Last month, our beloved leader of The Studio (MDR)—the CEO formerly known as Lisa Hirsch—married her best friend and all-around amazing guy, Andy Solomon. Their wedding took place at a beautiful villa in the Santa Ynez Valley. We recently caught up with Lisa to chat with her about her big day.

Q: Tell us more about your wedding. What was it like? 

In a word: magical! It was pure fun, and exactly how I wanted it to be. I laughed from the moment the wedding ceremony started until I closed my eyes to go to sleep. The best part was that it seemed like everyone else was having the time of their lives, too, which was all that I wanted for everyone who was there.

Q: Was it what you expected it would be like? 

To be honest, I had no expectations, which made all of it even more phenomenal! I knew we would throw a good party. But, literally, our friends and family from all walks of life got along, laughed, and danced from the moment they walked into the tent until we were told we had to leave the after-party in the wine cave! It felt like one big love-fest!

Q: Is there a moment that surprised you?

My parents have been divorced for 35 years and after a long, rocky road of separation, it was nice to have them both walk me down the aisle.  It was an honor to have them at my wedding and to know how proud they are of me.  For a moment, time seemed to stand still, differences were put aside, and my mom and dad stood together, helping me feel like even at 45 years old, I’m still their little girl. 

I have to say, I also felt this incredible gratitude as I stood next to my parents and waited to walk through the vines (my “aisle”). It was so incredible to know that I was about to marry my best friend, the love of my life, and the man of my dreams. It was an affirmation of my good fortune.

Q: Are there any dietary changes you made before your big day that you’ll stick to post-wedding?  

PALETA has been my go-to for years, and I will continue to order from their food delivery menu. It’s honestly the best I’ve tried and makes it so easy for someone like me who is constantly on the go, ensuring that I will eat enough before and after my workouts.

Q: Any pre-wedding diet tweaks that you’ll abandon now? 

Yes! One word for you: Pizza. Pizza (and an occasional glass of wine) are back! While I always try to keep good nutrition in mind, reaching for mostly veggies, fruit, and lean protein, I definitely won’t be as strict as I was prior to the wedding.

Q: Are there any exercise changes you made that you think you’ll keep doing now that the wedding is over?

My back is feeling much better, and I credit the Lagree Method with helping me heal. I also started meditating in the stressful months leading up to the wedding, and I’m officially hooked. I’ll definitely continue working with the incredible Rachelle Tratt and Taylor Estes.

The only thing I’ll change when it comes to my workouts is that I may not throw in that fourth day at (MDR), because three is plenty! 

Q: What was the best part of wedding prep? 

Meeting my wedding planner, Percy Sales. He is officially a friend for life. I also thought our Cantor, Mark Childs, was phenomenal. I only wish he lived in Los Angeles and not Santa Barbara, because I would be joining him for Shabbat services every Friday evening! Cantor Childs helped to make our ceremony intimate, warm, fun, and incredibly meaningful—and for that, I will be forever grateful to him. 

Q: What was the worst part of wedding prep? 

STRESS. STRESS is EVIL. There’s a reason it has a link to most health issues, sleeping issues, family arguments, wrinkles, pains that come out of nowhere … the list of woes goes on. The ultimate catch is that we bring it on ourselves and we are the only ones who can stop it. 

Here’s my biggest suggestion for anyone planning a wedding: Figure out what is most important to you and focus on that first. Do not let family make your big day “their” day. Remember that it is about you and your partner, and that it’s important that you really enjoy it. So, actually take a moment to dance, laugh, have a drink with your best friends. Yes, it will be a blur. But I can honestly say, I recall everything people said I wouldn’t!

Also, try to remember that if something goes wrong during the actual day, most likely no one will know but you—so don’t draw attention to it. For instance, our caterer was so late in serving our courses that we didn’t get to do a cake cutting—or even get to serve our incredible cake at the wedding. At first I was bummed, because the cake was so delicious and beautiful, and I wanted to give my friend who made it time to shine. But then I realized, why stress?! There was nothing I could do since someone else messed up, so let’s just get it served during the after-party! From what I heard, everyone had an incredible time and not one person noticed the cake situation or that the photo-booth wasn’t set up till mid-way into the party because they got into a car accident on the way to the wedding (thank G-d they were OK!).

Q: What are you most looking forward to in this new chapter? 

I love saying, “Hi, its Lisa Solomon.”  I am so proud to be married to such an incredible man and have a wonderful new family. I was very nervous before I stepped out of the villa to walk down the aisle. The wind had kicked up and my dad kept stepping on my dress, and I was worried that everyone would see my tush. But as soon as I saw the rose petal walkway, my darling husband-to-be, and all of my friends and family smiling at me, it all melted away and all I could do was smile back and giggle. I had a quick flash over my life and a calm came over me. I knew that though I was getting married a little later in life than I may have expected, I was lucky to have waited for my perfect fit.