Mandy and Mike are both creatives in the Los Angeles art and film scene and creative expression was basically the theme of their wedding! We’re talking about huge DIY heads of the bride and groom, a dinosaur interrupting the ceremony, and many little Mandy & Mike products. You guys are going to dig this one!
Mandy wore a marvelous handmade sequin embroidered set and vintage shoes that are absolutely to die for – with pearls adorning her hair and hearts on her nails to complete her look just perfectly. Mike wore a turquoise suit and cool white sneakers and the two of them together were the talk of the night! Their guests, like the celebration itself, were dazzling, colorful pieces of art.
Overall it was the most loving, personal and creative wedding. Every detail was unique, self-made, self-designed and chosen with purpose. And this is probably the best wedding advice ever: Choose your wedding your way and it will be the best one out there because no trend can be as individual as your own thoughts. Let’s check out these shots by Sam and Larissa that effortlessly captured this unique ceremony and reception!!
Mandy and Mike’s Big Day
“I never saw myself in a traditional wedding dress. Years ago I saw the perfect little vintage skirt in a shop that I had no need for… so I let it go. I never stopped thinking about it – so I had it made! Through word of mouth, I found the most incredible designer to make my dream wedding suit come to life. @handmadebyyamileth was sweet, patient, and most importantly: genuinely excited to do this project with me.”
Mandy is having a pearl MOMENT!
A Colorful Ceremony
Their proposal took place in Oaxaca, Mexico. To have a bit more fun with it, Mike decided to ‘spontaneously’ get on one knee at various restaurants and tourist spots in town to cause a joyous and often hilarious scene to propose to Mandy! Yep, she had quite a few proposals on this trip! :)
Mandy + Mike fell in love with the vibrant and colorful streets of Oaxaca on their Mexico travels, so they pulled inspiration for the wedding decor from the vibrant colors of Oaxaca – including the pom pom garland for their ceremony and huge paper mâché heads that Mandy made herself. They also incorporated a taco stand and tequila shots into their festivities!
The couple chose not to have a wedding party to make things easier for everyone. Instead, they had a VIP crew that helped them pre-game and stayed with M + M overnight at an Airbnb. Love this idea!!
Mandy shares with us, “To start the ceremony off, we blasted “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed as two of our friends walked the oversized paper mâché heads of the bride and groom down the aisle. Once the heads made it to their stands, we snuck on stage through a side door.”
The groom shared that it was so difficult to find well-made, unique suits! But the one he chose from Paul Smith was the first one he tried on there and it was the obvious winner. We are big fans as well!!
The couple’s good friend was the officiant of their ceremony, which made it very personal and special!
A Rockin’ Reception
“We outlined exactly what we wanted for any special moments and then gave two different playlists for “party” and “chill” to our DJ. It was mainly a mix of Indie/alternative songs meaningful to the us and 2000’s pop-hits to bump and grind to.
During cocktail hour we had our friends’ band Campfire Cassettes play a curated set of their short and extremely inappropriate songs.”
We both work in the entertainment industry and therefore have naturally collected a group of eccentric friends along the way. A few hours before the ceremony our friend offered to give us a little surprise before our vows… we enthusiastically agreed. On stage holding hands in front of all our loved ones, a nearly-naked, middle-aged man wearing a dinosaur mask appears from the balcony directly above us demanding to interrupt with an improvised bunch of nonsense. Our guests roared with laughter and it set the tone for the rest of the night.
The Kim Sing Theater was the perfect nostalgic yet modern venue and as it also functioned as their accommodation, it was the perfect choice for their needs!
“We had been together for over 8 years before we decided to take the plunge. We made the decision to get married as a couple and wanted to continue that collaboration in wedding planning. We are both creators in our own way and love to host. It was important that we threw out old traditions and made sure we curated a good time for everyone.“
Throw your middle fingers up to anyone who is expecting anything from you. The people who truly know and love you will understand why you are making every decision you make. Invite who you want, indulge however what you want, celebrate the way you want.
Personalized cake toppers? We think YES! Better yet this isn’t just any cake topper it’s a cake POP!
Many congrats to M + M for keeping things authentic, entertaining, and oh-so inspiring for other DIY-ers out there!
photography: Sam & Larissa // venue name: Kim Sing Theatre, Los Angeles, California, United States of America // wedding dress: Handmade by yamileth // makeup artist: Genevieve Kelly // groom attire: Paul Smith Design // videography: Sam & Larissa // music: Campfire Cassettes // photo booth: Foto Booth + // DJ: Space Kelly
