Nostalgic Los Angeles Wedding

This little wedding sent over by Sarah of Hazelwood Photo makes our hearts sing with vintage joy — seriously, does it get any more stunning than this incredible bride? The bride and groom both collect vinyl records, so they not only used a DJ who spun vinyl but also used old records for their seating charts! There’s so much packed into these stunning California nuptials and some great advice from bride Victoria, so hop to it!

From the bride, Victoria: We never really came up with a solid theme to follow. Kieron just kept on saying “Don’t think about themes, think about aesthetics!” We basically tried to incorporate some of our favorite things so pretty much every detail in the wedding directly reflects something about us. The color scheme is just colors we like (ivory, gold, emeralds and metallics); the vintage dress (the first and only dress I tried on — it immediately felt right) because I love vintage clothes and most of my wardrobe is vintage; the venue is the house where I grew up and my favorite place in the world; we incorporated vinyl records because we both collect records; we used succulents because I love them and I make cactus dishes for a hobby (I made all the mini-terrarium favors with my awesome bridesmaid Aubrey); the mariachi band to pay homage to my Mexican heritage and a classic photochemical photobooth because we’ve always taken photobooth pictures since we first started dating (see our save-the-dates made with photobooth strips over the years). I could go on but I guess I’m just saying that instead of going for some kind of theme, we just allowed the stuff that we love to become the direct inspiration for how we wanted our wedding to feel. Overall, I think one of the most important details for me was to have family be a big part. That’s why we had displayed the photos of weddings in our families throughout the generations and we felt so blessed to be able to have Kieron’s grandfather officiate the ceremony (he’s been married for 65 years so that really is an inspiration).

Most memorable moment of the day? I would say it was when I was approaching Kieron for our first look. Of course Kieron had his back turned to me as I was walking towards him but I could tell that he was just as nervous and breathless as I was. It felt like everything that we had worked so hard on — all the planning, shopping, crafting and stressing — had lead up to this very moment. The shoot was next door so it was just Kieron and me (plus our wonderful photographer) and for the first time ever, that’s when I really FELT like his bride. Kieron turned around to see me and the expression was priceless. It was like nothing else in the world mattered and finally, we could just soak it up and enjoy each other.

Any advice you want to share with future brides-to-be? Be as involved as you possibly can in the planning process of your wedding. A few people told me how proud we should be of our wedding and that it had a really personal touch. We really do feel proud of our wedding day because we put so much of ourselves into it. Every detail deserves your special attention and every decision should be a thoughtful one. When in doubt, trust your instincts and follow your heart. Though it may be tough to see the forest for the trees in the planning stages, when it all comes together on your special day it will be well worth it!

See Also

A Bold Berry-Colored Vallejo Wedding

Wedding Music:
Bridal Party Processional: “Cosmic Dancer,” T. Rex
Bridal Processional: “Waterloo Sunset,” The Kinks
Ceremony Music: “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder),” The Beach Boys
Newlywed Entrance: “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” Chris Clark
First Dance: “Knock Me a Kiss,” Louis Jordan

Wedding Location: Los Angeles, CA / Wedding Photographer: Hazelwood Photo / Event Planner: Party and Be Married / Wedding Flowers: Thistle & Twig / Vintage wedding gown: The Paper Bag Princess / Reception gown: made custom by Revamp / Engagement Ring: family heirloom / Hair & Makeup: Makeup Mafia / Wedding Cake: Fantasy Frostings