Elysian Los Angeles Wedding
If I could ever live in a wedding, I think it might just have to be this one. From the aquamint bridesmaid dresses to the beaded BHLDN wedding gown to the stunning scenery of LA’s Elysian, this wedding from Kym Ventola Photography and Christine Tran had us on our toes right to the end. Let’s hop in!
From the bride, Jess: We wanted to have the wedding in Jessica’s hometown of Los Angeles, so that helped us narrow down a vision for the wedding. We wanted a summer sunset wedding in the city, in a unique space where we had a great canvas to create exactly what we wanted. We played on the local flora and flavors and used Los Angeles as our inspiration. We serves Mexican food, including elote, cactus salad, mole, fried potato tacos, and churros! The ceremony and reception space was located next to the Los Angeles River and had a beautiful bamboo and succulent garden, so kept with the simplicity of the industrial area but added in lush greens and succulents where we could.
Bouquet recipe: Roses, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary.
Simple. Authentic. Magical. Simplicity was really important to us. We tried to keep the decor as minimal as possible, and let the natural beauty of the space really shine. It also helped to maintain a focus on the big picture. Authenticity was our guiding principal. We wanted everyone to feel as though they got a piece of us on the wedding day. Some examples: We wrote our own vows as well as the entire ceremony from scratch. Because we met each other in a book club, instead of table numbers we used our favorite authors and hand made “library cards” for the escort cards. Jessica makes pottery, and inspired by the fact that the venue was previously a porcelain mold factory, she made every wedding guest a small wheel thrown porcelain cup glazed in various shades of blues and greens. We also wanted an element of the magical. Jessica’s sister created a video installation for everyone to watch that depicted our crazy love, and we exited the wedding surrounded by sparklers. Jess’s best friend and family serenaded us with our favorite song during the ceremony. We used splashes of golds and silvers and made our own photo booth with an instant camera and handmade backdrop. Each detail had a bit of magic in it!
Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Be there for each other. Stay focused on your love–the thing that is bringing the whole wedding together. Lean into the mayhem and chaos that can ensue! There is an unavoidable amount of thought and work in creating a wedding. There are so many moving parts — especially the day of (!), so have a team supporting you, both in the DIY and event planning stuff as well as the difficult and emotional stuff that can come up. And take moments throughout the actual wedding day to take everything in together because it’s a once in a lifetime chance to have all those you love in your presence!
View all images from this wedding in the gallery
Wedding Music:
Prelude: “O I Long to Feel Your Arms Around Me,” Father John Misty
Groom’s Processional: “Dreams Come True Girl,” Cass McCombs
Bride’s Processional: “Sabians,” Shimmering Stars
Ceremony Performance: “Acrobat,” Angel Olsen
Recessional: “Baby, I Love You,” Aretha Franklin
Grand Entrance: “Thank You for Sending Me an Angel,” Talking Heads
First Dance: “Nothing Can Change This Love,” Otis Redding
Wedding Location: Los Angeles, CA / Photographer: Kym Ventola Photography / Wedding Planner: Christine Tran / Florist: Ashley Novak and Josh Cooper / Venue: Elysian / Wedding Dress and Shoes: BHLDN / Wedding Bands and Jewelry: Lori McLean, Mociun, and Bittersweets NYC / Hair: Mackenzey Forrey / Makeup: Lana Fields / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J. Crew and Etsy / Caterer, Wedding Cake and Churros: El Cholo Catering / Rentals: Yeah! Rentals / Wedding Invitations: Union Press /’ Videographer: Elliott Geolat