When I first heard that this was a Beverly Hills Wedding, I immediately thought of a lavish celebration with extravagant decor, towers, and Champagne, as well as an ornate, white, ruffled ten-tiered cake.
This wedding is much more than that.
Marciel & David’s Garden Wedding was not only gorgeous but also understatedly elegant. It was also completely authentic, meaningful, and romantic.
Priscilla Frey Photography captured the Greystone Mansion party (so beautifully).
David & Marciel pulled off a stunning wedding on a budget despite their iconic location, plush surroundings, and some well-executed DIY projects. (Watch out for the table numbers and chair signs!) The clever planning and the chair signs helped David & Marciel pull off their stunning wedding within budget.
Marciel kept things stylish and traditional by wearing a long-sleeved lace wedding gown. She wore her hair loose with a stunning bouquet and flower crown. David’s pale grey suit matched the garden-like feel of the wedding.
We dare you not to fall in love with Marciel and David and their beautiful wedding day by the end of this page.
Wedding Day Snapshot
Our Love Story
David and I met for the first time at our church. We were in the same worship group. I wouldn’t call it love at first site. We barely knew each other.
Our friendship didn’t begin until the summer of 2013! Our company started in the summer of 2013 when we were randomly assigned to work as cabin leaders at our church’s youth camp.
David was a quiet, observant man. He initially thought that I was just a loud, crazy gal. But he soon realized I had qualities he wanted in a woman. The more we became friends, the more he fell in love with me.
I, on the other side, only saw him as a friend. He never told me or showed me that he liked me, so I had no idea! It was great that we could establish a solid friendship.
It only took me a few moments to realize that I was in love with David when he dared to express his true feelings about me.
We became inseparable after that, and I couldn’t imagine my life without him.
He proposed at Laguna Beach on September 26, 2015. He packed a picnic basket full of some of my favorites and took me for a stroll along the beach.
Just the two of us ended up on this little island reef. He got down on his knees and proposed to me as the sun was setting behind us and water splashed on our feet.
I felt the most joyous knowing that my best friend would be with me for the rest of my days!
The Inspiration
The venue was a huge inspiration. Greystone Mansion itself is a stunning venue.
We wanted a soft, romantic wedding with rustic accents.
We chose ivory, grey, and rosy pink as our neutral colors.
The Attire
David’s Bridal had my dream dress, a gorgeous Galina Signature Lace gown. When I was looking for my dress, I knew that I wanted two things: long sleeves and lace. It had a beautiful lace scalloped collarline, which I fell in love with.
My maid of honor wore a dress with the same high neckline as my girls in wine red.
The groomsmen were dressed in medium grey dress pants and a variety of suspenders with different patterns (the groom selected each design to match each man’s personality).
The Flowers
The bouquets were composed of pink and white roses as well as smaller red, white, and yellow garden roses. They also included seeded eucalyptus, along with a cool flower called a protea.
Boutonnieres are made from roses and eucalyptus seeds. The centerpieces were also made using the same seeded eucalyptus and roses, along with additional filler plants.
The Ceremony
The Bible reading for today was Genesis 2:18-24.
In a Mexican religious ceremony, it is customary to place “Lasos,” which symbolizes the marriage and the new pact made between husband and wife.
They are usually made of crystals and can be expensive. We decided to make our “lasos” instead out of fake greenery. It was still the same, but it looked gorgeous and went perfectly with our garden theme.
The groom presented 13 silver coins to his bride in a “coin-ceremony” that is a tradition.
The Music
A quartet performed classical music for the ceremony. The bride walked to Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years.
We had an iPhone playlist at the reception, and our first song was “Oceans” by Hillsong.
The Photography & Videography
It’s important to meet the photographer before booking them for your wedding.
Although we set up an initial appointment with a company that specializes in wedding photography, the meeting felt “too businesslike” to us.
We fell in love instantly with her work when we discovered Priscilla. Her blog and her style are so beautiful and cohesive. We felt as if we were viewing art.
We were sold the moment we met her. She was professional and sweet. One of our top wedding vendors.
We almost did not hire a videographer to save some money, but we are so glad we did!
One of my bridesmaids is the friend of our videographer. He was starting his business, so he offered us a good deal. We were very happy with the result.
The Venue
Our venue was a very important part of our big day. We decided on our theme and then looked for a venue with beautiful gardens and scenery.
We knew “the one” as soon as we walked into Greystone Mansion.
We do not regret a penny of our venue investment because it was what set the tone for our big day. It was the perfect venue for us!
Decor & Details
To not detract from the venue, we wanted to keep the decor simple. We did many things ourselves to keep the budget down.
For the ceremony, I used a large white mirror borrowed from my mother and had a bridesmaid (who happens to be a calligrapher) write a quote on it. She also created the chalk art menu signs and favors.
I also made the chair signs for our sweetheart’s table. I wanted something more personal than the usual ‘Mr and Mrs.’ or a ‘Bride and Groom.’ Instead, I chose a sign that was unique to us. David calls me beautiful, and I call him handsome, so I thought of the idea of two arrows pointing at each other. I wrote ‘his gorgeous” and “her handsome.” They turned out even better than I had imagined.