When a bride handcrafts 150 feet of tassel garland in the months before the wedding, you know the day will be something really special. And while I’ve swooned my fair share of SmogShoppe “I dos” this DIY beauty from Leila Brewster truly takes the cake. Fresh and hip, yet elegant and refined, you’d be hard pressed to find a gallery more pin-worthy than this.
From the Bride… Jesse and I are complete opposites. With that in mind it’s pretty amazing that we both had the same vision for our wedding – fun, full of life and unhindered by things that traditionally “have to be done”. We wanted an intimate ceremony, but an epic party – a wedding that represented us one hundred percent. Seeing SmogShoppe for the first time, I had stars in my eyes and Jesse signaled his signature nod of approval. Beautiful, hip and with a subtle element of surprise, it was the perfect venue for us.
As with all weddings, décor options are without limit, but because SmogShoppe had so many marvelous style elements already, we wanted to keep it simple. I have always loved the look of Confetti’s System’s tassel garlands, and I was inspired to craft my own set – all 150 feet of it. As a freelance painter, I had the time, but it was still a monstrous project to take on. Several months later, with the help of Jesse and my friends, and an uncountable number of hours of folding, cutting and twisting, we were finally done. It was truly a labor of love and the results were nothing short of fantastic!
In the midst of all this, Tracy – my coordinator from The Bride Concierge – went with me on a little adventure to downtown LA’s textile district to hunt for burlap fabric to use as table runners, along with ribbons to bring a peach and pink color scheme to life. We cut the burlap and stripped the sides to give it a warm, rustic look. And who doesn’t love some accents of gold glitter to top it all off? It was the perfect way to imbue the tables with just the right amount of sparkle!
I was overflowing with emotion on our wedding day as we watched it all come together with truly breathtaking floral arrangements from Erin of Dandelion and Grey. Coral and blush hued peonies, dahlias and ranunculus perfectly complimented the vintage stamps from our wedding invitations. Our photographer, Leila Brewster, did an amazing job capturing the essence of our décor and the spirit of our wedding and I really couldn’t have asked for a better team to work with.
As for the day itself, it was a blast! Our ceremony was immediate family only and felt like a warm hug; like a sanctuary in this crazy, fast-paced world that we live in. Without an awkward walk down an aisle, a bridal party, or even a bouquet to worry about, the focus was drawn completely to us, our love, and the ones whom we hold dear. Seventy-three of our closest loved ones soon joined us for dinner and a party that raged on well past everyone’s bed times.
We danced and whooped and bounced off the walls all the way until the very end and I’ll always remember that it was a night bursting with laughter and love. Jesse and I were so glad we did everything our way – no fuss, no muss – and we are so grateful that we had such a dream team of sweet, supportive and exceptionally skilled people who went above and beyond for us the whole way.
Photography: leila brewster | Floral Design: Dandelion + Grey | Catering: Huntington Catering | Venue: SmogShoppe | Planning + Coordination: Tracy Choy at The Bride Concierge