A DTLA Wedding Filled With Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

The story of how LA natives Erica + Danny fell in love is a one for the Angeleno history books, and Erica tells it beautifully:

“Danny and I met back in high school chemistry class,” Erica says. “Our differences intrigued each other and we were eager at a young age to get to know each other’s different worlds. We dated off and on throughout high school and college, growing up together without fully growing apart. It was once we both finished with our educational/work ventures, we decided to truly focus on the potential of a future “us.” Danny, then an aspiring chef, and myself a fresh-out-of-design school creative. We’d frequently meet ‘half-way’ after class, work, or internships in Downtown LA where we’d fantasize about our future together and the jobs of our dreams. We’d discuss so many ‘imagine if’ moments and ‘what if we met up here and it finally all came true’ scenarios. Falling more and more in love while also chasing our individual dreams.”

When Danny proposed on a hike in April of 2020, the two looked back on those dreamers in DTLA and realized they’d made it. Career-wise and with each other. “Danny is now the lead Chef De Cuisine at Bestia in Downtown Los Angeles, and I am a Celebrity Wardrobe Stylist and Fashion Designer,” Erica says. “All in the city that listened early on while we manifested over flights at Arts District Brewing Co or shared fries at Umami Burger.”

When the two started planning their wedding they wanted to celebrate those “different worlds” they so loved learning about in high school. “We grew up so local to each other but so differently,” Erica says. “Our family activities when we were young frequented the same neighborhoods but our experiences were so opposite. Danny has core family roots in Mexico and a childhood in East LA. He knew holidays on their family ranch in Baja and celebrations of all sorts at his grandparents house in Tijuana. All of which were always full of sounds of endless corridos, vibrant decor, and mucho amor. My childhood was experiencing culture through the streets of LA in the suburbs of Pico Rivera. I knew tailgates at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for Raider games, lunch at Chronies or Manuels (aka El Tepayac) in East Los, and oldies bumping late into the night at our neighborhood backyard parties which usually followed some sort of airing of a Dodger or Laker game. Together, we wanted to honor and pay homage to both of our ‘cultures’ on our big day. A combination of traditional Mexican heritage and true Los Angeles chicano culture.”

The color palette? Every color. The aesthetic jumping-off point? Baz Lurhman’s dazzling 1996 film adaptation of Romeo + Juliet. The place? Marmivon’s Grass Room, right in the heart of DTLA where these two used to dream about their futures. Planners from One Darling Day helped bring Erica + Danny’s vision to life, and photographer Julie Pepin and second shooter Julia Lukash captured every visually stunning moment. 

You are not going to believe this wedding.

Nonstop Wedding Day Style

Erica’s Bridal Look

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Erica combined the Three Row Pearl Bas Relief Choker and the Pearl Drop Choker (both by Vivienne Westwood, Erica’s favorite designer) to create this BREATHTAKING stacked jewelry silhouette.

These spectacular pearl and cross embellished wedding day nails are by Nelsy B (aka @thenaillord).

Take a look at some stunning wedding earrings we’re loving if you’re into super into Erica’s gold statement pair like we are.

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Erica approached her wedding dress journey from an industry insider’s angle because of her perspective as a creative eye and her roots in the fashion industry. Here’s what she had to say about her inspiration for this wedding day look and how it all came to be: “My day-to-day fashion choices are pretty funky to be honest, but I’ve always admired the iconic wedding looks of the Royals or Old-Hollywood starlets that leaned more timeless; Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor (at her first marriage), and Princess Catherine Middleton,” Erica says. “As fun and tempting as it was to go full out trendy and extremely avant-garde as I usually LOVE to do, I wanted to be able to look back at my wedding outfits and not see an era of time and trends but instead see me, as a bride.

Erica enlisted the help of friend and boss Candice, creative director of Fredericks of Hollywood, to help bring this two-part bridal look to life. Together Erica and Candice tailored her mikado silk a-line Essence of Australia corset bridal gown and layered it over a custom white lily lace full-body catsuit designed and created by Erica which will be available in black this summer at Fredericks.com. The lilies in the lace were a tribute to Lily’s late godmother’s favorite flower.

“In true week-of-the-wedding fashion,” Erica says, “the final production sample of the catsuit went missing days before the wedding, so we pivoted and used the proto sample which had sharpie marks for first-fit edits and was chopped and pinned throughout the torso.” But wedding mishaps have a magical way of working themselves out, and when Erica put the gown on over the prototype bodysuit the edits and markings were totally hidden. Candice did some emergency tailoring, and everything fit perfectly. “Although the situation almost put Candice into cardiac arrest, I thought using the proto sample made it more meaningful. Like Danny and I’s relationship, under the beautiful mikado silk there was still work to be made and markings/scars of where work had been done but it still worked in the most perfectly, imperfect way.”

The day’s modern, white and silver florals were the creation of Under New Mgmt. We love the monarch butterfly and pearl accents!!

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

The Bridal Party

Coordinating and creating the bridesmaids’ metallic silver and black looks was the highlight of wedding planning for stylist Erica.

How fab are these shiny, silver anthurium?!

Erica “proposed” to her bridesmaids with a pair of black patent leather Doc Marten’s. Along with the classic Docs, Erica included a super-cute note that said These boots are made for walking me down the aisle. “Instead of matching bridesmaid dresses and colors, the Docs served as the cohesive thread amongst all their final looks,” Erica says.

An all-black bridal party palette is the intersection of edginess and elegance. Check out the best black bridesmaids dresses in every style.

The Flower Girls

Have you ever seen fiercer flower girls?! Ivy Getty’s wedding party was a big source of inspo for these two adorable petal-tossers. “Part disco balls, part fairies mixed with a little punk harajuku energy was definitely the vibe,” says Erica. The look on the left is actually two dresses: one by designer and friend of the bride Elijah Wong layered over the Paloma dress by TuTu Du Monde. The look on the right is this custom dress from Etsy.

Iridescent fairy wings really made good on the Romeo + Juliet inspiration threaded throughout the day. Those amazing metallic Creepers from T.U.K. were inspired by Erica + Danny’s recent obsession with the Netflix series Wednesday.

The Groomsmen

Contemplating a classic tux like the ones that Danny and his groomsmen are rocking? Check out our A-Z men’s formalwear guide.

We love Danny’s custom photo cufflinks are such a cool way to add meaningful details to his wedding day look. Personalize your own pair if Danny’s got you feeling inspired.

On The Way

Why stop at one veil?! Erica combined a tulle cathedral veil and a tulle blusher veil, both with a crystal embellished trim hems to achieve the look she was imagining. “I wanted the drama of my look to live in the veil and loved the approach Meghan Markle took by incorporating her nephews in on the veil entrance,” Erica says. “My Godson and two nephews, Cole and Preston, helped escort me and my veil down the aisle as ‘veil patrol’ which they took very seriously”

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Erica knew right off that bat that she wanted to lean into Chicano cultural tradition and roll up to the ceremony in an ice blue lowrider (her something blue!). “Since day 1 of planning, I envisioned my dad and I driving from the hotel to church, listening to his favorite oldies, veil blowing in the wind, Ray-bans on, cruising,” Erica says.

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Erica’s loose curl down-do is by Marlo Renae (with additional styling by Linda Lopez), and her flawless makeup is by Natalie Jean

The Ceremony

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Loving the DRAMA of the purple lighting!!

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

That VEIL!!! Take a peek at our fave veils for every bridal style if you think you might love something long and lacy like Erica’s.

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Julie Pepin’s editorial photo style was the perfect way to capture the creativity and nuance of the high fashion festivities.

The Reception

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Table Method filled the reception tabletops with classic and colorful stemware and flatware. The prayer candles worked into the decor were a nod to hispanic spirituality and an homage to Erica’s grandma who passed on “the importance of candle lighting to memorialize lost loved ones and continue their energy.”

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

MTB Event Rentals created a setup fit for LA royalty with these long banquet tables and modern, silver-and-light-wood guest seating.

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Violet uplighting by Stage Labs creating a vibe. And we are LOVING the multicolor metallic hanging fringe!!

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Let’s take a little moment to appreciate Erica’s iconic wedding shoes, the stunning Valentino Garavani Tan-Go Platform Pump In Light Ivory Patent Leather. These (along with one of her gorgeous Vivienne Westwood chokers) were a wedding present from her mom. Erica’s plan is to pass these glorious heels along to generations of other family brides.

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

Erica + Danny’s guests enjoyed a feast created by Open Social and cocktails by Chicas on the Rocks.

Wedding Celebrating Traditional Mexican Heritage and True Los Angeles Chicano Culture

The genius idea to use tagged china to assign guest seating came to Erica when she remembered the way late great designer Virgil Abloh’s brand Off-White graffitied their logo onto the plates at a Fashion Week branded dinner. Erica knew it would be the perfect way to capture some LA energy in the reception tablescape, so she ordered a bunch of plates from webstaurantstore.com and tagged each plate by hand herself!!

Congratulations, Erica + Danny, on adding this breathtaking wedding to your LA love story!! All the best from GWS!

photography: Julie Pepin Photography // venue name: Grassroom, Los Angeles, CA, USA // event design: Bride // planning: One Darling Day // florals: Under New MGMT // wedding dress: Fredericks of Hollywood and Essense of Australia // bride's shoes: Valentino // bridesmaid dresses: All Styled by the Bride // hair stylist: Marlo Renae // makeup artist: Natalie Jean // videography: Three Figs Film // catering: Open Social Events // tabletop rentals: Table Method // furniture rentals: MTB Rentals // music: Que Madre // officiant: First Congregational Church of Los Angeles // lighting: Stage Labs // photo booth: Photomatica // cocktails: Chicas on the Rocks // alcohol: Liquid Catering // second photographer: Julia Lukash // guest book: Fete Fone // additional hair: Linda Lopez // nails: Nelsy B

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