1. Real Weddings

An Elegant Black-Tie Wedding at Cafe Pinot in Los Angeles, California

Shannon Radecki (33 and in advertising) and Aaron Pfeffer (37 and a real estate investor) wanted their black-tie wedding in downtown Los Angeles, Cali

Shannon Radecki (33 and in advertising) and Aaron Pfeffer (37 and a real estate investor) wanted their black-tie wedding in downtown Los Angeles, California, to be playful with lots of personal details. “We knew we wanted to be married at a venue that gave our guests a different, more elegant perspective of Los Angeles—more city, less beach,” Shannon says. “When we stepped onto the Cafe Pinot grounds, we knew we had found our venue.” For the ceremony’s decor, Shannon and Aaron followed a romantic “Midnight in Paris" vibe, surrounding their elegant flower-wrapped chuppah with candles and twinkle lights. After the ceremony their 160 guests settled in at tables set with warm rose gold linens and flatware. Other touches included place cards with chummy nicknames, a specially made “cheesecake” made with rounds of cheese and charcuterie, and frozen bananas from local vendor Hannah’s Bananas. “My advice to brides in the throes of wedding planning is to embrace who you are rather than who you’re not,” Shannon says. “I was dead set on being a relaxed bride, but as a type A personality, that’s not who I am. While I was far from a totally relaxed bride, I was a happy bride, and that was way more important than being as cool as a cucumber.” —Carolyn Meers

Shannon and Aaron worked closely with Lucky Luxe Couture to design rose gold letterpress invites and escort cards.
Shannon tried on over 300 dresses before deciding on a strapless Mira Zwillinger gown. Shannon and Aaron worked with XIV Karats to craft their wedding rings.
"I paired my dress with Miu Miu bejeweled flats in my favorite color, turquoise," Shannon says. "They are a fun shoe that I can dress up and even wear with jeans."
Petals LA created the event's delicate blush pink florals. “Each floral arrangement was different, with a mash-up of mauve roses and peach tulips, with peonies, Juliet roses and Queen Anne's lace," Shannon says.
Shannon tried on more than 300 dresses before deciding on a strapless Mira Zwillinger gown. Her bridesmaids wore a variety of full-length gray dresses by Bella Bridemaids with different fits and necklines.
"Petals LA created a beautiful arch on our chuppah with a mix of tightly woven peach, green, white and mauve flowers," Shannon says. "We also had a few dozen off-white rose petals waiting for us at the spot where we said our vows. Even though our wedding was black tie, we didn't want it to feel stuffy."
A pair of Aaron's young relatives introduced Shannon's arrival with a calligraphed wooden sign that read "Lookie Uncle, Here Comes Your Bride."
As Shannon and Aaron shared their first kiss at Cafe Pinot in Los Angeles, California, the wedding party threw white rose petals.
Lucky Luxe Couture calligraphed special table assignment cards for attendees—many of which identified guests by first name or nickname.
"We had the Cheese Shop of Beverly Hills create a 'cheesecake' and a massive charcuterie plate as an ode to how we start every dinner party at our house," Shannon says.
Guests sat in the Cafe Pinot garden at round white linen-topped tables decorated with rose gold flatware and flowers set in vintage porcelain vases.
Guests sat in the Cafe Pinot garden at round white linen-topped tabled decorated with rose gold flatware and flowers set in vintage porcelain vases.
The head table was outfitted with textured rose gold linens and flowers set in vintage porcelain vases.
"The sunset lasted nearly two hours that night, and the sky was purple, with the city lights peeking through just as we were dancing," Shannon says. "It became a magical moment of the day."