Reanne and LeVar's Perfectly Scenic Santorini Anniversary -Munaluchi Bride

MunaLuchi Bride Magazine Spring 2018 Feature: Reanne & LeVar
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Featured in the Spring 2018 issue of MunaLuchi Bride magazine, Reanne & LeVar celebrated their two year anniversary with a vacation and couple’s photo-session in perfectly scenic Santorini, Greece. For Reanne and LeVar, some keys to a successful marriage are “staying grounded in our faith, remembering that we aren’t responsible for each other’s happiness, effective communication, and giving your spouse the benefit of the doubt.”

Read all about Reanne & LeVar’s perfectly scenic Santorini anniversary in gorgeous Greece. View the vendor list below and see the complete selected gallery here.

Wife & Husband: Reanne & LeVar
Occupations: Corporate Litigation Attorney & Software Engineer Recruiter
When did you get married and where? September 5, 2015, La Jolla, California
Location of Anniversary: Santorini, Greece
Anniversary Celebration Date: September 5, 2017

What was your wedding like? Our wedding was very intimate and very fun! My husband and I were among the first in our college friend group to be wed, so we were very selective with our guest list because we wanted to create an atmosphere where our guests felt like they were also at a reunion and not just confined to the group of people they knew at their table. We also had an all-white dress code, which I LOVED! Our guests looked beautiful, and it really made our photos.

As you celebrate your anniversary, what do you remember most about your wedding day? We just reflect on how blessed we really were to not only be surrounded by so many loved ones, but the fact that everyone there played a significant role in their own way, in bonding us together. We were just thankful and wanted to celebrate those individuals just as much, for bringing us together.

Was there anything you would have done differently for your wedding? I think in hindsight we all would have stressed less and enjoyed the moment more. When I talk to my closest friends about mishaps from my wedding, I realize how insignificant they really were because no one else seemed to notice them but me! Everyone else was focused on the meaningful aspect of the night, eating drinking, and celebrating their love for me and my husband.

What are your favorite things to do as a couple? We are very active foodies! We love trying new restaurants and we equally enjoy working out and staying fit as a couple. We also enjoy hosting our friends for game nights . . . our friends group gets extremely competitive when it comes to Taboo!

Who cooks? I think we have a healthy balance. I (Reanne) do the majority of the cooking, but LeVar helps out on a weekly basis, and he plans our date nights which always include food!

When it comes to career, what do both of you do and how do you make time for each other? LeVar: I work as a Software Engineer Recruiter for a tech company in San Francisco. Reanne: I’m a Corporate Attorney, practicing defense-side litigation in San Francisco.
We try to be as intentional as possible with not only making time for each other, but being present when we are in each other’s presence. Sometimes that means leaving our phones off the table when we go out to eat, other times that means coming home from work at a reasonable hour to have dinner together, and then logging back on to work remotely in the evenings. We also try to take 1-2 international trips per year. The longer the flight the better for us – we are forced to reconnect and can do so with minimal distractions.

What would you say are the most important elements for a successful marriage? I don’t think we have any secret to success, or novice ideas. But what works for us is staying grounded in our faith, remembering that we aren’t responsible for each other’s happiness, effective communication, and giving your spouse the benefit of the doubt. We think it’s really unhealthy to allow yourself to always take what your partner does personally – you married a human, not someone immune to mistakes. Try to show them the same grace you would want God to show you when you make mistakes – its not always easy, it rarely is. But if you discipline yourself in this area it really makes a world of a difference when working through disagreements.

How do you keep the spark in your marriage? We are conscientious about maintaining the same practices and traits that we know attracted us to each other initially. I still cook the same foods he loves (his love language is acts of service), he still brings home random presents for me (my love language is receiving gifts); and we both make an effort to prioritize fitness! When we met I was a collegiate track athlete, and he was really into weight lifting, so we’ve always had a very strong physical attraction to each other. That hasn’t changed!

Tell us about the shoot. What inspired it? Santorini had been on my bucket list for a few years now, so I knew I wanted to commemorate our time there in a really significant way. When I started planning for our trip, I realized it would fall on the week of our second-year wedding anniversary and was inspired by the idea of having beautiful canvas’ of the island around our home. I started looking for photographers online, and was having a really hard time so I reached out to our hotel, and they recommended Miltos! We couldn’t have been paired with a more perfect photographer – Miltos really made our time together more than just a photo shoot, it turned into a private tour of the Island (including pastry testing). As we walked the marbled streets to different shoot locations, everyone thought we were getting married and were yelling well-wishes. It was pretty special, it felt like I actually got a second wedding with none of the planning stresses!

What do you love most about him? I can’t choose! I love his wisdom, how he seeks God first, and how even-tempered he is. LeVar is really intentional about setting the tone for a peaceful environment in our home and I love that he is consistent about thinking of ways to make life easy for me, and that’s really something we try to mirror for each other.

What does he love most about you? I love my wife’s drive, tenacity, and ambition. I’ve always admired how Reanne is someone who is very goal-oriented and how she stops at nothing to make sure she achieves those goals. In the same breath, she pushes those around her to do better. You can’t help but want to run right next to her. That’s also what makes our relationship so much fun.

What advice can you give for newlyweds? LeVar: It’s a partnership and needs to be treated as such. We both have things that we are strong and weak at, and should be comfortable enough to play to each other’s strengths. When one person is good at something, let them take lead, and when the other person is good at something let them do the same. Remember you both share the same end goal.
Reanne: Prioritize your marriage and the things that support it’s growth; be protective of your spouse, (don’t speak negatively about them to other people) and remember that you’re playing for the same team even when you’re arguing. You should never argue to win, but to gain understanding. Also to never wait on an apology (i.e. have un-communicated expectations, your spouse is not a mind reader) and to apologize first. There should be no ego in asking for forgiveness.