Heidi Winig, 38, and Dave Liotta, 39, have known each other since seventh grade, when Heidi voted for Dave for the “foxiest boy” in the school. He won. (He looked like 1970s teen idol Shaun Cassidy, Winig recalled.)
They went to middle and high school together in Lafayette but didn’t interact much. They “re-met” years later after mutual friends encouraged Dave to get back in touch with Heidi.
Dave called and asked if Heidi remembered him — to which she answered, “Of course! I voted for you for the foxiest boy in seventh grade! Is your hair still long and feathered?”
Even though he said his hairstyle had changed over the years, Heidi agreed to meet him and go hiking at the Lafayette Reservoir. They did, on the day before Christmas in 2006.
Heidi, then living in Oakland, recognized right away Dave, who lived in Santa Cruz, was a mensch. Dave proposed 14 months later, and on Nov. 2, 2008 they were married in an outdoor ceremony in Santa Cruz, where they now live.
Something old: The couple decided to get married on Nov. 2 because it was Heidi’s grandmother’s 95th birthday, “And we thought it was a great present for her,” Heidi said. “Plus now she can’t ever forget our anniversary, or we her birthday.”
During the hora, Heidi and Dave danced circles around grandma and draped her with feather boas.
Something new: Close friend Susie Lubell created an original painting for the couple’s ketubah. “We’re so psyched, because she has since started her own business, Mishmish Studio, and she is bringing her life dream of being an artist to fruition,” Heidi said.
The couple will call on Lubell again soon. She also designs name prints for new babies — perfect for Heidi and Dave, who are expecting their first child in late October.
Something borrowed: They had their bedeken ceremony (when the groom checks that he is marrying the right woman) under the veil with which Heidi’s mother and two aunts had gotten married.
Rabbi Sydney Mintz of Congre-gation Emanu-El in San Francisco married the couple. With the help of Heidi’s girlfriends, Mintz placed the veil over Heidi’s head and face. The men danced the groom over to his bride, where he lifted her veil so they could see one another. “It was an incredibly moving moment,” Dave said.
They also used the kiddush cup that Heidi’s parents used at their wedding.
Something Jew(ish): Last summer, Heidi and Dave had a tenayim, or commitment ceremony, adapted from an ancient Jewish ritual.
A tenayim, which literally means “conditions,” is an ancient Jewish ritual that proclaims the couple’s intentions as they begin their life-long commitment. Instead of the families promising camels and linens to each other, Dave and Heidi made a public statement of their shared values for their marriage and life together.
“Surrounded by local family and friends, we had an awesome afternoon filled with love and happiness and, of course, lots of great food,” Heidi said.
Unions is a regular feature about a recently married couple. If you want to share your story, or to nominate a couple married within the last year, please contact Stacey Palevsky at [email protected].