July 26, 2015
Pacific Palisades, CA
Remember Alex & Tawnie’s proposal scavenger hunt? A year later these ladies got hitched, and we’re pleased to share their beautiful love-filled wedding with you today.
This New York City based couple of over three years chose the Bel-Air Club in Pacific Palisades for their summer wedding, and planned four fabulous days with loved ones during their stay in California.
“We traveled from the east coast and asked tons of friends to make the trip too, so we wanted to be sure to entertain all weekend,” says Tawnie.
The brides planned a family dinner for Friday, a casual Mexican fiesta with their out of town guests on Saturday—more than 3/4 of the total wedding guests—and following their Sunday wedding Alex’s parents hosted brunch at their home on Monday.
Say the brides: We truly spent time with every one of our friends and family who trekked to be with us for the weekend.
Both brides wanted their moms and bridal parties, made up of siblings and friends, together to get ready for the wedding. They had champagne and great food—though both brides say they were too excited to eat—and they played 90s tunes during hair and make up. Alex and Tawnie separated to get dressed so they could be surprised for their first look.
Alex purchased her gown from RK Bridal in Manhattan and both brides customized their wedding shoes online.
Tawnie had her gown custom made by our favorite, Kathryn Conover. During her early search for a wedding dress, Tawnie claims she was daunted by the task and wasn’t even sure she would end up wearing a dress. Says Tawnie, “I am totally the opposite of a custom clothing person. I would rather be in a t-shirt and jeans and completely comfortable.” She was pleasantly surprised to find a dress she liked, but wanted to make some changes so it could be a dress she loved. “Thanks to a little research, and 2Brides2Be, I booked an appointment with Kathryn Conover. From our first meeting I knew I was in good hands. She understood my vision and supported my decision to add color to my dress. Kathryn went on a quest and found the perfect shade of blue silk for the underlay of my dress.” Kathryn is a designer who can appreciate a pop of color, as she explains in our interview.
Over the course of a few months and visits to Kathryn’s show room Tawnie watched her dress come to life. The finish product, she says, is even more beautiful than she imagined.
Before the ceremony the brides signed their ketubah in an intimate ceremony.
Say the brides: It was such a special moment to have our immediate family and close friends around us as we signed our marriage license and ketubah. At that moment we officially became Mrs. and Mrs! Both of our mothers said a blessing over us during the ceremony and two members of our bridal party signed the ketubah.
The brides wanted to be surrounded by loved ones on their wedding day, rather than simply have guests there just to watch. They coined the phrase, “In the round,” for their ceremony. The ceremony was in the shape of a circle and their chuppah was in the center.
Alex & Tawnie told their Rabbi about this idea during pre-marital counseling, telling him, “We hate to do straight.”
Say the brides: He famously repeated this line during our ceremony.
Both brides walked down the aisle. Tawnie knew from the beginning that she wanted to watch her beautiful bride walking toward her, so she opted to go first. Tawnie’s mother escorted her and Alex followed, escorted by her parents.
Tawnie’s Favorite Moment: Our wedding ceremony. We stood under our chuppah surrounded by family and friends and it was the most incredible feeling of love and support. Alex and I also wrote letters to each other before the wedding and gave them to our Rabbi and he incorporated them into the ceremony. It was so special to hear what Alex wrote to me and to see her face light up when she heard my letter for the first time.
Alex’s Favorite Moment: I am the more outspoken one of the two of us, so it only made sense for Tawnie to give a speech at the wedding. We wrote the speech together, but after the cake cutting, Tawnie held the microphone and added her own flare. It was nice to stand next to her and watch her speak, commanding the room. So many people came up to her afterwards thanking her for giving such a great speech and it was a great moment for me to witness.
The reception also featured toasts given by Tawnie’s Man of Honor, Alex’s sister/Maid of Honor, Tawnie’s Mom, and Alex’s Dad.
Says Tawnie: Alex’s dad gave a great speech and ended it saying, “As the Father of the Bride of a gay marriage I still get to be Alex’s #1 man.” It was so sweet!
Wedding Song: Today by Joshua Radin
The brides honored their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents with a photo display of their own weddings.
As New Yorker’s throwing a wedding in Southern California Alex & Tawnie wanted the best of both coasts represented. They had their wedding cake shipped overnight from New York’s famous Momofuku Milk Bar. Of course, they couldn’t let guests from out of town miss out on the famous In-N-Out Burger, so they had a food truck pull up to their venue for some late-night eats.
Say the brides: Our guests enjoyed burgers during dance breaks and even took some on the road as they headed home from the party!
Check out their Envision Productions wedding video HERE, and some of their stunning photos below, by David Michael Photography.
Hers & hers diamonds.
Alex stands over her bride-to-be as Tawnie’s hair gets some finishing touches.
A fun pic of the whole group before the brides separate to get dressed.
The always emotional and breathtaking First Look.
The bridal party’s back and everyone has cleaned up quite nicely.
Says Tawnie of her dress: “My experience designing my dress with Kathryn made something I was originally dreading into an experience I will always cherish.”
The brides know, It’s definitely time to do this thing.
Guests await the brides’ arrival, “in the round.”
Love this close up shot of the soon-to-be newlyweds clasping hands under the chuppah.
Stunning shot of the scene. Tawnie and Alex couldn’t have dreamed up a more beautiful day.
As their rabbi pronounces them wife & wife, a kiss makes it official.
The newlyweds pause for a post-ceremony kiss.
No words for this view.
The simple elegance of the white florals create an airy romance for their reception.
The brides take the floor for their first dance as wife & wife.
Their perfectly feminine sweetheart table.
The Hora always gets the party started off right!
The brides sneak away to catch the final moments of sunset.
Say the brides of their cake: “That’s right, our wedding cake was shipped, fully assembled, and overnighted to LA from NYC! It was SO DELICIOUS and our guests couldn’t stop raving about it! “
A visit from In-N-Out was the perfect way to end the night.