Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
How a couple gets engaged is often unique to their relationship and who they are as people. For Samantha and Stephen, it was perfectly them—he cooked a steak dinner at her apartment in Chicago overlooking the city’s skyline and then got down on one knee to propose.
They waited a bit to start talking about a wedding that would feel exactly right for them, as COVID-19 vaccines had only just rolled out and they wanted plenty of time to find their ideal wedding venues.
Both Samantha and Stephen agreed that a destination wedding was their dream scenario. With hiking a shared passion, a mountainous venue was their top choice. They decided on Los Angeles (where some of the bride’s family lives), with the Santa Monica Mountains in the background, and went from there.
Samantha found Mizel Estate, which offered tons of open space and allowed for both epic views and a transformable setting perfect for the first half of the wedding day. A Jewish ceremony could take place amidst the manicured gardens, Cyprus trees, and vineyards.
And while the couple loved being outside, they knew that an indoor space meant they could keep the party going late into the night without any noise restriction issues. They excitedly picked the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village for the job. With most guests coming from out of town, it was a great spot for guests to stay at while enjoying the weekend’s festivities. It also provided two great spaces—one for the reception and one for the after-party—plus in-house catering.
So the couple made their first move towards an April 30, 2022, wedding and secured both venues for the celebration.
Another early decision the couple made during their year-long engagement was their wedding photographer, John & Joseph. The bride and groom initially fell in love with their work while reviewing their website and social media channels. Come time for the big day, the photographers surpassed expectations and went above and beyond.
Then it was time to reach out to someone to bring the couple’s vision to life. The bride and groom inquired with Kristin Banta Events (aka KBE), who helped with all things planning, design, and production.
Everything related to the look and feel of the spaces was handled by the KBE team, who concepted everything in-house. KBE knew early on they’d work with many of their go-to vendors to ensure everything fell in line with that vision: R. Jack Balthazar for decor and flowers, LightenUp Inc. for lighting, Design Sound for AV, and four different rental companies for the ultimate combination of pieces: Bright Event Rentals, Town & Country Event Rentals, Casa de Perrin, and Blueprint Studios.
“The wedding design was curated around a ‘glam enchanted forest’ concept, featuring a progression of color and an abundance of florals. Each space was embellished in a unique way starting with lighter tones including cream, dusty rose, moss green, vintage blue, and lavender, progressing into bolder hues from indigo and moss green to aubergine and raspberry with accents in brushed gold and marble. The mood really encapsulated Samantha and Stephen's personalities: elegant, romantic, chic, and charming while also being dynamic, modern, glam, and fun!” —Kristin Banta, planner
Guests arrived at the vineyard and walked down a tree- and rose-lined pathway laid with colorful Belgian rugs that were a nod to the bride’s chic, bohemian style, which was first showcased in the wedding invitations. The ceremony space was transformed into a runway-inspired garden setting, featuring a mirrored chuppah and aisle which reflected the vast open skies and surrounding mountains. The aisle was flanked by a dense collection of greenery and overgrown wildflowers planted around the base of the chuppah. As the wedding party walked down the aisle under the clear blue skies, it appeared as though they were walking on water and that the sky met the ground.
For the reception, another impactful entrance awaited the 221 guests. Glowing neon rope twisted and turned through the halls, leading guests to the ballroom, which was transformed into a glam enchanted garden with bold pops of color. Large trees placed around the room within LED-illuminated peacock blue planter boxes and striking zebra area rugs added more drama. The room was also fully draped in a gray-violet fabric while the floor was covered in moss green carpet to make it look like a forest floor. The dance floor became the focal point, with a Belgian rug-inspired print reflective of the entry rugs from the estate.
Canopied lounges provided conversation nooks opposite the stage, so guests could take a break from dancing. Each one featured bold-colored velvet sofas, animal print rugs, and modern gold chandeliers.
As for the reception tables, three different designs—all set with gold-rim chargers and glassware and gold flatware—filled the space. Round glass tables with gold bases featured green banquette seating and dusty-rose upholstered chairs. Long, green lacquered tables with gold bases were paired with blue chairs. And square tables were draped in peacock-blue velvet and set with wire chairs. They all burst with vibrant mixed florals in equally bold vessels.
For the after-party, the LED rope shifted to a bright blue and guided guests another event space in the hotel, where everyone danced the night away in another magical environment.
Prim & Pixie was brought on to design the wedding invitations early into the planning process. Wanting to go big on the “wow” factor and grab attendees’ attention with an initial glimpse of what was to come, the suite was whimsical, elegant, and modern. Tucked into a moss green envelope with gold embellishments, the invite itself was backed with a bohemian rug design and paired with a booklet featuring the details of the glam, enchanted wedding, with both pieces wrapped in a gold leather band to hold them together.
The day-of elements were equally impactful. A statement wall welcomed guests as they arrived at the ballroom for the reception. Names were penned by Calligraphy Katrina on site, with the entire piece illuminated by LED strip lights embedded on the top and bottom.
Wanting everything captured in motion, the couple secured Sculpting with Time as their wedding videographer. The KBE team had tried to work with them for years but the dates never aligned. Samantha and Stephen’s glam, enchanted wedding came at just the right time, and the Sculpting with Time team was finally available. The end result:a beautiful film created for the couple.
The first musical decision made was the reception band: The Revels from Élan Artists, who played a mix of disco and oldies. Samantha and Stephen wanted a band who could perform as well as any headliner talent, and who wasn’t a “typical wedding band.” Numerous bands were presented and considered, but The Revels checked every box.
Samantha and Stephen also took the music into their own hands for one part of the evening. While they love playing music together, many of their loved ones hadn’t heard them perform. So they surprised guests by opening the reception with a first song (Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love”) instead of a first dance.
The foodie couple sought a perfectly catered menu of food and beverage from the moment guests arrived (pre-ceremony tray-passed champagne cocktails) to their last moments at the glam, enchanted wedding (grilled cheese, Nutella and banana sandwiches, crispy chicken sliders, and parmesan truffle fries for late-night fare). While the hotel handled the reception dinner, pre- and post-ceremony cocktail receptions needed a caterer, and that’s where Tres LA Catering came in. Meanwhile, Grand Bevy oversaw a specialty cocktail program at the hotel.
“I loved all of the small plates from the ceremony. We brought in tapas flavors from my time studying abroad in Barcelona, and bites that resembled a bit of down south where Stephen is from. Stephen’s mom was from Ireland, and we also had some Irish guests at the wedding, so you could see that in the menu as well.” —Samantha, bride
The personal nods extended beyond the food. The bride and groom met on Tinder, and wanted to poke fun at that as well. They printed their profiles from the dating site using edible ink onto signature cocktails. It was an idea that had everyone swiping right.
With eight people in the bride’s wedding party, a large glam squad was assembled. Contour Fossa and Make-Up Therapy provided their hair and makeup services for the bridesmaids, and Emma Willis (owner of the former) focused on the bride. With more team members on hand, no one had to wake up too early to start getting ready for pre-ceremony photos.
The bride’s brother then reached out to Gorgon City to play the after-party (an homage to one of the first live performances the couple saw together), while the Jensen Singers and Django Foxtrot were secured from Dart Collective to provide music for the ceremony and cocktail hour, respectively. And an Irish trio from Luxury Entertainment Group rounded out the talent, welcoming guests to the Four Seasons in style.
“Stephen and I love to play music together and have a passion for it, so we wanted to bring in as much live music as possible. I have always dreamed of having an acoustic set as I walk down the aisle. The Jensen Singers have a sound similar to what inspired me at an early age to play. We chose songs from their setlist for each part of the ceremony, including ‘Harvest Moon.’ Django Foxtrot had a jazz sound similar to the music Stephen listened to growing up with his father—who is also a musician and taught him how to play.” —Samantha, bride
The KBE team pitched Banga Booth for the reception. The non-traditional take on a photobooth offered guests a fresh, high-end, fashion-forward take on portraits. It was tied into the decor of the night thanks to a tree anchored in a peacock blue base, which added texture to the background as well as a reminder of the chic celebration look.
Fantasy Frostings designed the wedding cake to feel like an explosion of flowers to mirror the ceremony and bring that element into the reception space. The interior was equally impactful, with a flavorful salted caramel cake and icing combination.
