LA has never been so abundant! This Los Angeles wedding sparkles with art-deco décor and is filled with fashions in black and gold.
Lauren & Allysa were looking for a place to throw a dance party all night long but still be glamorous. They found Ebell, located in Central LA. Ebell, a surprisingly chic space in the city, provided a stunning backdrop to this gilded party and offered their ideal menu. Soul food.
Alyssa recalled their memorable meal. “Lorrain always jokes about how she knew I loved her when I stole a piece of her macaroni and cheese on our first date.”
Lauren & Alyssa were still dancing at 4:30 am, thanks to their photo timestamp. (#couplegoals) Both in the music industry, the couple had guests sign custom-printed records. This was a personal touch to the dazzling wedding.
Our Love Story
In 2012, we met at an engagement party held in Los Angeles. Lauren proposed three years later in Lake Tahoe, where we spent every New Year.
The proposal happened in the early morning hours of December 30th. Lauren invited our friends back to the cabin after the music festival. Our best friend Leah kept me distracted in a downstairs room while Lauren and our other friends transformed the upstairs into an enchanting candlelit fantasy.
Lauren was waiting when I emerged. Lauren proposed to me while a festival band sang our favorite song.
Dress & Attire
Both of us were obsessed with our wedding outfits. Lauren’s tux was custom-made. The details she chose for it were incredible.
My dress had everything I wanted and more. It had a champagne-colored overlay and a heavy sparkle, making me feel like Met Gala Beyonce.
The Venue & Style
The beautiful and historic Ebell in Los Angeles was the venue for our wedding. We wanted to find a platform with a glamorous feel yet not stuffy. Our wedding was a mix of old Hollywood, Art Deco, and epic parties.
Our primary color was gold, with accents of black and white. One of our favorite details was the sequined gold aisle runner. (What better way to walk down the aisle to your love?). We used a mixture of black and gold linens (with sequins, of course) with white flowers.
Favorite moments
We can’t choose a favorite moment. But we and all those in attendance remember that after our introduction and before dinner began, we danced with everyone. We were being classics – a rager followed by a dinner. The second half of the evening was an excellent way to begin – everyone on the dancefloor with those who love us.
The Photographer
When we met our photographer, Kim, we knew she was the perfect fit.
The decision to hire a videographer was a much more complicated one. We looked at many wedding videos, but they were all so generic and boring – not like us. We were impressed by Grimace Films’s work, which felt like cool music videos. Working with them was a great decision, as we now have a video that will capture the day and us forever.
Personal Details
In keeping with the music theme, instead of having our initials projected on the wall, we created a custom gobo to launch the Prince sign (which he called “the love symbol”). We wanted to keep with the music theme, and instead of throwing our initials on the wall, we created a custom gobo that found the Prince sign, which he called the “love symbol.” He is still one of our favorite artists and someone our family and friends associated with our love.
Lauren is known for her love of Bourbon, so we chose Bourbon bottles to hold the flowers on our cocktail table instead of the traditional vases. For our professionals, we chose music that embodied our love story.
The Reception
We chose soul food for our dinner because Lauren joked about how she knew I loved her when she reached across the table and took a bite from my mac and cheese on our first date. We served a feast with fried chicken, cajun salmon, collard greens, and mac and cheese.
We worried that our guests would be too full to dance, but the excellent DJ played jams everyone couldn’t resist. The night was spent dancing, with only a few breaks to go into the photo booth. The party officially ended at 11:30 p.m., but many of our devoted followers followed us to The Line Hotel, where we continued the celebration. The time stamp on our final selfie from the night reads 4:30 a.m. We’d say that was a successful night!
Couples Advice
Build a team that you enjoy. Hire a wedding planner.
Investing in a video is a wise investment.
Remember, it is about love first and foremost.
We recommend hiring a wedding planner. We highly recommend Deanna Tat from Chic Ambiance Events if you live in LA. Deanna kept us on track and sane with details we would never have considered. (The timelines she created are the stuff of bridal fantasies.) She went above and beyond to ensure our vision was realized and our special day was stress-free.
We were told never to forget that this is a day about love. What you choose for linens, invitations, and wine is not essential. It’s the atmosphere in the room that your guests will remember.