L: How did Adam propose?
J: We had planned a weekend trip to Desert Hot Springs near Palm Springs in August 2013. We knew about the Perseid meteor shower that was happening that Saturday night. Someone suggested we drive over to Joshua Tree because it would be the darkest and best views. We drove over to the National Park, found a spot and laid on some sleeping bags to watch the stars. That's when Adam started to say sweet things to me and popped the question around 10 or 11pm! It was just the two of us. He had also hid a bottle of champagne in the car under my seat. We had been dating for about 3.5 years at that point.
L: Your parents must've been so ecstatic.
J: Yeah, I called our parents when we got home that Sunday. They all knew it was happening and were waiting for the call. I then called my friends, who would eventually become my bridesmaids.
L: Awesome. How long did you plan your wedding?
Jodi: One year.
L: That seems like an ample time to plan a wedding, especially for finding a venue. How in the world did you find such a gem in the middle of Los Angeles?
J: We fell in love with Smog Shoppe! We didn't want a generic hotel/ballroom type of venue. What sold me on the venue was the sheer beauty of the succulent walls. I am obsessed with succulents and the whole ceremony backdrop and outdoor walls are covered in succulents. It is in Culver City which is is the middle of L.A. so easy for us to plan and guests to get there. I also liked that the half indoor/outdoor vibe and you have to take advantage of L.A. weather. The square wood tables, bentwood style chairs - such great unique additions! There is no in-house catering so we got to hire the caterer and pick the menu we liked. I planned our wedding date around what the venue had available. We only went to look at one other place but Smog Shoppe was it! It spoke to us. We like to describe it as an "urban oasis."
L: Well, that urban oasis sure did give a compelling background to that gorgeous dress. Tell me more about your wedding dress and your wedding shoes.
J: I went to about 6 or 7 places for wedding dresses. Then, I found the shop Lovely Bride! My dress is called "Isis" and from designer WTOO. My mom and 4 bridesmaids came with me. I wanted a dress that wasn't all white, had a sweatheart neckline, and was more fitted than flowy. This dress had all of that - a taupe lining under the outer layer of white lace, sweatheart neckline, strapless, and a slimming fit. I knew it was the one when I walked out of the dressing room and two of my bridesmaids got teary-eyed. We went to one other place after, but all of our minds kept going back to that dress. Since my dress had a unique color, I decided on silver-ish sparkly shoes by Pella Moda, Silver Firefly. Comfort is key so I wanted only a small heel.
L: So you said you had 4 bridesmaids?
J: We had 5 bridesmaids and 5 groomsmen. We did not have any children in the wedding. We didn't want it to be too big because it is more people to deal with. I definitely wanted people I have known for many years and would be friends with for years to come. I was a bridesmaid for friends who were not bridesmaids in my wedding, and that's okay. People understand and have different needs and numbers of wedding parties. My bridesmaids are also good at organizing and planning. I did not have an official MOH because I didn't want all of the responsibility on one person.
L: Your bridal party looked fabulous. You didn't want to have an official MOH because you didn't want all the responsibility on one person? Speaking of which, what was the most stressful part of planning your wedding and why?
J: Balancing what other people wanted for my wedding with what Adam and I wanted, mostly having to do with the guest list because our venue could only hold so many people. Also having to make all of the tiny decisions like what song is going to play when the bridesmaids walk down the isle...what will the table numbers look like....etc. Pinterest was a blessing and curse. It gives you so many good ideas but then also gives too many ideas that it was hard to choose and I didn't want my wedding to look just like a Pinterest board.
L: Actually, your wedding did look like a Pinterest board, in a very unique way. I did notice a fine details and personalization. How did this affect your budget?
J: I didn't plan a hard number with my parents because that was too hard to do in advance, and we ended up going over budget. Weddings, especially in L.A., are going to be more expensive than a lot of other cities unless you have connections or a free venue. Any time you throw the word "wedding" in front of something, the price goes up. I used Etsy for a lot of things like invitations because they were cheaper and more customizable....
...Also, I found decor, escort cards, table numbers, and jewelry on Etsy...
...Utilize your resources or any connections! Anytime you can have friends help, that is good too! My friend made us Bride and Groom chair signs...
...Another friend made our welcome sign with chalk...
...Adam and his dad built a photo wall and put pictures of our friends' pets on it which our guests loved and could stand behind it to take pictures...
...There are a few things you can't DIY like a professional wedding photographer and good food. Also a wedding coordinator was very necessary. We skipped out on a having a party favor for guests. Many brides told me that most people leave their favor behind and it is a waste of money, and usually it is not something everyone wants. Instead we did a late night snack a pretzel cart! No one complained that there wasn't a favor and it's usually something forgettable. If you have a fun, great wedding, it's not necessary.
L: Oh yes, how could I forget about that yummy pretzel cart? Speaking of yummyness, pie as wedding cake?
J: Adam doesn't like cake very much, but we both love pie. So it was kind of a no-brainer - instead of wedding cake, we had gourmet pies and vanilla ice cream. The place we ordered from even did a free tasting and we decided to have four flavors: Apple Cinnamon Crumb, Peach Strawberry, Chocolate Bourbon Pecan, and Purple Forest. The pie company even had cute pie stands and signs for each pie. We also had the table decorated with some flowers and a picture of Adam's parents cutting their wedding cake and a picture of my parents sitting at their wedding reception (which was at a restaurant). Our guest loved the pie!
L: As part of your wedding guest, I loved every single detail of your wedding. If you were to pick one part of that very special day, what was the best part?
J: I was on such a natural high having family and friends from all different times in our lives and who lived far away be there to share this moment with us. There is no other time we'll be able to get those 140 people together again and it was so fun seeing them all interact and meet each other and have a great, fun time together.
L: If any, what would you have done differently?
J: I would try to stress out less beforehand, but that's hard for me because I am such a planner. I also would have been a little more communicative with a few vendors beforehand. However, the day of went so smoothly and painless and was just so fun. I did get to eat dinner too although I hardly remember what it tasted like.
L: Some final thoughts for future brides and grooms?
J: It's important to make the wedding unique to you. Don't think every single detail has to be cute and perfect like a Pinterest board. Most people will not remember any of your wedding details except you. It's just important to make it your style. The things people will remember the most is if there was good food, good drinks, and great music to dance to. No one will remember your colors, what your table signs looked like, who walked down the aisle and in what order, etc. Choose your battles and the things you stress over!
J: It's important to make the wedding unique to you. Don't think every single detail has to be cute and perfect like a Pinterest board. Most people will not remember any of your wedding details except you. It's just important to make it your style. The things people will remember the most is if there was good food, good drinks, and great music to dance to. No one will remember your colors, what your table signs looked like, who walked down the aisle and in what order, etc. Choose your battles and the things you stress over!
Bride | Jodi, 30
Groom | Adam, 29
Wedding Date | August 2, 2014
Wedding Date | August 2, 2014
# of Guests | 140
Wedding Ceremony and Reception | Smog Shoppe
NOTE: Images are owned by L.E.A.H. Events, unless otherwise credited. All ensembles (florals, wardrobe, beauty) are original works of L.E.A.H. Events, unless otherwise credited. Please provide proper credits when reposting or sharing on social media sites. Thank you. @Leah_Med.
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