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An Eclectic & Colorful Californian Celebration

An Eclectic & Colorful Californian Celebration

Vibrant details, personalized touches, and a chic ruffled gown

In the heart of Long Beach, California, Rae and Eric's wedding unfolded as a vibrant reflection of their unique love story. From the intimate moments shared during their ceremony to the lively celebration that followed, every detail was enhanced with personality, color, and warmth. Their celebration included radiant and unique elements that showed the couple's individuality, from a vintage iMac turned wedding card box to a ruffled and delicate Honor wedding dress that made history. With a mix of laughter, meaningful touches, and unforgettable memories, their wedding was not just an event—it was an experience surrounded by loved ones that they’ll cherish forever, beautifulyl captured by our member Jake Fosmire.

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met through one of the dating apps. Our first date was on a random September weeknight at the Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach. Eric brought a flashlight and shined it into the lagoon to point out various aquatic creatures; the octopus was a highlight. We sipped on Modelos and listened to Blood Orange. I walked face-first into a spider web. It was perfect. Our wedding was three years later to the day.

^{The Proposal}

Eric’s plan was to recreate our first date and return to the Colorado Lagoon on a chill weeknight for a low-key proposal. I can only imagine how precious it would have been because I was so excited to see the ring. The second I found out he had it in his possession, I needed that ring on my finger. He got down on one knee in the kitchen.

^{The Engagement Ring}

Emerald-cut solitaire natural diamond on a thin gold band. Eric worked closely with our neighborhood jeweler, Mimo, and designed it himself. I am still very obsessed with the ring.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

In hindsight, I probably wasn’t the best candidate for a nine-month engagement period. I was never the girl who dreamed of her wedding day. I knew that a traditional, cookie-cutter wedding would be ridiculous for us—that just isn’t who we are. I wanted to incorporate our personal style and went with what I was drawn to: lighthearted but a little edgy, bold colors, traditional in an ironic way, and most importantly, a fun party.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

Our vendor lineup was incredible—everyone absolutely crushed it. Our planner, Emily, kept us organized, on task, and ensured our vision of a colorful wedding didn’t turn into a clown show. She came in clutch for details I couldn’t care less about, like napkin-folding styles.

Dart Collective was the first vendor we booked, and they instantly gained our trust with their extensive vinyl collection. They were thrilled about our wedding soundtrack, which ranged from Patti Smith to T-Pain and everything in between—the perfect DJs for us.

Crow Florals was my Instagram floral crush. I originally used them as floral inspiration, not realizing they were actually within reach. Booking Crow Florals felt surreal; the designs Jack Crow creates are a dream.

At some point during the planning process, I became so annoyed by Pinterest weddings. Like, is it a wedding or just a photoshoot? Our photographers, Fernando and Jake, changed my perspective. Their genuine passion for photography and excitement to shoot our wedding was so reassuring. I love the shots they set up and the moments they captured—it never felt like a photoshoot. They effortlessly pulled off my big family portrait, which consisted of 26 people, and didn’t even blink when we brought out the tortoise—or the hairless dog.

^{The Location}

We love the city where we met and live, so a local Long Beach wedding was ideal. The aesthetic of Ebell was undeniable—a historic building with just the right restorations, skylights in the courtyard that provided an outdoor vibe without the stress of weather forecasts, and a black-and-white tiled floor. Although we toured various venues across LA, we always came back to Ebell.

^{The Ceremony}

To my surprise, the ceremony ended up being one of my favorite parts. We opted for a wedding crew instead of traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen, which meant my best friends took on roles like flower gals and ring bearer. Eric’s sister was his Best Woman, and my soul sister was my Matron of Honor. All of our ceremony music was fun, we walked each other down the aisle, and one of my best friends officiated. Her speech was heartfelt yet hilarious.

^{The Reception}

Open bar! At some point, we pulled down the hanging garlands and danced with them wrapped around us. Hand-feeding late-night snacks on the dance floor is definitely a core memory.

^{The Special Touches}

You know that random item you’ve had for years that’s completely useless but you simply cannot part with? Mine is a vintage Apple iMac computer—and yes, IT’S THE PINK ONE. It had survived countless yard sales solely because I priced it at about a million dollars. Eric would always ask, “What will we ever use that for?!” Well, the day finally came—it became our wedding card box! I don’t even know if anyone else really noticed it, but incorporating it into our wedding was such a special touch for the two of us to love from a distance.

Also, our homemade welcome signs. We made them in the backyard with a bottle of Pinot in hand, approximately two days before the wedding. It was so much fun. Creating something tangible together for our wedding, combined with repurposing something dusty yet cherished from the garage, gave us a wholesome feeling you just can’t buy on Etsy.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

The speeches! All three were so funny, thoughtful, and on point. My Matron of Honor ended her speech with a surprise Underberg shot for all the guests—a beloved family party tradition.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

I frequented the med spa, Vanity Compound, which performed quick and painless bridal laser facial treatments throughout the planning process. The treatments set my face makeup for perfection and ensured I wouldn’t have a random pimple show up on our wedding day. Can’t recommend that enough! Choosing long-lost high school homegirls turned makeup artists and hairstylists was perfect. In addition to being talented, they understood my style and made sure I still looked like me.

The blocky Nodaleto heels are amazing pieces of art and so comfortable—I wore them for 10+ hours without a problem. Finding a wedding gown was the first thing I did after we got engaged. I scoured the internet for hours, and while there are so many gorgeous gowns out there, none of them felt like me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we probably would have eloped if I didn’t find Honor. LOHO was the only bridal shop to carry Honor, and I’m so happy that was the case—I had great experiences at LOHO. The gown I wanted had only been made as a sample, making me the first bride to wear it at her wedding. Truly an honor. Shout out to my stylist, Devon, who worked closely with me through the process and helped make my wedding gown dreams come true. The iconic Silver Linings gown speaks for itself. BURY ME IN IT.

^{The Groom Looks}

A classic black Armani suit. I love how it looked next to my unique wedding gown.

Our Advice

^{For The Planning Process}

Really try to be present and have fun with the planning process—you will (hopefully) never plan your own wedding again. Right after we got engaged, I was surprised to see how many former brides (and grooms!) wanted to be involved in our planning process. While I very much appreciated the support and advice, one unspoken common denominator stood out to me: all of them secretly missed their wedding planning process. That can be difficult to imagine while you’re in the thick of it, but masochist or not, the time will come when you too will miss it. So, in the most healthy way possible, let the planning process consume you.

^{For On The Day}

Drink water and get over yourself!!

An Eclectic & Colorful Californian Celebration

^{For Post-Wedding}

My parents held a hair of the dog party at their house the next morning, which was low-key and lovely. We had breakfast sandwiches from Olives Gourmet and breakfast burritos from Tito’s, my dad made his famous Bloody Marys, and I wore sweats. We ended the party by cutting the wedding cake because we were having too much fun during our reception to do it when it was scheduled.

We took the week after our wedding off for our mini-moon at Lake Arrowhead, which had to be rescheduled due to fires. Instead, we used that week to chill, get our house in order, knock out thank you cards, enjoy our wedding gifts like the pizza oven, and obsessively look at all the photo booth pictures on repeat. Eric and I had a blast in Arrowhead a month later, but having that time off at home was so nice—I would do it like that again every time.