. Here are some of our best recommendations.

Activities:Walk on the Eastern PromenadeVisit (and swim at) the East End beach Bakeries:BLVL in Munjoy HillStandard Baking Co. (A Vicki favorite!) Restaurants downtown:Honey Paw (Thai)Duck Fat (American)Scales (Fancy Seafood-on the same pier as the ferry pickup)Eventide (Fancy Seafood - Jared’s favorite restaurant!) Brunch:Becky’s Diner (downtown Portland)The Front Room (Munjoy Hill) Breweries:OxbowRising TideAustin St. Day Trip Ideas:Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (Bristol, Maine)Probably the most famous lighthouse Down East (this section of Maine).You can go into the lighthouse and see the views from the top, as well as check out their museum. Jared and Zandy considered getting married there! Mackworth Island State Park - great views of Casco Bay and nature trailsCrescent State ParkSebago Lake KennebunkportThe Stovicek sisters grew up exploring Maine and spending a good chunk of that time in Vicki’s beloved Kennebunkport. From Mable’s restaurant (the best lobster roll) to the Clam Shack, Goose Rocks Beach to Rococo Icecream, it’s a classic Maine beach town!

Zandy & Jared

Zandy & Jared

Z&J

Wedding Day