I’m super duper excited to share this soiree with you guys. It’s about 90% of the worlds fabulous-ness all contained in one big, fabulous wedding with said fabulosity reaching out of your computer screen and pulling your right in. Seen through the pretty lens belonging to Sweet Monday Photography, it’s black tie and pretty in pink (and purple) and everything in between. The gallery is a waltz mixed with a little Party Rock Anthem, and it’s right here!
Click here to see the whole wedding!
Our goal for our wedding was to find the ideal balance between celebration and tradition, while blending a California (his home state) laid-back vibe with a New York (my home state) sense of occasion. We also wanted our wedding to be reflective of who we are and to share pieces of ourselves with our guests.
For our ceremony, we wanted to keep things very traditional and honor the unique wedding traditions that his Filipino family has. Our families have strong religious backgrounds and we wanted to make sure that the importance and solemnity of the occasion was captured during our Mass. We found a picturesque church in Hancock Park that combined a stunning interior with deep knowledge of Filipino wedding traditions. With the help of ridiculously talented musicians and a wonderful priest, the ceremony came off exactly as we envisioned.
For our reception we chose Vibiana, in downtown LA. The outdoor courtyard let us enjoy California’s summer weather while the indoor space was customized into a unique party space. Combined with the site’s grandeur and vintage feel, Vibiana was the perfect middle ground between casual and fancy. We decided early on that we were much too informal to have a sit down dinner, so we created a rustic outdoor atmosphere for our food station/heavy appetizers dinner. The dinner was blessed with quintessential California weather and by the time the party moved inside, the guests were ready to put the all white, lounge-esque reception space and custom built bar to good use. Our band and the desserts from Semi Sweet Bakery kept the energy up throughout the night. As our guests filed out of the party they were surprised by an In-N-Out truck that we chartered to serve late night food. The excitement and subsequent contentment that only an In-N-Out truck could bring were priceless!
I really wanted to incorporate personal touches throughout our wedding, so I decided to combine some of my paternal grandmother’s brooches with new brooches in my bouquet. Noaki (who I found on Etsy) restored some of my grandmother’s brooches to make them just like new! I also had two rosaries (one from my father’s parents and one from my mother’s parents placed in my bouquet. The jewelry that I wore was all custom-made jewelry that my good friend, Cathy Weiss, let me borrow. The inclusion of these personal mementos made our wedding that much more special for me.
Photography: Sweet Monday Photography / Cinematography: Imagique Weddings / Flowers: Ixora Floral Studio / Event Planning: Kelsey Connelly / Ceremony Location: St. Brendan Church / Reception Location: Vibiana / Band: DuBois Entertainment / Shoes: Nina / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Custom Furniture: Hire Elegance / Invitations: Unique Unusuals / Men’s Fashion: Vera Wang / Brooch Restoration & Bouquet: Noaki Jewelry / Lighting: The Event Company