A Black + White Modern Anniversary Party

Jenika + Chadwick said their I Do’s five years ago… And not a day’s gone by where they don’t celebrate their love. We here at GWS, think that’s exactly how it should be! On their wedding day, they made a pact to celebrate their five year anniversary, no matter what! So even amidst all the hustle and bustle of daily life, home projects, work, and more — they planned one incredible anniversary celebration at Luce Loft in just under a month!

The couple shares We loved how “us” our wedding felt, being surrounded by those who meant the most to us, and we’re always down for a reason to host a party… We wanted this party to celebrate the friends + family who had helped us to make it this far. We’re both wedding photographers, and thus frequent wedding attendees, so we had the benefit of knowing exactly who to reach out to. Layered Vintage + Luna Wild Design helped take our foggy ideas of a “style” (Scandinavian-inspired, Southwestern/desert, black + white, + awesome dinner party), and transform our disconnected elements into a cohesive, beautiful, and perfectly “us” event.

Let’s proceed to the party and see all the gorgeous details captured by Studio Castillero!

Modern, moody + oh so cool. This invitation suite is from Minted!

How gorgeous is this dress from Reformation?! All the black lace…

We commissioned a dear friend to paint a backdrop for our vow renewal, and she absolutely killed it! She wove in elements of each of us — Chadwick’s late grandpa raised him and was affectionately known as “Poppy”, so poppies were the featured florals. My passion for horses dotted the arched design, and our love for San Diego, as well as the deserts of Palm Springs + Ensenada came through, too. The piece is now proudly displayed in our home. :)

What are some things you included at your anniversary party?

Jenika shares We had my parents each do a reading for our short + simple vow renewal and Chad’s grandma say a prayer. We read our old vows with some slight revisions + updates to reflect the things we know now. Our dear friend, Bryan, played some of our favorite songs from mixtapes that Chadwick used to make for me. At sunset, we made all our friends + family run across the street and up to a rooftop to be surprised with ice cream and one incredible view! Chadwick and I took portraits of each guest to serve as our own personal “guestbook.”

Witty Rentals went above + beyond and helped J+C rearrange the entire lounge plan when they had a last minute floor-plan switch!

Jenika shares Chadwick and I are complete opposites and we presented that throughout the night. We had a His + Hers bar; his featured whiskey and some of his favorite local beers, mine had red wines (each which represented a region we love — Valle de Guadalupe, Fallbrook, + Bordeaux). Oh and a chocolate bar, because why not?

How darling is this “You are loved.” plate by Dear Darling Calligraphy?

A little more about the plates — Our driving message was wanting our guests to know that “You are loved.” This stemmed from a childhood tradition, where my mom would place a special plate on the dinner table to celebrate one of us… For good days, bad days, birthdays or anytime we needed a little pick me up. This message stuck with me and we wanted to bring this feeling in to gift to other families.

Matt from Tribute Pizza took on the feat of catering their anniversary party, despite the fact that he was opening his own restaurant just a week after! Matt even came around and explained each dish + checked in with the guests, as if they were in his own home.