Photo: Norman & Blake1/54We wanted our invitations to reflect what our wedding weekend was going to be like. Colorful and fun with lots of wildlife. The two Canadian geese on the RSVP card were copied from a painting Ness’s grandpa gave us before he passed. The painting was titled A Noble Pair; he told us that he thought we were a noble pair and that we should have it.
Photo: Norman & Blake2/54Good day, Big Sur!
Photo: Norman & Blake3/54We chose a clean palate with a modern light Moroccan-ish vibe for the rehearsal dinner at Ventana—an ode to Ness’s Middle Eastern heritage. Neutral colors, minimal flowers, just candles.
Photo: Norman & Blake4/54Here we are walking into our Friday night Shabbat dinner at Ventana, about to see everyone for the first time. My dress is vintage 1970s Loris Azzaro from Happy Isles Salon, and Ness’s suit is custom from a place called High Society in Koreatown.
Photo: Norman & Blake5/54Our friend Maheshie Cabraal is always radiant. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.
Photo: Norman & Blake6/54There has been so much anticipation, and we had just finished signing our ketubah and marriage license—here, we are ready for Friday’s festivities to begin.
Photo: Norman & Blake7/54The night skies were incredible all weekend. Foggy and eerie, just the way we like it. The Big Sur skyline is beautiful.
Photo: Norman & Blake8/54And, toasts . . . Saree Kayne, Cassie Coane, Harley Viera Newton, Nora Wessel. Laughing ourselves to tears.
Photo: Norman & Blake9/54My wedding dresses await me . . . I wore Monique Lhuillier and a vintage after-party dress by Norman Norell from his 1960s Mermaid Collection.
Photo: Norman & Blake10/54I originally bought these to wear on Friday night with a different dress that I had planned to wear. By the time our wedding rolled around, I’d played a game of musical chairs with my wardrobe. Now I’ll just find any excuse to wear them. Housekeeping? Laundry? The Market? Doctor’s office? Yup, anywhere.
Photo: Norman & Blake11/54I wore the floral silk pajama set (Gucci) to our Sunday brunch. The white lace vintage nightgown from Etsy was a gift from Ness’s sister Heidi, and that shaggy peach vintage coat was the only coat I brought, which came in very handy on the brisk Big Sur mornings and the cold eves.
Photo: Norman & Blake12/54I threw my fuzzy vintage coat on top of my robe while getting ready, poured some champagne, and off I went with my friends to the wedding location!
Photo: Norman & Blake13/54Our wedding bands and engagement rings from XIV Karats in Beverly Hills. Ness has been going there with his dad since he was a little kid!
Photo: Norman & Blake14/54Fresh out of hair and makeup. I wanted to look like myself on a good skin and hair day. I knew I was going to be dancing and sweating and crying and didn’t want to worry about anything being out of place. My friend Amber Duarte did my hair, and the lovely Chanel Cross did my makeup.
Photo: Norman & Blake15/54To know the two of us is to know Jerry. Jerry and I are inseparable, and here he is, my little barnacle. Earlier that day, Ness gave me that emerald bracelet as my wedding gift, so I decided to wear it with the other one which was my something borrowed from my very soon-to-be, and very generous, mother-in-law, Cheryl Saban.
Photo: Norman & Blake16/54Lily and Lauren all ready to go. A lot of people ask what some of my highlights from the weekend are, and getting ready with my friends was a big one. Both of these showstopping dresses are from Happy Isles. Lily, from @HappyIsles_salon, happens to be one of my closest friends and shares my love for vintage clothing. She also found me my wedding planners, which helped create mine and Ness’s vision. Lauren is my business partner at @aralda.vintage.
Photo: Norman & Blake17/54Ness had both his suit and tux made from the same guy (High Society in Los Angeles’s Koreatown). We had fun picking out the fabrics together. This one is a deep burgundy velvet.
Photo: Norman & Blake18/54Ahh, the shoes that carried him down the aisle. Believe it or not, he actually had these laying around the house.
Photo: Norman & Blake19/54I often say that I hope our children get his bone structure.
Photo: Norman & Blake20/54Our photographers, Norman and Blake, were wonderful. I felt very comfortable around them and clearly had no problem “turning it on.”
Photo: Norman & Blake21/54Originally, I was working with some people on a bespoke wedding dress, and long story short, it fell through very last minute. So about 10 days before our wedding I found myself on a mission around Los Angeles, searching for a dress. I saw this one hanging at Monique Lhuillier and tried it on. I loved the fit. I could sit and dance in it comfortably, and I felt like myself. It’s hard to imagine having worn anything else now. It was meant to be.
Photo: Norman & Blake22/54There was this magical little yurt on the property where we got married. My friends and I hung out there until the ceremony began.
Photo: Norman & Blake23/54She’s a bride!
Photo: Norman & Blake24/54I love the combination of color and interesting textures in my bouquet. Peach anthurium, lavender clematis, golden astilbe, and palm flowers—an unlikely medley Studio Mondine elegantly fused together.
Photo: Norman & Blake25/54The tango between our planners at Oren Co and our florists Studio Mondine was extraordinary. When it came to our flowers, I was really specific in an outlandish way and they didn’t miss a beat. I love everything about this aisle.
Photo: Norman & Blake26/54The vibrant textures and colors of the escort card table sort of reminded us of the film The Little Mermaid, which we both love.
Photo: Norman & Blake27/54As soon as Ness and his parents started walking down the aisle, the whole crowd started cheering and applauding really loudly. I was waiting up the hill, but I knew that Ness was already breaking into tears. Sure enough . . .
Photo: Norman & Blake28/54One of my favorite things about Ness is how much he really feels his feelings.
Photo: Norman & Blake29/54I wanted our flower girls to feel comfortable and like themselves in their outfits. They were able to be individuals but all looked so cute all together.
Photo: Norman & Blake30/54My vows were off the cuff; I sort of blacked out while I was saying them, but it seemed like they turned out alright! Ness wrote his vows while he was getting ready that day and they were so heartfelt and eloquent.
Photo: Norman & Blake31/54Cantor Walfish, who married us, also bar mitzvahed Ness. Ours was an interfaith ceremony, but we celebrated a lot of Jewish traditions, which I loved!
Photo: Norman & Blake32/54The chuppah cloth above us was made up of different family heirlooms stitched together. We are both very family oriented, so this was an important element.
Photo: Norman & Blake33/54Look at that form—he really gave that glass a good stomp.
Photo: Norman & Blake34/54It was so hard to wait until after the vows to kiss him! Right at this moment “Dig for Fire” by the Pixies began playing.
Photo: Norman & Blake35/54Walking on air through a sea of our favorite people.
Photo: Norman & Blake36/54Married!
Photo: Norman & Blake37/54When we got engaged, I told my friend Lily Kaizer that I wanted our wedding to be kind of like a psychedelic cross between Dr. Seuss and the movie FernGully, but didn’t want it to turn out looking like a kid’s birthday party. She told me Yifat Oren is the woman who will be able to execute what you want, and she was right. This tent blew my mind!
Photo: Norman & Blake38/54If my feelings were flowers.
Photo: Norman & Blake39/54All of the table arrangements were different from each table to the next. Cheryl (Ness’s mom) is a very talented glassblower so we included her handblown lavender glasses, which held candles. It was so special to include something from my mother-in-law in the table designs.
Photo: Norman & Blake40/54We kept the place settings clean and let the colorful flowers speak for themselves, but I do love those napkins and custom letterpress menus.
Photo: Norman & Blake41/54Color and cake!
Photo: Norman & Blake42/54The best way to take in the Big Sur views is a comfortable lounge with pillows and blankets.
Photo: Norman & Blake43/54Beauties! Hope Watson and Saree Kayne. I was so happy to see so much color everywhere.
Photo: Norman & Blake44/54Our nephew Guthrie. He has the most captivating energy. I can’t get enough of him.
Photo: Norman & Blake45/54Ness’s sister Heidi surprised us by singing a song, while her oldest daughter Jaccoa played guitar and harmonized with her. Sarenne, Heidi’s youngest daughter, ran up and placed a candle between us at the beginning of the song, and at the end, she ran up and threw confetti over us. This is my ugly laugh/cry that I seem to do when I am happiest.
Photo: Norman & Blake46/54Our first dance, “Don’t Worry Baby” by The Beach Boys.
Photo: Norman & Blake47/54Tender Ness.
Photo: Norman & Blake48/54I was really impressed with the amount of sequins there were at our wedding. Gia’s dress and moves were definitely a favorite.
Photo: Norman & Blake49/54We loved the way it looked, and we loved the way it tasted.
Photo: Norman & Blake51/54Lava lamps setting the mood for us.
Photo: Norman & Blake52/54Our friend Hope is always a key player on the dance floor.
Photo: Norman & Blake53/54Do not disrespect the redwoods!
Photo: Norman & Blake54/54This dress was the first thing I bought, and it was the only thing that I didn’t change. As I said before, it’s vintage Norman Norell from his 1960s Mermaid Collection. It fit me like a glove without having to tailor it and was surprisingly very comfortable! A friend of mine told me that it was my “spirit dress.”
