Jose, oh Jose. Not only do we adore his work more than words, but he just so happens to shoot the coolest clients In. The. World. Case in point? This handsome duo who managed to bring a true sense of their Southern home states to California with elegance and style like you wouldn’t believe. Tack on the talents of Yasmine Floral Design, Aaron Hartselle and Joel Serrato , and you’ve got a gallery we might never leave.
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From The Groom…We live in Los Angeles but both of us have southern roots. Jon, supervising producer of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, is originally from the Florida panhandle. Jason, an interior designer who owns the design showroom Martin & Brockett, is from Texas. We were originally connected through friends and after a lot of emailing back and forth finally met for what was going to be a quick afternoon coffee but turned into a marathon five hour date and only ended because Jon had to get home in time for the season finale of The Sopranos.
A long time passed between that first date and our wedding day. In fact, it took ten years, two days, a dramatic introduction to Jason’s family in Texas during a tornado, multiple beach trips with Jon’s family in Florida, a week in Santa Fe where both sides finally met, a lot of emotional ups and downs, the very important addition of one attention stealing Boston Terrier, many television season finales, and a Supreme Court ruling before we were actually able to legally marry. But by that time, marriage had become such a foregone conclusion that it really seemed more fitting to throw out convention and just plan a big party so that our families and friends could spend a long, celebratory weekend together in Los Angeles that just happened to end with our wedding ceremony.
We decided, with the help of an army of incredibly talented vendors, that this wedding would blend our favorite parts of California, Texas and the South. We wanted everyone to get a sense of where both of us were from and also where we had chosen to make our home. We picked Triunfo Creek Vineyards in Malibu Canyon for the venue – a rustic setting with a big rolling lawn for the ceremony and an open farmhouse for dinner. It reminded us of Ojai, a place we love going to, so the decision was almost immediate once we set foot on the property.
The food, a very important part of the day to both of us, was by Heirloom LA and inspired by our roots (for Jon, that meant fried chicken, cheese grits and for Jason, brisket and BBQ pork sliders) mixed with California fare like grilled salmon and an incredible roasted vegetable station. The tabletop, by Casa de Perrin, was perfect – a beautiful and masculine combination of Heath dinnerware and walnut chargers with laser cut leather menus by Amber Moon, who also made our wedding invitations.
One of our favorite parts of the wedding was a surprise for Jason’s parents – we recreated a mini version of his grandparent’s grocery store in Texas (after school, Jason and his sisters would go there and fill up on candy and fresh fruit – the fruit only because their mother made them). The farmhouse had a small rustic kitchen where we set up crates of retro candies and chocolates so guests could take as favors before leaving on the shuttles.
Photography: Jose Villa Photography | Cinematography: Joel Serrato Film Photographer | Floral Design: Yasmine Floral Design | Invitations: Amber Moon | Catering: Heirloom LA | Calligraphy: Anne Robin | DJ: DJ - Erica Olsen | Groom's Attire: Tommy Hilfiger | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Venue: Triunfo Creek Vineyards | Paper Goods: Amber Moon | Rentals: Town And Country Rentals | Rentals: A Rental Connection | Table Top Rentals: Casa de Perrin