Sometimes I struggle to write this opening paragraph. Because as much as I want to put exclamation points and gush words around all of the things that I love, I don’t ever want to seem insincere with just how I feel about a wedding. So let me just say this. First and foremost, the bride. And all of her gorgeousness. The groom and his incredible adoration. The culturally infused, thoughtfully executed style by Kristeen LaBrot and the pure, unabashed love captured beautifully by Onelove Photography. And then there is the little boy. That has left a days long smile on my face. Bottom line? This one is good. Really, really good. Click here to see more.
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From the Bride… Tying the knot after 14 years together was definitely cause for celebration, so we wanted a wedding full of love and laughter, surrounded by everything that makes us happy – family and friends, and good food and music. As seasoned travelers and new parents, we have learned to embrace the unexpected and live life in a carefree way, so we planned surprises for our guests and kept a light-hearted tone throughout the day – even the priest cracked jokes during the ceremony.
Overall, we wanted our wedding to reflect who we are individually and as a couple. We love the classic look of gray and white but wanted to add summery splashes of color, so we incorporated various shades of peach and pink into the floral arrangements, place settings and dresses of the bridesmaids and sponsors. To add masculine elements, Perry suggested accent flowers in burgundy and brown, and inspired by an Alexander McQueen window display, we added pheasant feathers in the boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen and in the reception table centerpieces. We incorporated both of our cultures into the church ceremony. Men wore the traditional Filipino barong tagalog, and we included the Catholic-Filipino elements of the veil, cord and candle ceremonies. We surprised our guests with a gospel choir that walked in before the wedding party, and we chose non-traditional, upbeat songs, including “Oh Happy Day” for the processional and Kirk Franklin’s “Brighter Day” for the recessional. The singers sounded amazing and truly expressed the joy we felt. The music was a focal point throughout the day, from the gospel choir, to the jazz trio during cocktails and dinner and a DJ for the dance party. We didn’t hire a reggae band like we originally planned, so instead our jazz pianist played “One Love” and “Jamming” for our grand entrance, and “Three Little Birds” was the soundtrack to our highlight video.
There were lots of young guests present at the wedding, including our 2-year-old son, so a kid-friendly reception was a must. We gave the littlest ones a special meal (the best compliment was from my great-uncle, who said that his son was so happy because we thought of everything by serving chicken fingers and fries for dinner!), a goodie bag (personalized based on age filled with healthy snacks, juice, crayons, coloring books, stickers and small toys), and a dedicated room to play after dinner where we passed out glow sticks (total hit with all guests, young and old!). We kept the older children busy with disposable cameras and “I Spy” game cards.
We have so many vivid memories from the day that we will cherish forever. We will never forget when we saw each other for the first time at the altar, or when we danced our first dance to one of our favorite jazz standards, “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.” And even though we had a full lineup of events and a lot of guests to spend time with, we were still able to share some special private moments with each other and with our son.
Wedding Photography: onelove photography / Ceremony: Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Los Angeles, California / Reception: Carondelet House in Los Angeles, California / Event Planning: Kristeen LaBrot Events / Floral Design: Primary Petals / Wedding Cinematography: DP Weddings / Catering: Huntington Catering / Wedding Cake: Love Em Sweet / Wedding Invitations, Parking Passes, Ceremony Programs, Menu Cards + Seating Chart: Designed by the Bride / Printing for Invitations, Menu Cards + Program Cover: Raintree Publishing / Calligraphy: Blink Calligraphy / Gospel Choir: Selah Gospel Choir / Jazz Band: Leslie Nesbitt / Transportation: Classy Chassis Rentals / Rentals: Town & Country Event Rentals / Photo Booth: Flashy Photobooth / Rock Place Cards: DIY via The Violet Hours / Table Signs: Zazzle / I Spy Cards: Seahorse Bend Press / “Here Comes the Bride” Banner: Nana Montana / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuiller / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Bride’s Veil: Simply Blue Bridal / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfani, Sue Wong + Donna Morgan / Groom’s Suit, Vest + Shirt: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Tie + Shoes: Barneys New York / Groom’s Socks: Cole Haan / Groomsmen’s Outfits: Men’s Suit Outlet / Wedding Bands: Custom via Global Rings Jewelry / Ring Bearer’s Suit: Appaman / Ring Bearer’s Shirt, Socks + Belt: Janie and Jack / Ring Bearer’s + Coin Bearer’s Ties: Dana Eckert / Ring Bearer’s + Coin Bearer’s Shoes: Vans