Guy Fieri’s Son Hunter Fieri Marries Tara Bernstein in Calif. Wedding (Exclusive)

Hunter Fieri and Tara Bernstein are married!

The chef, who is the elder son of Food Network star Guy Fieri, married the professional pickleball player in an “upscale country” wedding attended by 350 guests on Saturday, Aug. 30, at the Fieri family ranch, HuntRyde Ranch, in Sonoma, California. 

“It’s controlled chaos over here,” Hunter, 29, jokes to PEOPLE of the couple’s nuptials, with Bernstein, 28, adding, “Like a mini Stagecoach.”

“We just want to hang out with our friends, have some good food, and just enjoy ourselves,” the groom continues. “It’s just all of the people who mean the most to us.”

The festivities began with a family-style feast at the pair’s “Denim & Diamonds”-themed welcome party on Friday, Aug. 29. Underneath the ranch’s twinkling lights, guests dined on Mexican food cooked by Chef Lorena Garcia, who added a touch of her heritage with Venezuelan fried hot doughnuts. Partygoers also signed a YETI cooler in lieu of a traditional guest book, and watched projected old videos and photos of the couple.

The “ranch elegance mixed with cozy camp vibes” atmosphere continued into the following day, as guests camped out on the property in trailers. Hunter and Bernstein also stayed on the ranch, sleeping in a massive tent on their wedding night. 

Bernstein’s East Coast family experienced a taste of Western ranch life at the “little petting zoo,” which featured two miniature donkeys named Burrito and Taquito, along with a few goats, peacocks and dogs.

“We have some great animals so people want to go and see them. Something fun to add,” Hunter says. “It’s the ranch vibes.”

For the couple, the ranch is one of their “happy places.” It’s where Hunter proposed to Bernstein surrounded by both their families on Thanksgiving 2023, just nine months after they met at the Super Bowl in Arizona.

In the center of the ranch’s pond is an island with a large willow tree, making for an idyllic ceremony spot. Since getting engaged, Bernstein’s plan was always to walk down the floral-accented wooden bridge to the tree escorted by her father, Joel.

Hunter’s 81-year-old paternal grandmother, Penelope Ferry, who is affectionately called “Mimi,” made the wedding even more special by serving as the flower girl.

“She was beyond thrilled,” Hunter recalls of when he offered the role to Mimi. “But it was hilarious when we were asking her. We gave her this card and we had flowers and she didn’t know, and she’s like, ‘What? Am I going to be a flower girl?’ She completely guessed it before we could even tell her. She was very honored.”

As Bernstein passed by blooming blue and white flowers, the sweet aroma of her “Flower Fieri” custom perfume from Wine Country Treats filled the air. The berry and forest-scented bride turned heads wearing a sparkling custom Justin Alexander ballgown featuring beaded and sequined lace appliques, and a scalloped cathedral-length tulle veil with floral lace embroidery.

The same designer was also behind the bride’s custom strapless welcome party minidress and her sparkling floral high-low A-line reception gown, plus her bridesmaids’ airy blue satin gowns.

Bernstein’s natural makeup and wavy hair was styled by Jacqueline Dumont. In an added personal touch, her French manicure on her index finger included her and Hunter’s initials.

Hunter and his groomsmen — who included his cousin, Jules, and Bernstein’s brothers, Aden and Aviv, as well as Hunter’s younger brother, Ryder, 19, as his best man — all sported suits from SuitShop. Hunter wore a stone suit with ivory accents while his groomsmen dressed in tan with blue bow ties.

The 20-person wedding party were given custom cowboy boots made by Old Gringo Boots in collaboration with The Surgeon.

“The details of these boots are insane,” Bernstein says. “Basically what we did to make it really personalized for our friends is we decided to obviously have our logo and their names on the boots, but then also we wrote individual messages for each of our friends and are engraving them underneath the boot and branding it on the bottom.”

“We wanted to make sure we included the people that have brought a lot to our lives, have been there with unconditional love and support,” Hunter adds. “It’s a nice way to say thank you, to show that they mean a lot to us.”

Hunter and Bernstein exchanged handwritten vows and wedding bands designed by Dan Corbin.

“It’s interesting because a lot of girls have had a [wedding] Pinterest board since they were a kid. I was always a little bit more of a tomboy, so I never really was thinking about that,” Bernstein says. “Obviously, I knew that I’ve always wanted to get married, but I never thought when I met Hunter that as soon as I saw him I would be like right away, ‘Oh my God, I’m marrying this person.’ He was the only person I’ve ever thought that way about … Everything happens for a reason and when you know, you know.”

She continues: “I know it sounds cliché, but when I met Hunter, I wasn’t looking for anything. It honestly is a dream to be able to meet someone like him that’s kind of the guy version of me. We’re so different, but that’s what makes us also similar in the same way. We have a lot of similar qualities, and I would say it really is a dream come true to meet your best friend and be able to live your life the way that you feel free at the same time.”

After the “extremely meaningful” ceremony, which was officiated by Shelby Joy Scarbrough, guests headed to a “horse trailer bar” where they sipped on signature His & Hers cocktails. 

Inspired by the US Open was Bernstein’s “Honey I Dew” mocktail, a fresh combination of honeydew melon, cucumber, coconut water, lemonade and a touch of blue spirulina. “The Fieri Sunrise” was a mix of the family’s Santo Tequila Blanco, Aperol Spritz, club soda, agave, and fresh lemon and lime juice.

At reception, guests found their seats underneath sparkling string lights at tables with mini Franklin pickleball paddles as table numbers.

Although everyone was excited about the night’s entertainment — which included “a lot of great energy, a lot of ’80s, ’90s, 2000s music” from The Aces Band, HIP Entertainment and Events, Joel Young Band, and DJ IRIE — the most anticipated event was dinnertime. 

The bride and groom created a custom “elevated” yet “approachable” Italian menu with their favorite chefs adorned in Chef Works coats: Chef Cesar Orozco, Chef Lorena Garcia, Chef Antonia Lofaso, and Chef Aaron May, assisted by Sonoma County Catering Co.  

“It’s a little mini food and wine festival almost,” jokes Hunter, who often appears on his father’s Food Network shows.

“We’re doing it all family-style,” the hospitality professional continues. “That’s the biggest goal that I want — I want everyone to be able to just enjoy with each other. Platters on the table, everyone helps themselves.”

Appetizers included: Italian charcuterie, veggie and crudité with hummus, tuna crispy rice, avocado crispy rice and pizza bites. After the first course of Italian chopped salad with warm focaccia bread, guests chowed down on a spread of al dente pasta with hand-rolled meatballs, a grilled vegetable medley, charred prime rib sliced Napa style, and grilled chicken piccata.

The dessert was just as “phenomenal,” with none other than Buddy Valastro, 48, behind the “country chic” wedding cake, which was served with coffee, tea and an assortment of petite confections.

The Cake Boss star tells PEOPLE that the six-tiered cake towered at around “four feet tall, five feet tall,” and was admittedly “a little more challenging” to transport from Carlo’s Bakery in New Jersey to HuntRyde Ranch in California than when he just had to cross the Hudson River to deliver the couple’s engagement cake at their pickleball-themed party in New York City back in June 2024.

The “nature-esque” wedding cake sat atop a tree stump and featured the bride and groom’s combined passions of cooking and pickleball as chalkboard illustrations. It had multiple flavors — black and white cake with fudge, chocolate cake with fudge, and confetti cake with buttercream — plus a layer of gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate truffle cake to accommodate the bride’s food intolerances.

“Guy, Hunter, Tara, the whole family, the whole Fieri family, just wonderful people and good friends and just really, I can’t say enough good things about them,” Valastro gushes.

The fantastic fare didn’t end after dessert. Later in the night, guests were served Chicken Guy! tenders and Hawaiian rolls.

Because the wedding “merged together the culinary world and the pickleball world,” everyone danced without curfew on a Wimbledon-green colored pickleball dance court courtesy of PickleRoll. Bernstein’s father, who named his daughter after a band he was previously in, even jammed out with his former bandmates who traveled from all over the world to perform a few songs.

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The celebration ended with a casual brunch at the ranch on Sunday, Aug. 31.

“I’m just excited to continue building as individuals and as people together,” Bernstein says. “It’s fun when you’re just two best friends and living life together. Hunter and I are just so passionate about all the things that we do, we do 110% and we’re big on our family, so whatever we have in life, we just want to be able to share it with our family and friends.”

Hunter believes married life with Bernstein will be “the same as what it is now” — doing everything side by side.

“We work together. We live together. We travel together. We do everything together as much as we can,” Hunter says. “We support each other, so we’re just going to continue to do that and continue to have fun and continue to create success for ourselves.”

Additional Credits:
Photographer: Madison Emily Hare Photo, Ruben & Sandra
Videographer: Light Cannon Films
Content Creators: Samantha Pota and Chloe Zito of So Bridal Social
Planner: Paige Charbonnier Messerschmitt
Day of Coordinator and Planner: Jennifer Stone of La Grande Fête
Florist: PoppyStone Floral Design
Bridal Salon: AP Luxe Salon
Jewelry: Happy Jewelers
Mother of Bride Dress: Bridal Reflections
Bridesmaid Gifts: Coastal Caviar
Stationery: Minted, MintedWeddings
Audio Guest Book: After the Tone
Rentals: Encore Event Rentals, Pop Ups & Parties
Transportation: Bauer’s Intelligent Transportation
Accommodations: Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, Outdoorsy
Hydration: Once Upon a Coconut, BODYARMOR
Custom Water: PATH