Okay guys…this one is for all you brides out there that seriously can’t get enough of the yellow and gray color palette that we’ve been loving for a while now. It’s just so freaking chic. So happy and cheerful and yet completely sophisticated. And the way that this bride infused her palette and her style into every detail is simply gorgeous. Held on the rooftop terrace of a local art museum, the bride married a timeless elegance with hints of whimsy and fun. And there really is no better combination. To see even more, click right here.
Click here to see the full wedding in all it’s gorgeous glory!
Adam and I met 11 years ago at a small high school in Wisconsin. After attending college together and moving out to Los Angeles to pursue our dreams, we decided on having a “destination” wedding for our guests to show them our version of California. Nearly every guest was from out of town, many from Wisconsin, a few from the south, one couple came from as far away as Hong Kong! We wanted our wedding to be a personal, warm, chic and streamlined affair filled with romance and fun.
We picked a traditional church for the ceremony and had the reception at the rooftop terrace of a local art museum. This was the perfect juxtaposition for us, classic and modern. We chose a color palate that reflected this same sense of streamlined and modern. Slate gray and yellow. The museum was basically all white, so I thought the yellow would be the perfect way to make things pop. (Plus it’s my favorite color!)
The ceremony was the shining star, with not a dry eye in the chapel. We chose a reading from the Velveteen Rabbit which shows our playful and childlike spirit. We tied our rings together on a piece of white ribbon and sent it through the pews asking each person to “warm” the rings with their own blessing and wishes. The rings went all the way around the church and came back to us just in time for us to exchange them.
My mother reconstructed her own wedding dress into the most beautiful and charming flower girl dress. The flower girl even chose to wear my Mom’s headpiece from her wedding day nearly 40 years ago.
Since we have been dating since high school, I chose to DIY the table numbers and name them after the years that we have dated. Each table number had a few pictures of us from that year with a little story as to what was happening in our lives at that point. It added a fun element to the tables.
To play some more on the many years that we have been together, we printed our own trivia questions on cards and placed them on the tables during the cocktail hour. We heard that this was a huge hit with our guests.
Being that I am half-Japanese, we really wanted to incorporate an element of this into our wedding day. We love the legend of a thousand paper cranes. It says that folding a thousand paper cranes will make one’s wishes come true. The legend promises that a Bride and Groom who fold one thousand paper cranes will be granted a long and prosperous marriage. So, together with our families we folded 1000 origami paper cranes and incorporated them into our reception space. We hung them from the loft style ceiling in the dancing and cocktail area creating garlands of cranes surrounding our guests as they danced the night away. We also folded mini-cranes and used them on the escort cards, creating a fun and chic escort card display. Because the folding of those cranes was such a labor of love for all involved, we decided to keep the legend going and included one paper crane from the wedding with each thank you card that we sent.
I DIY’d all of the paper goods myself, with the help of my fiance. He got quite skilled at using the embossing gun by the time the wedding day came around. We made the invitation suite, programs, menu cards, table numbers, trivia cards and signage.
As a traditional type of Bride it was very important to me to have meaningful items for my something borrowed, etc. For my something old, I taped the sixpence that my mother wore in her shoe on her wedding day to the inside of my new Manolos. My Something New was my very favorite Monique Lhuillier gown. For Something Borrowed, I pinned an antique brooch to my bouquet that was loaned to me from the Groom’s Aunt. My Something Blue, was my most special which is why I have included a picture of it. My Great Uncle Kenny who was like a Grandfather to me did not live to see me walk down the aisle. So instead, we took one of his handkerchiefs and sewed it to the inner lining of my dress. This was he could be with me the whole day, plus my Groom’s last name begins with a K, so it was perfect!
July 18, 2009 was a magical day for us. Years of dreaming about our wedding day and it was us in so many ways. Traditional yet modern. Elegant yet chic. And filled to the brim with personal touches. High school sweethearts really can live happily ever after!
Photography: Nataly Lemus / Coordinator: Just Chic Events / Flowers: Kate Baker / Paper Goods: DIY / Ceremony Location: First United Methodist Church, Pasadena, CA / Reception Location: Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA / Make-Up: Blushing Bridal / Lighting: Ambiance Party Lighting / Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaid Dresses: Delanie Couture