Tracy & Zak’s Bold Wedding at the Ebell of Los Angeles

A wedding portrait of the couple at the historic Ebell of Los Angeles, featuring a modern cascade bouquet full of bold phalaenopsis orchids.

Tracy & Zak’s wedding at The Ebell of Los Angeles was bold, moody, bright and dripping with style (and flowers)! Aren’t they perfection?

The couple shares their first kiss under a bold and lush wedding arch full of peonies & garden roses, created by Los Angeles florist Winston & Main.

A moment of silence for this ceremony design please. Our signature floral palette- full of jewel tones, moody hues and pops of peony (that’s a color right?) was a perfect fit with their retro-modern style.

This is a classic wedding arch, reimagined to bring the drama, color, and luxury- exploding with pink peonies, red garden roses, phalaenopsis orchid, dripping amaranthus and more. More is always more, and we LOVE a large scale floral installation here at Winston and Main.

A bold and textured trailing bouquet created by Los Angeles florist Winston and Main, featuring pink orchids and red garden roses.

Jason Q Tran captured this perfect bridal bouquet portrait, and when it landed in my inbox, my jaw dropped. There *might* have been tears.

It is truly one of my favorite photos of any of my floral designs. Ever. It definitely puts the “fine art” in fine art florals and makes my heart so happy- the perfect Dutch Master’s painting!

Two photos, the first is a portrait of a bride holding a luxurious cascade bouquet in bold jewel toned flowers. The second is of the couple posing together, highlighting the groom's vibrant boutonniere.

The couple sharing a kiss on the steps of the Ebell, and the bride holding a bright luxury bouquet designed by Tabitha Abercrombie of Winston & Main.

These bold and moody jewel tones are a VIBE, and the more we create with them, the more they get requested.

Create the work that makes your heart happy friends- I guarantee there are others out there who will resonate with what you do, and then you’ll get to do more (and better) of what you love.

I am always so grateful for our wonderful clients and all the beauty their trust, vision and collaboration makes possible.

A large scale floral installation on the staircase at The Ebell of Los Angeles features peonies and garden roses in bold jewel tones. In the second image- a bold welcome arrangement greets guests next to photos of the couple.

This large-scale floral installation on the stairs at The Ebell was such a showstopper, and made for some amazing and bold aisle flowers. Talk about a grand entrance- this installation was the first thing guests saw when they entered the wedding ceremony space, and also made for a dramatic walk down the aisle.

I always recommend a few larger WOW floral moments, over lots of tiny flowers everywhere. Make a statement, and include a staircase installation whenever possible- so many options, and SO many beautiful flowers. And then on the welcome table? Even more bold, lush, and dramatic jewel toned blooms.

A stunning portrait of the bride in front of an amber wall as she holds her modern cascade bouquet full of orchids, peonies, and garden roses, in shades of pink and red by Los Angeles florist Winston & Main.

Tracy’s colorful modern cascade bouquet is one of the most unique I’ve ever designed, and I LOVE how it turned out and how perfect it was for her. Vintage Hollywood glamour!

Two images of the couple's wedding ceremony, the first showing the groom waiting for his bride at the alter with a bright floral wedding arch behind him. The second is during the ceremony of the couple standing in front of the large floral arch and under beautiful and ornate chandeliers.

The Ebell of Los Angeles is full of unique historic details and dark wood, which makes it the perfect backdrop for bright, bold, and dramatic floral designs.

It’s always so fun to get photos back and check out all the different wedding day perspectives- Zak waiting for Tracy to walk down the aisle with a wall of gorgeous blooms behind him? Amazing. And that bolo? Best groom style ever!

I also love how this  ceremony shot through the historic chandeliers lets you see the scale of our ceremony arch, and shows off how we mirrored the beautiful arched windows behind it.

The couple smiling at each other as they walk back down the aisle after their wedding ceremony surrounded by large, colorful aisle arrangements.

This is always one of my favorite photos- that just married JOY is the best! And JOY surrounded by beautiful wedding flowers- even better.

An image of a sweetheart table, with the freestanding ceremony arch, dripping with peonies, orchids, and garden roses, repurposed behind the table.

The ceremony flowers repurposed to the sweetheart table is ALWAYS the move. Dinner + reception photos surrounded by the entire dark & dramatic garden FTW.

A lush jewel-toned elevated wedding centerpiece full of peonies, orchids, dahlias, and delphinium.
 
An image of a large, organic, & elevated centerpiece full of jewel toned orchids, peonies, and garden roses.

And check  out these elevated foam-free centerpieces- they’re dripping with jewel-toned orchids, dahlias, roses, delphinium, amaranthus, and smilax and elevated on a gold Harlow stand.

I promise you can ditch the foam and deliver more sustainable luxury- your clients, the earth, and your flowers will thank you!

A bold and moody jewel toned low centerpiece full of peonies and garden roses in shades of red and berry with blue accents.
 
A bright and textured centerpiece with pink orchids and red dahlias in a gold compote, complements gold rimmed wine glasses and votives.

Hello, dahlia!
Bold, bright, moody and unexpected jewel-toned wedding flowers really shine in The Ebell’s reception space.

A white five tiered wedding cake decorated with contrasting pink orchids and red garden roses.

Mic drop for this five-tier beauty of a wedding cake Flouring LA. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a dream to add cake flowers to this beauty.

Two images of this couple enjoying their wedding day, first by cutting their 5 tier wedding cake with fresh florals and secondly by sharing a romantic first dance in front of their ceremony arch..

Serving up cake, joy and sweetness.

A snapshot of this couple dancing in their retro-modern style wedding at the Ebell in los Angeles. As well as an image of the couple doing the horah at their wedding reception.

How much do you love that solo first dance shot?
 
The hanging floral installations on the chandeliers, dripping with smilax and orchids, the lush jewel-toned centerpieces, the photo booth sparkles, the stylish couple- pure magic. Seeing everything come together so beautifully on an event day is truly like magic and we are so thrilled to be a part of it every time!

And that Hora + Tracy’s wardrobe change? EPIC.

For another wedding from The Ebell of Los Angeles, check out Dian and Kenny’s Modern and Polished Wedding.

Wedding Planner: Heartthrob Weddings // Photography: Jason Q Tran // Entertainment: Mirmir // Floral Design: Winston & Main // Cake: Flouring //  Singing: Anthony Starble // Photo Booth: Lucky Photo Booth // DJ: Dart Collective // Rentals: Archive Rentals // Rentals: Signature Party Rentals // Stationery: Prim & Pixie // Venue: The Ebell of Los Angeles



DESIGN YOUR PERFECT WEDDING DAY

boho wedding couple
 
Did you catch our Cosmic Bloom Desert Wildflower Elopement Shoot earlier this week? It’s a dreamy one. You can check out our feature over on Green Wedding Shoes (eeeeek!) and peep a bunch more photos here and here.

Then come back so we can chat a little about the process of going from threemillionamazingideas, to concrete designs, to a magical day, to final photos, mkay?
My coffee and I will be right here waiting…

My Design Process in a Nutshell

This is the process I use to turn my clients (and my own) sometimes disparate ideas and inspirations, into complete, cohesive, and beautifully realized designs + events. So whether you’re a newly engaged couple, a fellow wedding professional, or a DIY Wedding Warrior, this will work for you too. Try it out and let me know what you think!

1. Ask the Question

 
wildflower wedding
 

How do you want your event to feel?

 

Ask yourself this question first. Write down your answer and refer to it often.
Trust me on this one, your answer will inform the rest of your decisions.

Great events tell great stories. Great stories give you all the feels.
The question is definitely NOT about how you want your event to look.

I wanted our shoot to feel like a sun-drenched bohemian adventure,
full of magic, color and whimsy.

 

2. Be A Greedy Squirrel

 
recordplayerfirstdance
 
Pinterest. The Library. Museums. Magazines. A dog walk. A good book.
 
Inspiration is everywhere, so gather it all up like the greedy little squirrel you are.
Pin it all. Jot it down. If it gives you the feels, gobble it up. For now. Don’t bother to edit.

BUT

Set a Time Limit.
aka. Once your mouth is full you have to stop. (is this analogy still working?)

*If you’ve just gotten engaged, maybe it’s a month to soak up all the inspiration and champagne.
*If it’s a party in a couple months, maybe you give yourself a week.
*If it’s a styled shoot in a week or two, maybe you give yourself a day, or even just a couple of hours.

My squirrel phase looked a bit like this:

NPR won’t shut up about this desert super bloom – maybe it’s worth the drive to see – maybe if we drive all the way out there we should do a desert photo shoot – the desert got me thinking about gram parsons – gram parsons got me thinking about 70’s vibes – my father-in-law has a badass 70’s corvette – so maybe a desert elopement with that car – damn Ravayna’s hair would match all those purple desert flowers – oh! wouldn’t a first dance with a portable record player be sweet – hey! I have a portable record player…

And so on…

And of course the whole time what I’m actually doing is pinning/making lists of anything and everything that feels sun-drenched, bohemian, magical, whimsical, colorful, or adventurous. If it was an indoor shoot, I would have definitely considered some neon elements as well, but we had enough and more color already which was perfect!
 

3. Obey the Rule of Three

 
dip dyed napkins
 
Look over all that beautiful inspiration (more like random pins and chicken scratch at this point) and pick out three things you gravitate towards over and over. A certain color. A pattern. A type of flower. Do you only pin brides in short lace dresses? (asking for a friend)

Pay attention to your own ideas.
And pick your three elements.

This is where the magic happens: the three elements you chose, that gave you all the feels, are unique to you. (or your couple, if you’re a designer/planner) and they’ll help you tell your personal + original story.

The Rule of Three is simple: primarily focus on and repeat these three elements throughout your design.

My three for our shoot were purple sunsets, eclectic props, and 70’s rock ‘n’ roll.
 

4. Make your Mood Board

 
DESERTWILDFLOWERSwinstonandmain
 
Bouquet/Hair/Wildflowers/Couple/Corvette/Tabletop/Cake/Records
 
Your mood board is an immediate visual answer to the the question.
It gives you all the feels and contain your palette and three elements.
And nothing else.

Now is the time to say goodbye to all those other good ideas,
and the 14 other weddings that could have been.

Make a mixtape, pack your snacks, and get ready to hit the road,
because you, my friend, have made your very own roadmap.
 

5. List out your projects

 
desertelopement
 

What key projects do you want or need to make your wedding/party/photoshoot work?

A variety of simple & impactful projects is best.
You don’t need ALL THE THINGS. I promise.

For our elopement adventure I chose:
A Bouquet & Boutonniere
A Cake & Cocktail
A Sweetheart Table
A Custom Jacket with Gram Parsons Lyric
Musical Props- A Record Player & Guitar
“We Eloped” Records

Sure, we could have done more, more, more, but it wasn’t necessary tell our story.
Remember the bare minimum, done beautifully, is often best.
 

6. Be a Ruthless Editor

 
custombridaljacketwinstonandmain
 
Again, inspiration is everywhere.

BUT if you’re past your time limit AND you’ve made a mood board you love, well then, it’s time for a little tough love my friend.

Is that amazingnewidea one of your 3 design elements? Does it 100% fit on your board?
If not, it doesn’t matter how cool it is, let it go.

I think we’ll stop here, and talk more tips for picking your projects, turning your lists and inspirations into tangible designs, and styling your day in the next post. I hope you find this series helpful, and would love to address your specific needs & questions. Or do you have a different design process that works for you? If so, I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment below, over on Instagram, or shoot me an email.

Or maybe you’re a newly engaged couple who thinks this is all swell, but just want to hire me to do it for you. Check out the services I offer right here.
 
Venue: Anza Borrego Desert State Park / Event & Floral Design + Planning: Winston & Main / Photography: Julie Shuford Photography / Dress + Accessories: The Blushing Bird / Cake: Mwokaji Cakery / Embroidery: Ink & Thread LA / Models: Ravayna & David Coe



COSMIC BLOOM DESERT ELOPEMENT

purple haired bride
 
Inspired by this year’s desert wildflower super bloom, and my longtime love of Gram Parsons, I gathered a few super talented vendors, and one fabulous couple, and we headed out to Anza Borrego for a desert elopement styled shoot. It’s 3.5 hours away from LA you guys, and it was SO. WORTH. IT.

A little country, a little rock n’ roll, and a whole lot of color.

Featuring brilliant blooms, a desert tabletop for two, flower-filled cocktails, a rock-candy cake, a guitar strumming groom, and a sweet barefoot first dance in the desert, this shoot is loaded with fun inspiration for any of you planning your own desert weddings.
 
Oh! And I almost forgot to mention the custom embroidered denim jacket (a Gram Parson’s lyric of course!)

Check out a few of my favorites below:
 

Desert Wedding Photography

 
first kiss in the desert
 
Julie Shuford captured the love (hubba! hubba!) and the light so beautifully for our shoot. She’s super talented AND a total joy to be around, which is so important, because after your partner, your wedding photographer is the person you will be spending the most time with on your wedding day. Hire this woman!
 
desertweddingportraitswinstonandmain
 

The Ultimate Boho Wedding Dress

 
boho desert bride
 
The moment I saw that lace and THOSE sleeves, I knew this was the dress for our shoot. This absolute stunner is from The Blushing Bird, and there’s more where she came from! I also love the simple, but no less showstopping accessories- these dainty earrings and headpiece pack just the right amount of sparkly punch.
 
purple haired boho bride
 

The Desert Bridal Bouquet

 
brightdesertbouquetwinstonandmain
 
You guys- I love this bouquet SO much, I had this picture framed for my studio. The variety of blooms- lush peonies, tropical protea, tiny desert wildflowers, and yes, even carnations… this bouquet just gets me.
 
desert bridal bouquet
 
Also, carnations are back y’all. Just thought you should know.
 

The Rock and Roll Wedding Cake

 
purpleweddingcakewinstonandmain
 
This shoot came together pretty last minute, so I was floored by this behemoth that Tamara of Mwokaji Cakery busted out for our shoot. She’s such an amazing (cake) artist! Also you guys- driving 3.5 hours with a massive cake in your car is SO nerve wracking, and gave me a newfound respect for bakers (and their delivery peeps) everywhere. And I thought a car full of flowers was bad!
 

The Floral Cocktail

 
floral cocktail
 
Put a flower on it. And in it. Done and done.
 

The Desert Sweetheart Table

 
desert sweetheart table
 
I took inspiration from cotton-candy-pink-melting-into-lavender sunsets, my model’s amazing unicorn hair, my father in-law’s goldenrod corvette, and of course GP himself! Then I raided my prop closet and did a little shopping. How perfect are these sunset cocktail glasses from Anthropologie?
 
flower filled cocktails
 
boho sweetheart table
 

The First Dance

 
boho first dance photography
 
Sorry if you’re one of those people who can’t stand the sight of bare feet!
 
romantic first dance
 

Our Couple

 
cute boho couple
 
Yep, they really are that cute.
Ravayna & David are the real deal, and I consider myself lucky to call them friends.
 

The Custom Bridal Jacket

 
custom bridal jacket
 
…that started it all.
 
Because you really can base an entire shoot (ahem, wedding) off one amazing piece.
 
gram parsons lyric jacket
 
This classic Levi’s jacket was embroidered with love by my pals over at Ink & Thread.
They are THE BEST.
 
grievous angel lyrics jacket
 
Check out our feature on Green Wedding Shoes for even more inspiration and check back later this week to talk inspiration and cocktails.
 
 
Venue: Anza Borrego Desert State Park / Event & Floral Design + Planning: Winston & Main / Photography: Julie Shuford Photography / Dress + Accessories: The Blushing Bird / Cake: Mwokaji Cakery / Embroidery: Ink & Thread LA / Models: Ravayna & David Coe