While very much a modern couple, Kandice Hansen and Aaron Tamaddon first met through an old-school method—a matchmaker. Kandice, the senior beauty and home buyer for Moda Operandi, was introduced to entrepreneur Aaron via Zoom by his Tawkify matchmaker Elizabeth in the fall of 2022. “At first, I got on the Zoom thinking it would be a polite get-to-know-you after Elizabeth set up this date for us, but we ended up talking for almost three hours,” shares Aaron. Kandice says, “I remember frantically setting up every lamp I had in my apartment to get the lighting just right! We said our goodbyes, and the next day we both shared our feedback about the date with Elizabeth. It was a match!” Since Aaron was spending time in Arizona when they first met, he needed to fly back to New York to have an in-person date. “We had spoken on a Tuesday, and that Friday he flew back to the city,” explains Kandice. “We met on the steps of Canal Project gallery, took a walk through the show, and then headed down to Locanda Verde for dinner.”

By July the following year, Aaron was ready to propose. For his engagement plans, he got some inspiration from his grandmother, who suggested he recreate their first date. “We went to a private viewing of a Kusama exhibit at David Zwirner, followed by dinner at Locanda Verde,” says Kandice. “When we arrived back home, Aaron had secretly laid out 100 photos of his favorite memories of us together throughout our room and got down on one knee to propose. He knew I wanted to be asked at home and had completely surprised me. It was absolutely perfect.” Photographer Nicole Plett was there to document the moment, and ended up being the couple’s first vendor selection for their wedding.

While Aaron popped the question after less than a year, the couple decided to take their time and enjoy the engagement period ahead of their wedding. “We planned for almost two years, giving ourselves plenty of time to bring intention and thoughtfulness to every detail,” they say. The wedding date was set for May 2025 at Château Robernier in Provence. “The first vacation we took together was a trip to Provence, and it was absolutely magical,” the couple says. “We immediately fell in love with the unhurried pace of life, the breathtaking landscape, the rich art history, and the incredible food.” At first, the to-be-weds were choosing between hosting locally in New York City or abroad. “What ultimately led us to France was that our families hadn’t experienced it yet, and we wanted the opportunity to share this special place with them,” they explain.