Disneyland Proposal turned Surprise Wedding at Redbird in DTLA
Linzy and Jeff, both teachers, are probably the kindest couple I have ever worked with. Their original wedding was set to be at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in June 2021. It was going to be a proposal turned surprise wedding with a much larger guest count. Then comes COVID-19 and plans changed dramatically.
This wedding is featured in A Practical Wedding Blog.
Once they knew the wedding was unable to happen on their date and location (because Disney was so longer able to host events at that time), they scrambled to find a way to still have our wedding within our desired month. They hired me and together, along with a rockstar vendor team, managed to plan their wedding in 3 months taking their original, reconfiguring it, but still incorporating Disney magic in all aspects of their special day!
There were touches of hidden DL magic, sayings, and references to the famous mouse throughout the entire design. Oh, and did I mention, during the time they actually got engaged during a trip at Disneyland, kept it a secret from their families and duped them into thinking this was an engagement dinner for 30 family members when it really became their surprise wedding day?! Yay, that happened!
Join me as we bring Disney magic all the way from The Magic Kindom to Redbird in DTLA for an amazing couple!
Photography by White Rabbit Photo Boutique.
Located in downtown Los Angeles, Redbird is carved into one of the city’s most historic architectural gems, inside the former rectory building of Vibiana – the cathedral-turned-event-venue.
Because it was early Spring, and the couple’s favorite colors were yellow and blue, we kept the design light, airy, and full of pops of color. It was important to keep safety a top priority with an all-outdoor event with an all-vaccinated guest list.
In order to keep this a surprise, the small vendor team were the only ones in the know and sworn to secrecy. In fact, on all the paperwork I sent out to vendors I didn’t use the word “wedding” in fear someone might accidentally spill the beans. No one did! The couple was already engaged, but Jeff has told their families, which had not met in person yet, that he was going to propose to Linzy that day over a family dinner.
We practiced how the couple would pull off this big surprise over phone and zoom calls for the final two weeks of planning. Linzy would hide and pretend to arrive at the proposal veiled as a family dinner for the parents to meet for the first time. Jeff would be waiting to surprise Linzy. Little did the guests know the surprise was really on them! No one saw it coming.
As you can see by the faces of the couple’s guests, it truly was a surprise to them all! Laughs, screams, and cheers rang out! Not only were they surprised they were already engaged BUT today would be their actual wedding day! It was a lot to take in.
While as a wedding planner, I would normally not recommend surprising guests (and parents) in this way, it was exactly what the couple had always wanted so it was a perfect fit for them! Yet another reason to embrace planning a wedding that really speaks to who you are as a couple.
Linzy and Jeff’s faces are so priceless in this photo. It pretty much sums up how every couple feels their a wedding day. So with the surprise behind them, it was time for a costume change out their “engagement” clothing into their wedding attire.
Meanwhile, guests enjoyed appetizers and cocktails in the garden on Redbird as we flipped the space and the couple got changed.
While all of this had been very curated by the couple, we wanted them to actually have a first look moment where they got to see each other in their wedding attire for the first time. Jeff’s custom suit was from Indochino and Linzy’s dress was from Wear your Love and tailed by Deborah Linquist.
Linzy’s wedding ensemble was completed with a dusty blue custom veil adorned with crystal Minnie and Mickey Mouse silhouettes created by Julie Harris Designs.
How many hidden Mickeys can you find here?
It was important to keep the Disney flair flowing throughout all of the paper goods custom-made by Roseville Designs.
For florals, we wanted to accent the already beautiful garden space with loose and easy-going arrangements that came off as effortless PLUS didn’t tip anyone off that this might be a wedding! Flowers by Lady Buggs created a proposal installation that flawlessly turned into a ceremony installation without the guests being the wiser. I loved the combination of galvanized buckets, terracotta, and glass vessels for a garden party-type feel that elevated the space and complimented the overall design seamlessly.
The Disney-pun-inspired ceremony was performed by Alan Katz, owner of Great Officiants.
Hearing Jeff’s vows to Linzy started the waterworks for everyone all away around the room! “Despite all the changes we have gone through together and individually, your joy, empathy, and love you bring to everything you do is my anchor that I am so thankful to have by my side. I will not be perfect and I will make so many mistakes, but I will always love you and do my best to be the supportive, adventurous, and loving partner you so richly deserve.”
After some apologies to their family and friends for pulling the wool over their eyes, so to speak, it was on to the party!
With a small guest count and intimate feel, one of the couple’s must-haves was an amazing menu and that is exactly what they got at Redbird! And what magical menu experience would be completed without delish Mickey-inspired desserts from Nicole Bakes Cakes?
DJ Dazzler kept the party going throughout the evening! This was a wedding that was truly special in so many ways. Special enough in fact it was named ‘One of Our Favorites Weddings od 2021’ by A Practical Wedding Blog. I wholeheartedly agree!
I have to admit, during their ceremony after the BIG surprise, listening to their vows, I stood in the back of the garden at Redbird, in the middle of DTLA, and cried. I cried so many happy tears because, after such a long year of heartache, and change, and stressors for these two wonderful humans (and the world), they were finally able to have their special moment with the handful of people that meant the most to them in the world. It wasn’t the way they planned it originally, but what in life really it? They embraced the moment and their love and that is what it is all about! It was my first event back as a wedding planner since the pandemic began and it was exactly what I needed to remind me that magic really can happen as long as you believe a dream is really a wish your heart makes! As they said these words to me in their thank you speech, I couldn’t be more proud to have been by their side throughout their pandemic wedding journey.
Linzy and Jeff, I adore you both and wish you the happiest of happy ever afters. You deserve all the good things that life has to bring you two! You truly his Minnie to her Mickey!
Video Clip by Plug Films
Vendor Credits:
Venue/Catering/Bar: Redbird @redbirdla
Planner: Anything But Gray Events @anythingbutgrayevents
Photography: White Rabbit Photo Boutique @whiterabbitphotoboutique @tiffanywhiterabbit @jennawhiterabbit
Videography: Plug Films. @dan_plugfilms
Livestream: Leira Productions. @leiraproductions
Florals: Flowers by Lady Buggs @flowersbyladybuggs
Dessert: Nicole Bakes Cakes @nicolebakescakes
DJ: DJ Dazzler. @dj_dazzler
Paper Goods: Roseville Designs. @rosevilledesigns
Suit: Indochino. @indochino
Gown: Wear Your Love. @wearyourlovexo
Alterations: Deborah Lindquist. @deborahlindquist
Custom Michey Veil: Julie Harris Designs. @julieharrisdesigns
Beauty: Face It Sugar. @face_It_sugar
Officiant: Alan Katz of Great Officiants. @greatofficiants