"The planning process was quite arduous; there were many details that went into planning the wedding and many months of work spent finalizing every detail. Gregory and I planned the entire wedding and when it came to executing the final details on the day of the wedding, our vendors were very reliable and our family was an immense help.
Our wedding was absolutely perfect to us. We were mesmerized with each other the entire day. I cannot even find a favorite moment because the entire day was the best day ever. It was absolutely perfect for both of us.
The first step of our wedding planning process was securing a venue for the ceremony and the reception especially because we had our wedding on July 4th weekend. We booked our venues approximately 8 months before the wedding and luckily got the exact date we wanted. We had our ceremony in St Elizabeth Catholic Church and we were lucky enough to have 3 priests concelebrate our ceremony. The ceremony was absolutely breathtaking and surreal and I could not have wished for a more beautiful and special ceremony with my husband." -Bride & Groom
Our wedding was absolutely perfect to us. We were mesmerized with each other the entire day. I cannot even find a favorite moment because the entire day was the best day ever. It was absolutely perfect for both of us.
The first step of our wedding planning process was securing a venue for the ceremony and the reception especially because we had our wedding on July 4th weekend. We booked our venues approximately 8 months before the wedding and luckily got the exact date we wanted. We had our ceremony in St Elizabeth Catholic Church and we were lucky enough to have 3 priests concelebrate our ceremony. The ceremony was absolutely breathtaking and surreal and I could not have wished for a more beautiful and special ceremony with my husband." -Bride & Groom
About their wedding: After securing the venues, we put an invitation list together for friends and family. We invited approximately 250 guests and approximately 200 attended. The invitations were ordered from Wedding Paper Divas and I customized the invitation enclosure with card stock and designed it on my own, with an embosser and customized address stamps. The invitation assembly was a family affair because it was about 40 hours of work. I did not hand right the address labels because it would have taken too much time, so I purchased clear address labels and used my home printer.
I was familiar with downtown LA and the flower and fashion district and knew I could get a reasonable price for the dresses and flowers. So I made a day out of searching for a flower vendor and bridesmaid dresses since they are within 1-2 miles of each other. Our cake was included in our cost for the reception venue, so I just had to print a picture of what I wanted and they replicated it identically. The cake was absolutely delicious and looked beautiful. With the DJ, we were lucky to come across him because his mix of Arabic and English music was exactly what we wanted.
The reception hall and reception hall coordinator Armen made everything very easy with the preparations (food, tables, bar) as well as the day of the event. Imperial Palace Banquet Hall interior was gorgeous, the food was delicious, they are very easy going, and the service was on point; overall it was a great place to have our reception.
Sidney Diongzon was one of our friends from high school and we knew that he did photography and videography for weddings, so we contacted him and it was history from there. His work is absolutely stunning and he has a very artistic and creative eye and we knew that from his portfolio. We couldn’t be happier with our decision to choose him because the photography and videography was the one thing we wanted to make sure was top notch because at the end of the wedding all we would have were memories, photos and video.
Wedding planning advice: We did not have a wedding planner or coordinator. We asked my husband's cousin to help us on the day of, and she was absolutely amazing. She had the wedding schedule and made sure that every detail was in place for that day. If I were to give any piece of advice, it would be to have someone on the day of the wedding that has the vendors' information and phone numbers as well as the schedule. We did not have to worry about anything the day of the wedding and were able to enjoy our special day.
About their honeymoon: We spent 2 weeks in Panorma, BC. We had an incredible view from our 1 bedroom suite that was situated in a remote location nestled in the Rocky Mountains. For most of the honeymoon we relaxed, soaked in our newlywed bliss, enjoyed relaxing, sleeping in, playing scrabble, and going out to eat. When we were ready for activities we went hiking in the mountains behind our hotel, white water rafting, swimming in the pool or soaking up the scenery from the jacuzzi. Everything is a must see, the natural beauty of BC in the summer time is unparalleled. A definite must do on a honeymoon is having enough time after the wedding to wind down after the months of wedding planning. Activity wise, white water rafting is an absolute must if you are a thrill seeker.
Vendors: Photographer: Sidney Diongzon Photography | Ceremony: St. Elizabeth Church, Altadena | Reception: Imperial Palace Banquet Hall, Pasadena | Dress: Sottero and Midgely from Panache Bridal, Costa Mesa | Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas | Make-up artist: Make-up by XO | Cake: Sarkis Pastries, Pasadena | Tux: Friar Tux | Entertainment: DJ Franky Flow
