Julia Hirt said she and her husband, Joseph DeFazio, had the opportunity to “grow up together,” as they didn’t officially start dating until after college. Joe was the youngest of three boys, and Julia noticed that “he was the kindest person I’ve ever known. There was such a warmth about him. If his friends were having a bad day, they would go to talk to Joe.”
Julia, who grew up in Long Beach, had met her husband, Joe through a mutual friend, Megan Watne, when Julia was 20. Joe had grown up with Megan in Pasadena and Julia met Megan at Santa Clara University.
After college, she and Joe lived in Santa Monica separately for almost six years. “I have spent the last ten years working in the television industry,” she explained. “Joe works in business development for a gaming company.
“We love the community,” she shared. “We enjoy walking around our neighborhood, spending time at local restaurants and our favorite coffee shop, Caffe Luxxe. Joe plays in the local Santa Monica softball league and has been on the same team, the Jacuzzi Boys, for the past eight years.”
In October, 2020, Julia recalls, Joe planned a belated birthday weekend for me at our favorite hotel, the Ojai Valley Inn. He proposed over breakfast on the balcony of our hotel room. We spent the rest of the day riding our bikes around Ojai.” The town has always been a special place for them.
Their wedding was planned for September 24, 2022 at a private home in Ojai. Their wedding planner was Erica España of Twine Events, and the photography was done by Via Imagery. The couple was so happy that they could have their family and best friends together for the weekend celebration. Another highlight of their wedding was that they read the vows they had written in front of their 125 guests. If there was any doubt that Julia and Joe had made the right choice, hearing their vows would have assured them that the couple did.
In Joe’s vows, he said that Julia makes things more beautiful, that she is one of the most thoughtful people he has known, the most thoughtful gift giver, she really loves to cook, and that he would always be the Jeffrey to her Ina. (He was referring to cookbook author, Ina Garten, who loves to cook for her husband, Jeffrey.) Joe also said she makes him want to be the best version of himself that he could be.
When Julia thought back to her wedding, she recalled that everyone was on the dance floor the entire time. Their two-year-old niece, Ella, was the most adorable flower girl. As she was walking down the aisle with her mom and dad, she suddenly tripped. But, she immediately picked herself up and kept walking all the way down the aisle.
As Julia and Joe prepare to celebrate their first anniversary, we wish them continued happiness and good health for many years to come.
By Diane Margolin
Publisher, The Santa Monica Star