The Bride Stunned in Pink + Red at This Over-The-Top Tinsel-Filled Wedding in San Diego

The vision for Lauren + Aaron’s dazzling + exuberant Sand Diego began with a trip to the Park Avenue Armory in New York City. It was there that bride Lauren saw “The Let Go,” an exhibit by Australian musician + writer Nick Cave. The entire city-block-sized performance space was filled with shimmering, moving, multicolor tinsel.

And then came Beyonce 👑🐝. Lauren noticed that Queen Bey herself was also using tinsel in her Renaissance World Tour to create a freeing + inviting party-ready environment.

“That’s when it all clicked for me,” bride Lauren says. “I wanted to have an over-the-top party – not wedding – that encouraged guests to leave their inhibitions at the door and just have a damn good time.”

From there, the concept for Lauren + Aaron’s exciting-yet-elevated wedding at The Prado at Balboa Park came together with the help of coordinators from Bliss Events. 

Photos from John Schnack captured the chic + celebratory vibes so brilliantly. The feathery florals. The b+w bridesmaid looks. The tinsel, of course. And that pink + red wedding dress look? WOW.

Let’s take a peek!

The pink + red wedding invitation suite by Compound Press teased the bride’s colorful wedding dress look.

How stunning is this intricate, embellished bridal updo by Brooklyn Cardenas?!

The First Look

There are so many reasons why we love a first look, and a heart-melting groom smile photo like this is definitely one of them.

We are 100% into these mismatched b+w patterned bridesmaid dresses!! Such a unique take on bridal party style! Here’s hoping we see more of this vibe in the coming wedding season!

Looking for a moving + meaningful groom gift to get your soon-to-be hubby? Custom monogrammed cufflinks like Aaron’s are a perfect example of a wedding day keepsake your groom can treasure + reuse.

The Ceremony

Three words: Giant. Iridescent. Orbs. ❤️

TBD Event Studio perfectly captured the contemporary + celebratory vibes with these modern, vibrant wedding florals.

Obsessed with this elegant, one-shoulder, shimmering teal mother of the bride dresses.

We love that Lauren went with both floral hair pins and a beautiful wedding headband. Such great pops of metallic gold!

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"The Girl with the Flaxen hair" from Debussy
Recessional
"Succession (Title Theme)" from Nicholas Britell
First Dance
"Knocks Me Off My Feet" from Stevie Wonder performed by Aaron's dad Warren and his stepmom Anita

Mark this wedding down as proof that wedding capes are always the right choice. Especially bold + dramatic ones like Lauren’s fuchsia look.

POV: your pup RSVPs ‘yes’ to a black tie event. How adorable is this black doggy bowtie?!

“I pretty much knew from the start that I didn’t want a white dress,” says Lauren of her path to this colorful, show stopping look. “At my first fitting, I tried on a white gown and burst into laughter. But to be honest, not having a white dress meant that practically everything was on the table, which made the search a bit more difficult.”

“I tried everything from high-end department stores to online stores until I stumbled across the designer Greta Constantine. At this point, I was losing steam and was hoping for the best. I purchased this dress sight unseen from Wardrobe Apparel, a boutique in Canada. There was even a whole thing with customs! But when it arrived at our apartment, Aaron helped me try it on…and oh boy! It checked off everything I was looking for: drama, color, and versatility.”

“On a recommendation of a couple of close friends, I hired Kamaal Kadhi Bespoke to design and construct my tuxedo,” says groom Aaron. “I was inspired by the classic Ralph Lauren handmade dinner jacket which Kamaal ran with and improved to fit my personal style.”

“Hats are a signature part of my personal style,” he adds. “I have been a loyal customer of East Village Hats for years and when I went in for a consultation to design a hat for our wedding, Julia Emily Knox encouraged me to lean into my personal style, which has always gravitated towards the boater. The extra wide brim brought an added layer of grandeur to the one-of-a-kind piece.”

The Reception

When it doubt: get the party moving and the bubbly flowing with a champagne wall slash wedding reception seating chart. 🍾

Check out our collection of cocktail hour do’s and don’ts to start planning a pretty pre-reception soiree like Lauren + Aaron’s.

We’re so into the way that these burgundy charger plates add deep, contrasting color to the emerald green table linens. Such a rich + saturated place setting design.

We told you there’d be tinsel!!!

This shimmery, fringey setup reminds us of one of our other fave tinsel-filled weddings: this maximalist DIY wedding in the woods!

Our Favorite Memory
It's hard to pick so let's share two: Our wedding entrance was a twist on the traditional sparkler send-off. We passed out gold tinsel wands to all the wedding guests and had them line up in the reception space. Meanwhile, the wedding party was standing outside with some of the band members waiting for our cue. At the perfect moment to Lionel Richie's song "All Night Long," we burst through the doors and started a huge dance party to kick off the night. Later in the night, we also loved when we surprised guests with espresso martinis on trays to Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso." That was a fun surprise and delight moment. Also, there were these fluorescent balls that were definitely for decoration but by the end of the night, we were all bouncing on them. That might have been how Lauren ripped her dress.

Our Advice
We'd say a couple of things: 1) Trust the people you hire. We found our wedding vendors were BURSTING with creativity when we encouraged them to let loose and do something different. It's really exciting to see these creative experts bring to life your little nugget of an idea. 2) Have the time of your life but don't be timeless. I think there's too much concern in the wedding industry to make it look classic and stand the test of time. As a result, you end up sacrificing some of the fun and originality that makes the love that you share so beautiful. Your love should be timeless, not your wedding.

Encore Entertainment brought the live tunes (both a 12-piece band AND a DJ) to keep guests on their feet and dancing all night long.

Even the bride + groom sat down for a one-of-a-kind portrait with caricaturist Court Jones.

Such a fun + unforgettable wedding guest favor!

The night got even *sweeter* with cute + colorful wedding desserts from Desserts By Clementine.

“I actually found my reception dress first,” bride Lauren recalls. “It was a fuchsia chiffon Giambattista Valli gown on an incredible discount at Neiman Marcus.”

“I had a lot of hesitation around planning an event,” Lauren says, offering some final reflections. “I work in brand experience and I know how much work goes into producing events. But I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

“It really was such a special moment to see our friends and families blend and bond together over the weekend. We also want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our friends and families for making the trip out to San Diego and to our creative vendors who were so wonderful to collaborate with.”

Congratulations, Lauren + Aaron! We loved every detail of your terrifically tinsel-y wedding! All the best from GWS!