Are all our LA friends surviving this early fall heat wave we’ve got going on? Some sunny southwest vibes without the heat seems pretty necessary right about now! Professors Neil + Nicole were all about channeling a cheerful and colorful design when it came to creating their big day with The Love Riot + Jesi Haack Design. Think peachy pinks and turquoise and whimsical décor. Thanks to Steve Cowell for sending the photos our way!
Nicole says, Steve Cowell has an amazing eye for color and composition that make his pictures so lovely. We looked through a few portfolios and had a few Skype interviews. The combination of Steve’s work plus his amazing personality put us completely at ease, which was important since we were both concerned about being awkward in front of the camera. Steve’s advice was to “lean-in” to the awkward and just laugh about it. Totally helped calm our nerves.
Wedding music
Neil + Wedding Party: Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone (Everyone loved that Neil and the wedding party entered to music from The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly!)
Nicole + Father: The Cascades by Fleet Foxes
Recessional: Hard Sun by Eddie Vedder
1st Dance: Bridges & Balloons by The Decemberists
Super into all this mix ‘n match table, aren’t you?
Nicole’s friend from graduate school officiated, and he made the ceremony so sweet and personal. Like, he even threw in a math joke for all of the PhDs in the crowd! We also wrote our own vows, which was a challenging, but rewarding experience. There was also a great moment at the end of the night, we looked around and realized that everyone was still there dancing, and we thought that we are very lucky to be surrounded by such a great group of friends and family. Obviously DJ Dom, The Love Riot, and Jesi Haack Design helped with the excellence of the party a lot.
One of their big requirements in a venue was that they could bring in their own caterer + alcohol so they could save on costs and provide guests with stellar vegan + vegetarian options. The 1909 in Topanga, CA accommodated, Hungry Bear catered, and Donut Friend was behind the vegan donuts. Looks so yum!
Lastly, a bit about planning… In addition to us not being in LA, very few of our guests were local either. Neil’s family is all from abroad. So, we knew that we would need to make other wedding events like the rehearsal completely inclusive. In order to not spend a ton of money on a second giant event, we had to be creative. We hosted our rehearsal dinner in a public park in Thousand Oaks that allows alcohol. We catered that event with a food truck (Kogi BBQ). This set up required some extra planning like reserving the space and the food truck very early on, but it meant that we could afford to invite everyone. Also, we booked a wedding venue and set a date a year in advance to let everyone make travel plans.
Cheers!
Photographer: Steve Cowell / Venue: The 1909 in Topanga, CA / Planning: The Love Riot / Design: Jesi Haack Design / Florist: Bloom Babes / Bride’s Hair: Stephanie Pohl / Makeup: Phoebe Ogan / Bridesmaids’ Hair: Addie Markowitz / Invitations: Minted / Vegan Donuts: Donut Friend / Catering: Hungry Bear / Late Night Snack: In-N-Out / Rentals: Yeah! Rentals & Signature Party Rentals / Tabletop Rentals: borrowed BLU / DJ: Red Shoe (DJ Dom – Dominic Sagona) / Bride’s Dress: Truvelle from Love and Lace Bridal in Irvine, CA / Shoes: Grecian Sandals / Hair Clip: Jenni Kayne / Wedding Bands: A. Jaffe / Lipstick: Sephora Rouge Gel Lip Liner in It’s Cherry under Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Tesoro / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Shoes: Ahimsa / Tie & Tie Clip: The Tie Bar / Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS, Joanna August, Aidan Mattox / Flower Girl: Ultra Violet Kids
