1. Real Weddings

A Modern Wedding at Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, California

Molly and Bhishma met on Halloween night, hitting it off as Rainbow Brite and Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York. "We lived more than an hour awa

Molly and Bhishma met on Halloween night, hitting it off as Rainbow Brite and Bill the Butcher from Gangs of New York. "We lived more than an hour away from one another, so I thought the odds of this actually working otu were pretty slim," Molly says. "However, he called me a day later and asked me to go on a date -- we've been together ever since!" The two, who met and live in Los Angeles picked The Sportsmen's Lodge so that family and friends could make a legitimate weekend out of the wedding festivities. "My family is from the east coast and Bhishma's family is from central California so no matter what, our wedding would be a destination for our families to get to. We wanted a place where everyone could come and be together for the whole weekend so that we could make the most of our time together and not have to drive all over Los Angeles. Sportsmen's Lodge turned out to be the perfect place for us to do just that. It was beautiful, newly renovated, and within our budget." The wedding color scheme was black, ivory and blush. "We wanted something that was simple, elegant and timeless," says Molly.

DIY Wooden Painted Ring Box
"Bride's Kit for Getting Hitched" Day-of Wedding Kit
Molly's bouquet was full of blush roses, ivory lisianthus and anemones and was tied up in an ivory satin ribbon.
Embellished Silver Bridal Heels
"My dress is from Winnie Couture Bridal Salon. At first, I had some pretty bad experiences shopping for a dress. Some places really pressure you to buy a dress and I had left one place in tears, feeling like I had gone to a used car lot and not a bridal salon. When I got to Winnie Couture, they offered me and my guests champagne and treated us wonderfully. They asked me what my budget was and only pulled dresses within that range. I tried on about ten dresses and narrowed it down to three. It came down to what kind of bride did I want to be? I opted for a strapless sweetheart neckline, ivory ball gown," says Molly.
Bridesmaids received a DIY champagne kit -- complete with straws, so they didn't mess up their lipstick! -- as a gift while they got ready.
"For a lot of my accessories, I went to the fashion district in downtown LA I got a veil with beading around the edges. It was inexpensive, but looked beautiful. It went a little past my waistline and it didn't have a blusher because I didn't want to cover my face. I had a beautiful rhinestone headband that I also got at a wedding shop in downtown LA," says Molly.
Bhishma wore a black tux with a black bowtie and accessorized with a white anemone boutonniere. His groomsmen wore black suits with regular log neck ties and pink boutonnieres.
"My bridesmaid's dresses were fun to look for. I knew I did not want to go with a typical bridesmaid dress, so I went looking in department stores and boutiques," says Molly. "I was looking for black dresses and was open to the length based on what we found. We went into White House Black Market and there was this black dress with ivory on top with black lace over that. It didn't look amazing on the hanger, but we thought we would try it. Turns out, that was the winner. It was a short A-line dress with pockets and was flattering on all shapes. They wouldn't have to wear special under garments and it would be comfortable for the whole day."
"The location of the ceremony was the South Garden under a gazebo and next to water at the Sportsmen's Lodge. You walk over a little bridge and it is so picturesque, that I could imagine taking that walk and getting married there," says Molly.
Garden Wedding Ceremony Bride and Groom First Kiss
"My maid of honor got an all ivory and lace black dress. It was very similar to the other girls, but allowed her to stand out just a little bit," says Molly.
Pink and White Rose and Dahlia Reception Arrangement
Vintage Bride and Groom Photo Table Numbers
"We opted to have a dessert table rather than a wedding cake and there were all different cupcakes, cookies, and parfaits to choose from. I surprised Bhishma with an ice cream sundae because he loves ice cream and is not a big fan of cake. So we fed each other that instead of cake. It was another touch that was personal to us," says Molly.
Gourmet Oreo Reception Dessert
"There were so many personal things that we did," says Molly. "We had light up accessories, like glasses, rings, glow sticks, etc. for people to put on and party with at the reception -- that was a big hit."