It absolutely never fails. Weddings at the SmogShoppe are some of the stylish around. It somehow attracts the some of the most seriously chic couples, and this Bride and Groom fall beautifully in that category. With only a month to plan their dream fête, they pulled together their family and friends and a few stellar vendors – and that day? It couldn’t have been more perfect. Thankfully Maya Myers was there to snap up every stylish moment, and you can see them all right here.
From the Bride… As a busy jewelry designer and business owner (Nolan Jewelry), I didn’t have time to be thinking about my own wedding. My efforts always go towards my clients and making the ring of their dreams and accessorizing their beautiful day. So, when Nick and I decided to just go for it and get married, we picked a date that was only a month away! Because it was pulled together in such a short time frame, it was really a collaborative affair with family and friends. My mother-in-law, along with my friend and myself arranged all the flowers. I was painting white vases for days!
Our good friends from the band Harper Blynn were the entertainment for the evening – they were so much fun; played some of their original music as well as some great covers. Nick was soaked from sweat by the end of the night. Also, as a surprise to me, he had two of the front men from the band play our songs acoustically as we walked down the aisle. When Nick and I first met, it was right before New Year’s Eve and since we had already made separate plans, I was bummed not to be together that night. He sent me an email note with a song attached by Josh Ritter, “Don’t let me into this year with an empty heart”. So, that’s what they played for the recessional and “In My Life” was for the processional. Like I said, we did this fast and I missed a couple of important details that Nick swooped in and took care of.
My sister-in-law, who’s wedding to Nick’s brother was just months before ours, baked our delicious and gluten-free cake. She is a baker based out of St. Louis and runs a baking business called Amy’s Bake Shop that specializes in gluten-free desserts. It was a white chocolate and coconut three-tiered cake topped with coconut shavings and the biggest red dinner plate dahlia I could find. See, simple.
The food was THE most important detail (besides our jewelry). I knew for a very long time that if I were to have a big get together like this with family and friends, I would serve fried chicken. My family originates from Shreveport, Louisiana and my favorite, favorite food of all time is fried chicken. I couldn’t just pick one salad, so we had many, incorporating a California faire to our Southern style cuisine. Mashed sweet potatoes, mac n’ cheese, grilled veggies, jalapeno cheese grits…when I dream about that day, I dream of the food. I’m serious. Other caterers we met with made references to using fried chicken in order to find fun ways to save money, but that was not the point. Thyme in Santa Monica got it right. They very artfully executed my vision (with very little direction) and it was all served family style. This was the other detail that I knew had to happen.
[dotted]
Wedding Photography: Maya Myers | Wedding Venue: SmogShoppe | Wedding Planner: Stacey Lynn Design | Bouquet: Flour | Catering: Thyme | Jewelery: Nolan Jewelry| Wedding Dress via Shareen | Lace Wrap: Paris 1900 | Shoes: Manolo Blahnik (custom) |Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss | Music : Harper Blynn