Colleen + Jon | Vera Wang Wedding from Joy Marie Photography

With an elegant and timeless look, Colleen + Jon’s downtown Los Angeles wedding took place in the city where their love began with the classic and traditional style to reflect their new home together on the east coast.  I love that! Colleen adds about her dress, ‘It was important that it was memorable, but not trendy or look dated looking back years from now.’  And the bride has done just that in her Vera Wang gown called Esther…with the most delicate sleeves and a breath taking train for the ceremony and strapless with a tastefully bustled gown for the reception.  Divine!

Colleen + Jon | November 10, 2012 | Los Angeles, CA

The Ceremony
The ceremony took place at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. It was very traditional. We kept the flowers and decor simple as to not take away from the beauty of the moment and the setting.

The Reception
The reception took place at the California Club in Downtown Los Angeles. Although we met at USC during college in Los Angeles, we call the east coast home now. We wanted a timeless setting to reflect classic east coast elegance, and we were able to find that at the California Club in the city where it all began for the two of us. The ballroom was incredibly striking on its own and we only wanted to illuminate it and add to the romance of the evening with as many flickering candles and soft lighting as possible. We used baby’s breath and a variety of white roses everywhere – from the low floral arrangements, to the candelabra, to the wedding cake. 


Colleen’s Dress Search
I wanted a dress that would be timeless and compliment the venue and traditional feel of the day. It was important that it was memorable, but not trendy or look dated looking back years from now. I liked the idea of having two looks within one dress – sleeves and a dramatic train for the ceremony, strapless and more streamlined for the reception. The remarkable team at Vera Wang were able to bring this vision to life perfectly.

How Colleen Felt in Her Wedding Dress
Timeless, Beautiful, Elegant

Why Colleen Decided to Sell Her Wedding Dress
Although I am completely in love with my dress, I want to remember myself in it as it was captured on that day – moments I’ll never be able to recapture if I were to try it on again years from now. I also know the pressure I felt from family members to wear one of their dresses, and that isn’t a feeling I’d want to convey to my daughter (if I have one!) I hope I can share the wonderful feeling I had wearing my one-of-a-kind dress with another bride!

Wedding Dress: Vera Wang ‘Esther’ | Photography: Joy Marie Photography | Ceremony Venue: Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills | Reception Venue: California Club | Event Planning: Jennifer Hronek from Joie de Vivre & Co. | Floral Design: Bill at Flowers by Appointment Only (mrbillonly@hotmail.com) | Cake: Fantasy Frostings