Hi Chicas,

We are so thrilled to have you check out this weeks incredible wedding at Union Station.  Not only are the bride and groom incredible people but their story is wonderful too.

How they Met:

We met at the gym.  I had just moved back home to LA from college (UC  Santa Barbara).  When I joined the local gym, I ran into a friend, Ed, who I hadn’t seen in years, who also worked out at this gym.  He was the one to introduce me to my husband, as he was also a friend of his (total coinsidence).

And the rest is history–after a few times of running into each other at the gym, I asked Robert if he wanted to grab a cup of coffee “one of these days,” and of course, he accepted:)  We met up the following night at a coffee shop…

We dated for 5 years, 3 months before he proposed.

The proposal:

It was on a weeknight.  We had been out running some errands–a night like many others.  When we got home, it was already dark, he went outside to our backyard to fetch our dog.  I settled in on the couch, took off my shoes.  I noticed he was back there longer than usual, but I just figured he was playing with our dog.  He asked me to come outside because he wanted to show me something.

I kind of grumbled to myself being that I didn’t feel like putting my shoes back on and get up from my comfy spot.  When I went outside, I found him on one knee holding something in his hand, dog next to him wagging her tail, and he says, “look what i found.”  It took me a few seconds to register what was going on…needless to say, I figured it out.

What were the main colors & theme of your wedding?

Our colors were fall-inspired, being that we got married in October.  Burnt orange, with splashes of gold, yellow, red.  My bridesmaid’s dresses were “mango tango.”  As far as the theme, we didn’t specifically set out to have one, but I am very much inclined to the old, classic look, which our venue (old L.A.), my dress, my hair style embodied to a certain extent.

How did you choose your wedding venue?

Our venue was Union Station’s courtyard and Fred Harvey room in Downtown LA.  After doing a good amount of research and visiting several different venues, as soon as we did a tour of Union Station, it felt “right” for a variety of reasons.

First, it’s historical significance to the city was something we appreciated, being that we both grew up in Los Angeles and many of our roots culturally, emotionally, an socially are deeply embedded here.  Second, it had such a timeless feel to it, like one stepped into a time warp, which was right up my alley in my affinity for all things classic.

Third, from a logistical stand point, it was one of the few (if not only) venue that allowed us access to the venue on the day of the wedding for 24 hours, thus making things easier not only for us, but for our vendors.  There also wasn’t a concern with noise levels after a certain time, and we kept the party going until midnight.  Most other venues we contacted only gave us access for 5 hours on the day of, or wanted the party to be wrapped up by no later than 10pm.

Incorporate anything unique into your wedding?

Well for starters, my husband is culturally mixed.  He was born in Argentina to a German-Spanish mother and Japanese father.  I was born in Los Angeles (Culver City) to Mexican parents–I’m second generation Mexican.

My husband moved to LA with his family when he was 7 years old, and has lived here since.  Specifically, he grew up in Culver City, which is where I grew up as well.  With that said, we did incorporate traditional elements into our event.

My husband built a traditional Japanese Torii Gate, which we were married under.  In Japanese culture, a Torii Gate is a traditional entry into any sacred place.  Our invitation design also carried a subtle Japanese theme by incorporating cherry blossoms.  Our Latin background was present in our musical selection.  We had a quartet, Cascada de Flores, play during the ceremony and dinner, and their music is reminsicsent of old traditional Mexican songs with a mixture of Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican sounds.

I actually surprised my husband during the ceremony and sang him an old song by Jose Alfredo Jimenez, “Que Bonito Amor,” which I had coordinated with the musicians beforehand.  Cascada de Flores was amazing and were well received by our guests.  As far as DIY elements, as mentioned above, my husband built the Torii Gate; my maid of honor and I made the place cards and table numbers.

How did you pick your team?

I picked my team through tireless research, word of mouth recommendations, and meetings with vendors.  We did not have a coordinator, so all the decision-making was entirely up to us!  We did have a friend who very graciously volunteered to be our day-of coordinator, but again, all the planning, selecting of vendors, etc. was executed by my husband and I.

Was budget a factor? If so in what way?

Budget was a factor, although we were well aware that we would be going over. The key was knowing how much we could go over and knowing what items we could compromise on.  For instance, we went with the most cost-efficient rentals in terms of chairs, linens, and dinnerware because we felt that the Fred Harvey room itself was so beautiful that we did not need to break the bank on these items, and thus, we opted for simplicity.  We felt that we’d let the decor of the room and the floral centerpieces speak for themselves.

What would you do different?

Honestly, we are so happy with how our day unfolded, that I don’t know if I would do anything different.  All of our vendors were extremely professional, reliable, and delivered the quality they touted from the outset.  And the proof of this was how our guests perceived our wedding; we have received numerous compliments on everything from our caterer (quality of food and service), our music, flowers, photography, etc., that it’s hard to say that there’s something I would do differently.

Gorgeous photography courtesy of Juan Turcios

Vendors:

Venue:  Union Station – Jeff Cooper

Catering: Angelini Osteria Catering (EJ Peters, Catering Director)

Florist: Floral Fields

Photography:  Juan Turcios Photography

Invitations:  Flora and Fauna Press, Christine Brandt

Music:  Cascada de Flores

Arwen Lawrence de Castellanos

DJ:     Best DJ & MC Entertainment, James Lee

Hair/Make-Up:   Nyrie Aitken

Rentals:  Town & Country

If you are looking to submit your wedding or share your story as you plan your wedding, contact us.