Family Wedding at the Smog Shoppe in Los Angeles

Weddings are always happy times, and a few weeks ago our family of boys was blessed by the addition of a beautiful daughter-in-law. Our eldest, Drew, married the lovely Jenn, and we could not be happier!

As we head into “wedding season” I thought I’d share some of the details of the ceremony and reception and hope that it might serve as a little wedding inspiration.

Jenn and Drew chose SmogShoppe as the site for their ceremony and reception. While the name might not bring “weddings” to mind, this fun and quirky Los Angeles venue is a great place to have a party or say “I do.” Originally a 1980’s smog-check center, it is now a 100% solar-powered, private 6,500 square foot indoor/outdoor space, complete with desert plants, vertical gardens and chic vintage furnishings.

In addition to being just a really cool space, SmogShoppe is the greenest venue in Los Angeles and is one of the most sustainably designed urban spaces in the United States.

Jenn’s beautiful dress is Vera Wang and her shoes are Lasonia. Drew’s suit is from Evolution of Style and had a special touch stitched in to commemorate this very special day.

The rings are beautiful and there were sweet attendants taking care of them.

A family friend did the beautiful flowers.

The non-denominational ceremony was heart-warming and full of personal touches. My dear friend, Richard Stearns officiated.

Although the ceremony was non-denominational, Jenn carried a beautiful, jeweled cross in her bouquet, and Drew wanted to do the traditional breaking of the glass. Either Drew’s shoes had thin soles or the glass was industrial strength… either way, the end result was that a piece of glass went through the bottom of the groom’s shoe!

Not everything goes as planned… You just roll with it. My husband Don Diamont did his best to get the glass out of Drew’s shoe and we moved on to a fantastic reception.

The food was amazing and the presentation was fantastic!

The buffet was a beautiful display, mixing live-edge wooden serving bowls and platters with industrial looking elements to serve up delicious eats for the guests.

Just steps from the outdoor wedding site was a fabulous party space, carefully curated with a mix of old and new, and glam and rustic decor.

No wedding reception is complete without dancing and a toast to the bride and groom.

As the toasts get underway and the party gets into full swing, encourage your guests to share their photos with the happy couple. A great way to do that is with a custom hashtag so that everyone can share in the fun via Instagram, Twitter or Vine.

Another personal touch was a framed photograph of family members who are no longer with us. We love them and miss them and wanted to acknowledge how much they mean to us.

Family means so much! All of these details are fun and help to make a spectacular party but truly, family and friends are what make any celebration special. We are blessed beyond measure by ours.

So a big congratulations to Jenn and Drew!

We love you and wish you every bit of happiness!

If you’re wondering about all of these fantastic photos, we love our photographer Sean Smith. All photo credits go to Sean, and you can keep up with him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.