DIY Smog Shoppe Wedding

We have two midsummer stunners to share with you today, both equally as effortless as they are fresh and creative! First up is a real wedding at one of our favorite wedding venues in LA, the infamous Smog Shoppe shot by onelove photography. Sacha and Rick blended a Portland meets Los Angeles theme to represent where they currently live and where Rick is from – including little map buttons for both states!

From the bride, Sacha: Rick is from Portland, but since he and I live together in Los Angeles, we wanted our wedding to reflect a Pacific Northwest aesthetic while still being “L.A.” What’s more L.A. than smog check centers? We tried to weave a subtle Oregon/California theme throughout the wedding without it being too obvious. During the cocktail hour, for instance, we had the DJ play some Northwest artists like Band of Horses and Elliott Smith. And one of the button designs had outlines of Oregon and California.

Our dessert table was very us. The centerpiece was a tree of Magnolia cupcakes (eating Magnolia cupcakes together in the rain in NY was one of our first experiences when we started dating). And Sasha is a candy fiend, so we had to have a candy bar.

Rick designed each of the buttons, which we had made by an Etsy vendor. The designs included silhouettes of the couple, outlines of Oregon and California, and a flower motif that referenced the design of the RSVP card. The buttons were attached to escort cards that were individually stamped by Sasha using a custom address label stamp. The silhouette design was then reused for the stickers that were put on cellophane candy bags.

We found a mailbox at a flea market that we painted in our gray/yellow color scheme and put on our gift table to have guests put their cards into.

The programs were designed and printed the morning of the wedding.

Anything else you want to share with other brides about what you learned while planning your wedding?
Don’t compromise on your vision just to please other people. A lot of our relatives had trouble seeing our vision and were skeptical when we told them we were getting married in a former smog check center. However, when they arrived and saw the final presentation, with flowers and decorations and lighting and everything else, everyone loved it. We put on exactly the event we wanted and everyone seemed to appreciate just how personalized it was.

A Tuscan Inspired Wedding with Pastel Hues at California’s Filoli Gardens

View many more images from this wedding in the gallery!

Wedding Vendors (Los Angeles, CA):

Venue: The Smog Shoppe / Wedding Photography: onelove photography / Hair: The Dry Bar / Desserts: Magnolia Bakery / Caterer: Huntington Catering Company / DJ: Heather Thompson / Floral: Gilly Flowers / Groom’s Attire: Theory / Bride’s Shoes: Kate Spade / Coordinator: Jamie Stein (jamieseventsandweddings at gmail.com)