Jeff and Karla’s wedding in Los Angeles was the epitome of Southern Californian casual charm. Their golden-hour palette combined the beauty of a late-summer sunset with the backdrop of the Verdugo mountains. They also included some accessibility features, such as a sign language interpreter during the ceremony, to ensure all their guests were able to enjoy the day. They had lawn games and plenty of room for the kids to run about and play.
The layout of the venue allowed them to maximize the space and outdoor areas to throw a party reminiscent of a summer barbecue. They served tacos, had a busy bar, a sweaty dance floor, a kids play area, and pillows and blankets scattered like a summer picnic at the park.
“We tried to create an environment that would accommodate all of our guests, to ensure that everyone that we love could participate in our day and enjoy our day”, the bride told us. “This meant accommodations for families with children (kids play areas inside and out); vegan and gluten-free options for meals; vows, speeches, and music in English and Spanish; ASL interpretation for guests with auditory disabilities, etc.”
Their venue needed a lot of decoration to make it suit them and their theme, but the couple threw themselves into the challenge wholeheartedly, with almost everything being DIY. They loaded up on dried flowers from the Los Angeles Flower District, and Karla painstakingly created all floral arrangements and bouquets while Jeff built the arch they got married under. Karla also did the graphic design for the website, signage, and wedding invitations and even created a zine and colouring book about their relationship to give to their guests. “It really was an all-hands, hands-on event that could not have been pulled off without the love and support of our friends and family”, Kara said.
Jeff and Karla’s wedding was a real celebration of love, inclusivity and community. Their advice to future couples is to really consider the needs of all guests and create an environment which welcomes everyone. “The best part really was getting to see and celebrate with everyone there, even if we only got to see some of our friends and guests for a few moments”, they concluded. “There was so much joy in getting to see lots of friends and family all together, seeing some people for the first time in years, and in some instances getting to meet friends from various parts of our lives for the first time.”
