You may have seen Juliana + Ben’s super unique zombie engagement photos that went viral last year. In fact, one of their favorite parts of the whole wedding experience was reading the responses online from their photos – something they will never forget! :) You can tell from those engagement photos, that they are a fun loving couple. So of course they wanted their wedding to also be fun, relaxed and incorporate some personal touches by both of them. I love that their day was a mix of both traditional elements and their own offbeat personalities. I think one of my favorite details they shared with me was their “Eating of the Unity Sandwich.” Instead of the traditional candles or sand, they shared a PB&J sandwich at the end of our ceremony, “sanctified” by their officiant Dave Page. It also had their initials in it, so it was the perfect amount of quirkiness, humor and personalization. As they say, nothing goes together better than PB&J! Thanks so much to Kate Harrison for sending this one my way!
Processional: Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes (groom's entrance), La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong (bride's entrance)
Recessional: This Will Be Our Year by The Zombies
First Dance: Every Little Step by Bobby Brown
As a nod to their cultural heritage, they did the traditional Korean ceremony called Pyebaek for their families.
Holding hands in the back seat of a vintage 1930 Citroen, owned and driven by a friend, on the way to our venue. Driving around in the city of Pasadena with the warm sun filtering through allowed us a moment to take it all in...in a cool car at that!
We love to dance together, so we also chose to nix the slow and do our first dance with a hip hop number, choreographed by Lora Banzali.
Stay true to yourselves as a couple and have fun! Whether you decide to go eccentric or traditional, high end or low end, try to put your personal touches on everything, down to the details. Your wedding will be that much more memorable and unique. With so many blogs these days, it's easy at first to get caught up in those ideas. There's so many great ones out there! But at the end of the day, your wedding will be special because you and your fiance made those personal touches.
If you're going the DIY route, do what you know. Time management is also key. We both wanted to be involved with the wedding planning yet were busy with work. So we found it hard to balance the time needed for the basic errands, let alone getting all of our DIY projects done. Edit and take on the manageable important things. The rest can be created and/or bought from someone who specializes. Utilize the talents of your friends and family. We couldn't have done it without their help! In hindsight, stress and nerves are part of what makes the day even more special. When it gets crazy, take time out and relax together.
photography: Kate Harrison // venue name: Garden at Happy Trails Catering, Pasadena, CA // event design: collaboration with couple and Annette Kerslake of Simply Natural Events // wedding dress: Melissa Sweet "Fern" for ceremony and Priscilla of Boston short dress for reception // hairpiece: Priscilla of Boston veil // bride's shoes: Miu Miu // bridesmaid dresses: Alice + Olivia, Walter and ModCloth // hair stylist: Dalina Rebollo // makeup artist: Sunny of Susie Chhuor // groom attire: Band of Outsiders // catering: Happy Trails Catering // cake: Cake Monkey // music: Icy Hot Club // event planner: Annette Kerslake of Simply Natural Events // floral design: Gilly Flowers & Events // cinematography: footage by Jonathan Hersh of Moments Event Videography, editing by groom // DJ: Patrick Belton of Dubgypsy Entertainment // groom: Sheridan Man Made // groomsmen's bow ties and handkerchiefs: Sheridan Man Made // dance choreographer and MC: Lora Banzali
I love that everyone is dancing around the tree. It reminds me of the Tree of Souls from Avatar!
What a cool looking couple. My favorite detail are the childrens’ book table names! Also, loooove the venue, Happy Trails. I worked there in college!
Everything about this wedding is so personal but holds tradition! Being a dancer….I must say I love the nontraditional first dance. LOVE.
Thank you for this beautiful feature! Congrats Juliana & Ben!
I love this wedding. Congrats to the happy couple!
I love the Eric Carle table themed numbers. Gives it some fun flare.
Beautiful couple, beautiful wedding! Love the zombie eyeballs in the specialty drink. ;) It was a honor to be a part of this special day!
Beautiful!!! Love the dessert table!!!
the funnest wedding i’ve ever been to—classic ben and jules :D
I remember their engagement shoot – I mean who could forget zombies, it was toooo unique. Now I’ll never forget the pb&j ceremony – how cute.
Oh is this the zombie engagement couple?! I love their wedding even more now!
I just ♥ the “YOURE SO CRAZY”!
Definitely a great idea to add lights for decor makes the reception/ dance floor look colorful.
Who made the invitations? They’re great!
I LOVE all the little details!!
Amazing wedding – where are the invites from?
Love their backdrop! It’s so colorful and fun! :)
And I love that they dressed up in their traditional Korean clothing!
Hi all! Ben made the amazing invites! Email me if you’d like his email address. Cheers!