My journey with the lovely Corinna & Martín began in the fall of 2019 when we met via phone call. One of the first things I remember Corinna saying to me was, “We absolutely need to serve Taco Bell at some point at our wedding.” I was on board, of course. We didn’t know at the time how long it would take us to see that vision come to life.
The original out-of-town venue that Corinna & Martín selected became less feasible at the height of the pandemic. So, they canceled the wedding, and for a while, we paused planning. This was pretty common in 2020, honestly. We stayed in touch amidst the constantly changing regulations, and within a (small) window of lifted restrictions, Corinna found and booked a brand-new local venue that was scheduled to open well before their (new) wedding day. I got back to work planning, and we assembled a truly top-notch creative team of vendors.
One week before their wedding day, the venue pulled out. Yup. You read that correctly. We had seven days to go and no venue. Did I mention this was October?? aka the busiest month of the whole year for LA weddings?
Immediately, we hit the pavement, touring any and all venues that may be able to accommodate. We focused our energies on Culver City since that is where the couple resided, and they wanted to host their families close to home.
I placed a call to an industry friend who was part of the opening team at The Shay, a brand-new hotel that had just opened six days prior. Did they have any space we could use? In a stroke of fabulous luck, their banquet rooms were to be empty that weekend. The Shay agreed to let us use their space (and to let our caterer use their brand-new kitchen), and with four days to go, we had a new home!
Every single vendor went above and beyond to make Corinna & Martín’s wedding not only work in this new space but feel seamless. We were solely focused on making magic for them, even if that meant late-night meetings, extra walkthroughs, and overnights at the hotel. I basically lived at The Shay that week. 🙂
The subway tile entrance at The Shay provided a lovely backdrop for pre-ceremony photos.
Thankfully, the design of clean, modern lines and bright bougainvillea transferred beautifully to The Shay.
We started the bougainvillea theme in the invites.
And it all came to life on the wedding day!
Martín & Corinna decided to forgo a “first look,” so the first time they saw each other all day was on the aisle.
Their ceremony was so lovely, emotional, and also…very funny. As witnessed below.
We love a mix of high and low centerpieces. Marisa at Flores de Bosquez nailed this look, and it added much-needed softness to the modern venue.
When we moved to The Shay, we decided to add a bright white dance floor to the design to offset the modern carpet. I love the final look! Our friends at Bright Event Rentals were fabulous partners, as always.
The rest of the night was filled with fabulous food – a delicious family-style menu of comfort food from Schaffer Catering, a packed dance floor courtesy of DJ Keelez, all of Corinna & Martín’s nearest & dearest. They deserve the world, and we were so glad they were finally able to cut loose and celebrate!
And last but certainly not least, there was late-night Taco Bell. It only took two years to get here!
It’s important to not only eat the Taco Bell but pose as well. Of course.
I may or may not have found wedding-themed hot sauce packets on eBay. Don’t worry; no one actually ate that hot sauce.
Have you ever seen a happier pair of marriers? I have not.
Corinna & Martín, I can only call your wedding journey…epic. I am so grateful that you trusted me along the way, and I am also so grateful that we got to be a part of your excellent day. Love you both, always!
Check out their wedding highlight video here. It’s a tearjerker. 🙂
Creative Team
Wedding Planning & Design: Moxie Bright Events
Venue: The Shay Culver City
Catering: Schaffer
Bar: Cocktail Concierge
Photography: Safeena Noah Photography
Videography: Ryan Panlasigui
DJ & Photobooth: DJ Keelez
Florals: Flores de Bosquez
Late Night Snack: Taco Bell
Rentals: Bright Event Rentals
Linens: Napa Valley Linens
Invitations & Menus: Ink and Nod
Day-of Signage: Simply Stated Stationery
Beauty: Elywnn & Cass
Wedding Dress: Essence of Australia
Dancing Dress: Bronx & Banco
Groom’s Suit: Nino Ferretti
Bridesmaids Dresses: Birdy Grey
Groomsmen Suits: Friar Tux
Jan 26, 2022
