Friendsgiving Pop-Up Wedding

For six years in a row, Lisa and Guild have hosted a Friendsgiving potluck at their home, where all of their guests bring a dish to share, and they gather to celebrate everything they are thankful for. This past year, the couple had something different in mind. Lisa emailed Wild Heart Events about a month before “Friendsgiving 2014” asking for help to pull off not only the most epic Thanksgiving dinner – they permitted off their entire block in Venice to set a 100-foot-long feasting table – but to also have a surprise wedding following the dinner! The feasting farm table was set with hurricane glasses filled with pomegranates, cotton and fall leaves, accompanied by rich floral arrangements with huge burgundy peonies, gold-gilded foliage and blush roses dipped in copper and silver. With candles everywhere, amber, blue and green pressed glassware, and a 24-foot-long potluck buffet, the celebration was truly epic! Guests noshed on everything from traditional turkey, ham, stuffing and sweet potatoes to pizza and sushi. Jacqueline Pilar Photography captured their amazing night!

A surprise Friendsgiving pop-up wedding that started as a neighborhood block party to celebrate Thanksgiving

We knew that logistically, to pull off a surprise, pop-up wedding for 130 guests, we would need to have some great entertainment and a good game plan. We hired on the jazz trio, Django Foxtrot, to play following the big reveal. As Lisa and Guild made their toast, they urged guests to stick around for THEIR WEDDING! Cheers erupted along with a few “I knew it”s and Django Foxtrot started in as our couple rushed off to get ready. In 45 minutes, we managed to pop up the most amazing copper arch, adorn it with florals and garlands, repurpose the benches and steel chairs from the feasting table as well as most of the decor that made up the tablescape and finish off the ceremony setting with an aisle runner of fall leaves gilded in gold, copper and silver. Their ceremony took place right in front of their home, dripping in candlelight and surrounded by friends and family. Following the ceremony, the couple performed their first dance in the street under the moonlight, and then Dart DJs kicked in with the most amazing dance party of all time. We finished off the night with a caramel apple bar and buffet of desserts brought by guests. It was truly an epic Friendsgiving turned Venice street wedding! – Jaime, Wild Heart Events