Wedding | Jamie & Brian

The Anti-Bride
Jun 14
4 min read

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Hi! I’m Jamie, a researcher born and raised in Los Angeles. Brian is an aspiring landscape architect from Central New York. We met 10 years ago, shortly after Brian moved to California. Though we instantly connected—bonding over food, music, movies, and all the things— the timing wasn’t quite right, and we eventually lost touch. Six years later, during a blood moon eclipse, we unexpectedly crossed paths outside a screening of Alien Resurrection. We picked up right where we left off and the rest is history!

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

As Angelenos, it was important for us to marry in the city where we built our life together, surrounded by nature. We stumbled upon a newly listed venue tucked away in Mandeville Canyon and it ended up being the first and only one we visited. The moment we arrived at Brentwood Oak Ranch, we knew it was the one.

How many guests did you have?

250 guests.

Tell us about your outfits.

I grew up admiring Vivienne Westwood— a true punk icon dedicated to environmental activism and raising awareness about the dangers of overconsumption and other social issues.

Brian just wanted a double-breasted suit and Goodfight seemed to have the best selection.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

The most important thing for us was making sure the wedding felt uniquely us. We wanted our wedding to feel relaxed, natural, and meaningful. We agreed that if something didn’t feel right or felt forced, we weren’t going to include it.

We both have pretty unconventional and specific tastes in music, food, flowers, and everything else— so we made a conscious effort to weave those into the day.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Our pup: Our French bulldog, Luna, had to be part of the ceremony so she served as our ring bearer.

Florals: We decided on mid-April because it's the perfect time of year for so many of our favorite flowers to be in full bloom! We also knew the venue would be bursting with flowers and look absolutely stunning during that time. Giana Guizar, our wonderful florist, brought our vision to life in such an incredible way. We envisioned mounds of jasmine, orchids, fritillaria, and amaranth on the tables and bar tops. She truly outdid herself with every detail, including the mogra garlands that adorned the cocktail hour tables. Pink jasmine is my favorite, so I carried big, heaping bouquet of it.

Music: We both have eclectic taste in music, so it was important to us to break away from the typical wedding playlist. I walked down the aisle to Aphex Twin, and our first dance was to Roy Orbison. Crafting the playlist was one of the best parts of the planning process. We discovered our Ethio-jazz wedding band, Mendir Quartet, while at Shiloh Tea House and we were blown away. We’re so happy they agreed to perform at the wedding.

Welcome Sign: The very talented Sophia Bellini created a stained glass with our names and tulips. We are in the process of installing the stained glass in our home so we can cherish it forever!

The Princess Cake by Quarter Sheets: This cake needs no introduction. It’s simply the best and we’re so grateful they were able to create some Princess sheet cakes for our sizeable guest count.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Build a team that feels like family. Please don’t be blinded by the charms and frills of a vendor’s portfolio. Talent is important, but just as essential is choosing people who act with integrity and feel like a natural fit. You’ll share important parts of the wedding journey with them, so it’s worth choosing people you genuinely get along with and can trust to act in your best interest.

Surrender to the flow. A few months before our wedding, wildfires swept through Los Angeles, and for a time, we weren’t even sure if our venue had survived. The uncertainty was overwhelming and all the plans, details, and expectations we had poured ourselves into suddenly felt fragile. I remember Brian saying that we could get married in a parking lot and he’d still be the happiest man alive. It immediately grounded me and helped me to reorient my thinking. Luckily, thanks to heroic firefighting efforts, the venue was spared. Still, the experience taught us that no matter how much we plan, some things will always be out of our control- and that’s totally okay.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Parker and her team from Parker’s Pictures did an amazing job of capturing the beauty of the day and all the precious moments. We felt so comfortable being ourselves around them.

Our incredible friend Becca of Four Doves Photo did our videography on Super 8! The footage looks absolutely unreal.

Photographer: Parker’s Pictures @parkers.pictures | Second Shooting Team: Alexander Jordan & Jack Dixon Gunn | Planning: Orange Blossom Events @orangeblossomspecialevents | Flora: Giana Guizar

@gianaguizarr | Videographer: Four Doves @fourdovesphoto | Ceremony & Reception Location:

Goodfight | Veil: Antique Lace Heirlooms @antiquelaceheirlooms | Engagement Ring: Family Heirloom | Wedding Ring: Schyler Gately @schylergately