Featured in Green Wedding Shoes. 

Planned and designed from top to bottom with love by our team at Anything But Gray Events, this celestial celebration of Queer Love was as unique as the couple it represented.

Hiring an LGBTQIA+-affirming vendor team was incredibly important to the couple. Giving back to not only inclusive, small businesses, many of which are run by women, but highlighting those in the wedding industry who are striving for inclusivity and love for all was key.

The Fashion

Turi wore a custom princess-style gown by Deborah Lindquist with a full skirt and corseted gold bodice adorned with sequin starbursts and beautiful lace-up corset details.

With complementing starburst appliques on her full-length cape, created by Julie Harris Designs, showcasing the bisexual flag colors, (pink, blue, and purple) Turi proudly represented her ode to their LGBTQIA+ community.

Brianna wore a custom-fitted white suit with purple lining by Sharpe Suiting with sparkling silver details that gave off a tailored, elegant, and modern bridal esthetic.

 

 

First Looks

Both brides looked their best thanks to the hair and beauty services of Face It Sugar.

What lucky gals these two are to have great friends willing to sport celestial wedding onesies during getting ready time for their special day!

Ceremony Design

Turi and Brianna wanted a modern, LA wedding with both an indoor and outdoor element full of celestial vibes. With their petite guest count of 55, it was possible to host their intimate ceremony on the rooftop poolside of the Andaz Hotel in West Hollywood, overlooking the Hollywood Hills before transitioning into their adjacent, indoor Penthouse ballroom overlooking the iconic Sunset Blvd.

Large balloons, from Balloonzilla, in their wedding colors, a sunset meets celestial combination of yellow, orange, pink, and purple, adorned the pool and lit up the sky in color as the ceremony progressed into an outdoor, sunset-timed cocktail hour.

Using the existing poolside space, a cabana served as the couple’s ceremony arch, dripping in florals from Flowers by Lady Buggs.

These royal purple invites were created by Roseville Designs. The rich color and that shimmery silver envelope liner set the tone for the day.

Reception Design

Transitioning from day to night, and an outdoor ceremony to an indoor reception was crucial. With the Andaz WeHo ballroom being a fairly blank slate, mood, wash, and pin spot lighting from SEP Lighting set the scene as guests walked in from day to night in amazement. Washes of blues, pinks, and purples cascade the room in multi-layered light and dimension. Disco balls, flanking the DJ, created a blanket of sparkle, shine, and ambiance across the dance floor.

Want to see how this design all came together? Check out this BTS time-lapse video by Elevate Films.

 

Hitting the Dance Floor

Although an intimate affair of 55 chosen family and friends, Turi and Brianna’s guests hit the dance floor hard thanks to DJ Dazzler. The addition of inflatable glow sticks added to the celestial celebration and colorful vibes. With a custom dance floor vinyl wrap that looked like the celestial, night sky by Shout!, guests were dancing on top of the world, immersed in the theme.

Adding a custom backdrop of black palette sequins blanketed the back wall of the room and elevated the room. With the couple centered in a crescent moon installation and large, pink starburst handing lanterns by Paper Moon Shoppe, it was a picture-perfect photo opportunity all night long. The atmosphere and design of the room created such a vibe for this celestial wedding.

 

Photo & Video

NYC-based photographer, Justin McCallum, was flown in to capture their special day. After seeing Justin in action at a friend’s wedding on the East Coast, there was no other choice for this couple but Justin. Feeling comfortable in front of the camera and working with an LGBTQIA+ photographer was important for this couple.

The couple paid homage to their LGBTQIA+ community by taking some portraits at some of the key spots in West Hollywood. “The new inclusive pride crosswalks demonstrate our City’s commitment to recognizing and honoring all within our LGBTQ+ community as well as our acknowledgment that equity is needed for historically marginalized members of our LGBTQ+ community,” said Mayor Pro Tempore Sepi Shyne.

The couple incorporated photos from their engagement session with Justin throughout their wedding celebration. For more tips on making the most of your engagement session, check out our blog about styled engagement shoots.

Leira Productions captured the celestial celebration on film and drone, giving a unique perspective of this celestial-studded wedding celebration.

Sweet Treats

A celestial-inspired cutting cake and cupcakes by Sugar Studio in purples, pinks, yellows, and oranges with metallic gold and silver star accents by Sugar Studio finished off the night with something sweet.

Meaningful Moments

The couple included a ring-warming moment. A galactic decorative tray, lent to Turi and Brianna by a close friend was adorned with florals and their rings for guests to extend their warm wishes and positive vibes onto the couple’s union as they entered the ceremony site.

 

Passion Project

“The celestial theme for our wedding was already magical, but we wanted to find a way to incorporate some of our nerdy interests into the decor as well. We brainstormed ways that could tie in with the celestial theme and decided on painting a seating chart where the tables were fandom-themed islands floating on a galaxy backdrop. We felt this was a creative and elegant way to nod to the fandoms we love without having to incorporate additional decorations and cost. It became one of our favorite features at the wedding, but always start DIY projects as early as possible to reduce stress!”

“Brianna studied studio art in college but was nervous about starting the seating chart because she hadn’t painted in a while and had never painted on a watercolor canvas before. It took a lot of coaxing from Turi and psyching herself up, and we didn’t finish it until a couple of late nights before the wedding when we were already in the midst of all the last-minute prep. It was worth overcoming the nerves and taking the time to do it because it added a personal touch that we and our guests loved, and now we get to hang it on our wall at home. And Turi is very proud that she created all the galaxy’s stars by flicking the white paint on the canvases and adding rhinestone accents!”

Music Choices

“Schitt’s Creek is one of our comfort rewatches and we love the queer positivity throughout, so using their version of “Simply the Best” sung by Noah Reid for walking down the aisle was meaningful for us and got an immediate reaction from our guests who are Schitt’s Creek fans. They kept telling us how that song opened the emotional floodgates – in a good way! Then we used the Tina Turner version as our entrance to the reception to tie back to the ceremony and transition into a more upbeat vibe.”

“Our first dance song was “The Bones” by Maren Morris. The lyric “the house don’t fall when the bones are good” spoke to us because we have a solid 10-year relationship foundation and we know that no matter what happens around us (family drama, politics, life challenges), our relationship will be a solid anchor and safe space.”

 

 

Vendor Team: