Wedding Blog

Today we’re featuring the real wedding of Lizzie and Howard who were married at a gorgeous beachfront hotel in Santa Monica, California. Lizzie had a hand in most of the design details of their wedding - she created the invitations, menus, programs, place cards, and more. They honored their distinct backgrounds by incorporating Asian motifs into their Jewish ceremony.

Wedding Date: July 18, 2008
Venue: Shutters on the Beach Hotel
Bridal Gown Designer: Sally Crew
Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Florist: Kim Randolph at the Enchanted Florist
Photographer: Next Exit Photography
Videographer: Thomas Buckley
Cake: Cake Divas
Wedding Coordinator: Terri Castillo at Belissimo Events
Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm
Honeymoon: Kauai, Hawaii

Our wedding was a mix of two distinct cultures which we wanted to tie together. Our ceremony was Jewish, as were some of the customs at the reception. We also tried to incorporate some Asian motifs in the decor.

We had an intimate Ketubah signing before the main ceremony. That was when we signed the traditional Jewish wedding contract with our immediate family, rabbi and wedding party.

 After the Ketubah signing, we moved outside for the main ceremony. We had a chuppah (wedding canopy), which was absolutely breathtaking. Our florist did such an wonderful job decorating it. It was amazing to have all our friends and family in one place to celebrate with us.

We wanted a bright and fun palette for our summer beach wedding. The hues were mostly pink and green, with a bit of orange added for some punch.

We had place card trees that we hung origami cranes from.

We served an Asian fusion style menu, which included mini hamburgers and yellowtail sashimi on crispy rice at the cocktail hour.

Guests enjoyed our pink and green signature drink: the blushing bride strawberry mojito.

Our pink and green colored candy buffet (mostly a gummy buffet) was also a huge hit! Everyone loved it.

We incorporated many aspects of a Jewish ceremony, including my grandpa cutting the challah bread at the reception and everyone doing the hora dance. One memorable moment was when my friends lifted Howard’s parents up in their chairs for the hora. His parents really embraced some of the Jewish traditions—it was amazing!

Towards the end of the night, my sister Cindy, who is classically trained in opera, got up and sang us a song with the band. It was so touching.

People really do notice all the little details, and it makes a big difference. I can’t thank the Bees enough for inspiring so many fantastic ideas that we incorporated into our own wedding.

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