Traditional weddings typically feature calm vibes, lush flowers, and a whole lot of white Well, not for Justine and Justin. They wanted something that celebrated their uniqueness. Imagine this: bold colors, thoughtful branding, lively tunes, sneakers, and a nod to the chicest creatures in nature—birds! Their upbeat Valentine DTLA wedding was a wild, colorful bash packed with dancing, music, and a whole lot of zest.
They exchanged their “I do’s” in a tropical paradise, with a vibrant geometric backdrop that beautifully framed their sweet vows. The reception that came next was all about low-key sophistication, with potted plants, origami cranes, and white lanterns dangling overhead. And the party? It turned into an all-night dance bonanza!
They sprinkled their special day with personal touches at every turn, and The Hendrys skillfully captured every incredible moment. If you’re on the hunt for unconventional inspiration for your own celebration, this is an experience you definitely don’t want to pass up.
The Couple:
Justine and Justin
The Wedding:
Valentine DTLA, California, United States
Sneakers, Birds, and Personalized Planters: How Their Colorful Valentine DTLA Wedding Came To Be
If we were to spend our hard-earned money on a party, we would have a party that reflected us, not trends. Our color palette was inspired by tropical birds, pulling in gold, magenta, and forest green (the color of Justin’s suit) and royal blue (the color of my sapphire engagement ring and their wedding bands). Pulling it into context, we decorated the entire space with antique bird sculptures, hand-folded origami cranes, birds adorning the signage, feathers as lapel pins for the suits, and a looping video of birds in the wild during dinnertime (think Planet Earth kind of footage). Justin’s love for sneakers was well represented, with several shoe changes for the reception and personalized 3D printed Air Jordan 1 sneaker planters decorating the dinner space. Each of these custom-made planters by Visionary3D had our monogram of the Justice League and was given out as a prize for a photo scavenger hunt we held at the reception. We wanted to reduce waste as much as possible. As part of our decor, we chose potted plants that could have life after the day and permanent botanicals for the bouquets to keep the beautiful arrangements forever.
Turning Their Love Story into a Dance-Infused Wedding Preview
From the moment we sent out invitations, we set the tone with an invitation video that shared the story of our engagement at Joshua Tree that starts with a dance video, then extending that into a whole dance montage of us in DTLA with the backdrop of vibrant colors to the upbeat song of “The Weekend” by Mufasa, Hypeman, and Dopamine. We partnered with Eddie from Creators Lab, the premiere videographer of Latin dance festivals around the world, to help convey the vibe of our wedding in video. This was our way to set the stage for our guests that this would be a non-traditional wedding full of dancing, music, and vibrance.
A Personalized Throwback Ceremony Playlist
Throughout the ceremony, we opted for more upbeat songs to continue the promise of the vibe we previewed in our invitation. Starting with the pre-ceremony music, we kept a steady flow of mid-tempo R&B with our favorite songs from the 90s and 2000s (our golden era of music). Walking down the aisle, Justin, our families, and the wedding party (otherwise known as the Justice Squad) danced to “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone as if we were all Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy. Justine walked down the aisle to the more mellow but beautiful guitar-heavy song, “I Will Always Love U” by Benise. After all the laughter and silliness of the ceremony, we all walked back down the aisle to “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire—a transition to the cocktail hour that followed right after.
Sharing the Rhythm of Their Love with Their Guests
As Latin dancers who both met dancing and continue to have a deep passion for it, we wanted to share that very joy with our guests through a Bachata dance lesson during cocktail hour, especially since much of that music will be playing throughout the reception. We could think of no better instructors for our day than Justin’s former dance directors from San Francisco, Bryon and Samantha of Inessence Dance Co., working with our DJ Peter of Arazia Events, who himself is also a Latin dancer, we set up a lesson during cocktail hour that would help our guests get comfortable with the dance floor. As Latin dancers ourselves, we couldn’t have our wedding without a first dance showcasing our experience in Bachata and Afro-Cuban movement, performing in front of our former teammates, directors, friends, and family.
The Wedding Team:
Photography – The Hendrys
Event Designer – Opus Events Co
Event Coordinator – Grounded Events
Ceremony + Reception Venue – Valentine DTLA
Floral Design – Behold Florals
Catering – Spotted Hen Catering
Bartender – Spirit Guides
Composter – Compostable LA
DJ + Photobooth – Araiza Events
Videography – Creators Lab
Makeup Artist – Kelly Zhang Studio
Wedding Dress – King Bridal
Groom’s Apparel – Hall Madden
Rings – Lauren O Jewels
3D printed sneakers – Visionary3D
Lightings – Stage Labs
Dance Class – Inessence Dance Co
Babysitter – Black Tie Kids
Rentals – MTB Event Rentals
Transportation – White Label Valet
Congratulations to Justine and Justin for pulling off a colorful Valentine DTLA wedding inspired by tropical birds. Big shoutout to The Hendrys for skillfully preserving every detail and capturing those unforgettable moments that made their celebration truly special.
Let this extraordinary event encourage you to break the mold, infuse your wedding with unique personal touches, and rely on trusted vendors to bring your vision to life. Your wedding day should mirror your journey together, creating a captivating experience for everyone who joins in the celebration.
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