When Dorna + Jonathan started planning their wedding, they were eager to embrace elements of Dorna’s Persian heritage and Jonathan’s German and Israeli backgrounds while including the rich community of loved ones they’ve surrounded themselves with.
From that instinct a totally dreamy design vision was born full of pinks, blues, and oranges that perfectly complemented their greenery-filled warehouse-style venue, Valentine by Marvimon. Together with event designers and planners from Feathered Arrow Studio they created a modern and colorful day with cultural and communal elements woven throughout.
“We’re both lucky to have an incredible community of friends and family that inspire us,” Dorna + Jonathan say. “As we planned out our wedding, we kept thinking about how we could incorporate these amazing, creative people into our celebration and bring the different sides of the aisle together.” Jonathan’s best friend from childhood officiated. A close friend’s artwork for their save the date inspired the wedding’s colors. Friends and family filled the day with thoughtful touches and surprises, and both the ceremony and the reception featured culturally rich details.
We have a major crush on Dorna + Jonathan’s color palette, so we are SO glad that Christy Kendall Photography was there taking all of these stunning photos!
The First Look
“I wasn’t the type of person growing up who dreamt about my own wedding, so I was starting out the search with a complete blank state,” says bride Dorna of her dress hunt. This gorgeous tulle and floral appliqué gown by Jessica Coutures wasn’t something Dorna would typically have picked for herself. One of her besties found it during a dress shopping trip to Janene’s Bridal in San Francisco. After a few months of seeing what felt like a million options Dorna gave herself a deadline: she had to pick her dress six months out from her wedding day. And in the end this strapless structured bodice beauty won out!
Every shade of pink you can think of!! We love this rich and rosy bridal party palette. Dorna’s bridesmaids found their mismatch looks from Lulu’s, Anthropologie Weddings, Vince., and Club L London.
The Ceremony
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding Two moments really stand out- the first was the flower fella routine that two of Jon's friends did before Dorna walked down the aisle. The second was an intricately choreographed Persian knife dance that Dorna's close friends performed before we cut the cake. The choreography of both were complete surprises, even for us. It was important to us that our closest friends play a role in the wedding somehow, and we felt like the more upbeat ceremony kicked off the night on a very high note.
Check out our tips for how to nail the mismatched bridal party look if you’re loving the way that each of Dorna’s bridesmaids rocked their own distinct shade and silhouette.
Loving how lush and green Valentine is!! A total DTLA oasis.
“We had a Persian sofreh aghd during the ceremony,” say Dorna + Jonathan, “which is a symbolic display that involves a bunch of rituals. Dorna’s mom spent weeks gathering the items and mocking it up at her home to make sure it was personal to us. In addition to the normal items, like a mirror or a set of candles, we also included photos of Dorna’s father, who passed away about a decade ago, months before we started dating.”
Our Musical Choices Processional: "About Damn Time" by Lizzo (Purple Disco Machine Remix) + "Fire For You" by Cannons
Recessional: "Everywhere" by Fleetwood Mac
First Dance: "Thinkin Bout You" by Frank Ocean
Beauty by Bon Bon created Dorna’s sleek and chic low bun and her smoky neutral makeup look.
Dorna’s sparkly wedding band looks gorgeous stacked with her round solitaire engagement ring. Check out our list of the prettiest wedding rings for women to find the perfect forever ring for you!
The Reception
We seriously can’t get over all of this greenery at Valentine and the way these peachy pinks pop against it. To see some of the other fab venues that Marvimon has created in LA check out this “tropical disco” DTLA wedding at Millwick and this modern b+w DTLA wedding at Grass Room.
Take a look at our collection of 27 dreamy wedding sign ideas if you needs need some more super cute and unique welcome sign inspo.
OK. Obsessed with this abstract, alphabetical reception seating chart!! It is a total work of art.
Our Advice To Those Planning Now Most importantly, try and soak it in. We kept hearing that the day goes by fast, but we still underestimated how quickly it went. We're really grateful for Kari and the planning team for ensuring we had a few moments alone to take it in. After years of planning and thinking about it, it's so important to enjoy the wedding activities yourself.
Your wedding is incredibly personal, so pick elements that are true to you. Don't feel the need to incorporate traditional elements that aren't meaningful to you and don't be afraid to incorporate non-traditional elements that reflect who you are. Many people will have strong opinions about your wedding, make sure that all of your decisions you end up making reflect the two of you. There is no right or wrong way!
Samira Weddings & Events created a spread of delicious Persian sweets, and even the desert table decor had meaning! “Our dessert table had things like Persian calligraphy and figurines from the ancient Qajar dynasty,” say Dorna + Jonathan.
“We were very keen on investing in a good lighting system! To really make it feel like a dance party, we rented the disco ball from Stage Labs and worked closely with DJ Keelez & Associates on making sure the uplighting added some energy to the room,” says the couple. “The goal was to have the dance floor full at all times.”
Congratulations, Dorna + Jonathan! Your colorful wedding full of culture and community was a DTLA dream! All the best from GWS!
photography: Christy Kendall Photography // venue name: Valentine, Los Angeles, CA, USA // event design: Feathered Arrow Studio // planning: Feathered Arrow Studio // florals: Shindig Chic // wedding dress: Jessica Coutures // wedding dress boutique: Janene’s Bridal // bride’s shoes: Jeffrey Campbell // bridesmaid dresses: Lulus, BHLDN, Vince and Club L London // hair stylist: Beauty by Bon Bon // makeup artist: Beauty by Bon Bon // paper goods: Shindig Chic // catering: Fundamental Events // cake: Butter Cake Shoppe // desserts: Samira Events // music: DJ Keelez // lighting: Stage Labs // photo booth: Photomatica