Weddings

Hales and Owens Marry in Alpine Meadow Ceremony Katherine Washington Hales, daughter of Alfred and Virginia Hales, formerly of Pacific Palisades, was married to J. Spencer Owens, son of John and Virginia Owens of Lincoln, Nebraska on August 17. The wedding ceremony took place in an alpine meadow in Tahoe Pines, California, with John Owens officiating. Lisa Hales (Lewis), the bride’s sister, and Casey Owens, the bridegroom’s brother, each read poems. Nieces of the bride and bridegroom, Charlotte Lewis, 6, Cordelia Hales, 4, Evelyn Lewis, 3, and Ophelia Owens, 2, were flower girls. The bridegroom’s nephew, Tennessee Owens, 6, was the ring bearer. The bride’s nephew, Jefferson Hales, 10, took part in the unity blessing. Also present were several close friends and family members, including the bride’s brother, Andrew, and his wife, Catherine, of Poitiers, France, and the bridegroom’s grandmother, Esther Owens, of Plainview, Texas. The reception was held at Caf’ de la Paz restaurant in Berkeley, California, on August 20. Several close friends from Pacific Palisades attended the reception: Carrie Kandasamy, Cecilia Pan, Ann Kerr, Pam and Bill Bruns, and Kirby and Glenda Baker. Out-of-town guests included Susie Kerr van de Ven and her son, Willem van de Ven of Meldreth, England. The bride grew up in the Palisades and attended Palisades Elementary School and the Village School. She graduated from Marlborough School in 1992, and earned a B.A. in anthropology at UC Santa Cruz. After receiving a master’s degree in museum studies from John F. Kennedy University in 2001, she went on to become a creative manager at Antenna Audio in Sausalito, where she continues to design audio tours for museums and historic sites. Spencer was born in Lubbock, Texas and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in history in 1996 and is now a merchandising manager at Travelocity in San Francisco. The couple honeymooned in New Mexico and now live in Oakland. Ann Chernow, J.D. Moitra Exchange Wedding Vows Ann Chernow, daughter of Mel and Elaine Chernow, longtime Palisadians, was married to J.D. Moitra, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Moitra of Lynchburg,Virginia, on July 23 at the Hotel Bel-Air. The matron of honor was Nicole Chernow Jay, sister of the bride. Amy Patterson Parnell, Michelle Stutsman, Amy Porter, Sarah Venge and Alicia Schroeder were bridesmaids. Anastasia Beers, cousin of the bride, was the flower girl. The best man was Ian Cohen. Groomsmen were Dirk Frank, cousin of the bridegroom, Justin Morris, Brandon de la Houssaye and Keith Blechman. Brad Jay, brother-in-law of the bride, was an usher, and Kevin Jay, nephew of the bride, was the ring bearer. The bride graduated from UC Davis and the bridegroom from Brown University. The couple met in Manhattan while working in finance. The bride, a bond trader, and the bridegroom, an MBA candidate at Kellogg School of Management, are currently residing in Evanston, Illinois, after their honeymoon in Hawaii. Elizabeth Lynch and Gary Koenig Marry Courtney Elizabeth Lynch, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terence Lynch of Pacific Palisades, was married to Gary Austin Koenig on October 8. The bridegroom is the son of Pamela George Koenig of Brookline, Massachusetts, and the late Gary Evan Koenig. The Rev. Peter G. Kreitler officiated at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills. A reception and dinner followed at the Los Angeles Country Club. The bride was previously associated with Benchmark Capital in Menlo Park. She graduated from the University of Arizona. The bridegroom is a vice president in the Institutional Equity Sales Group of J.P. Morgan Chase in Boston. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Following a honeymoon in Tahiti, the couple will live in Boston.