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A Jewish Ceremony Against an Ocean Sunset at This Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Wedding

October 18, 2026 | justine

Shauna and Jon’s ceremony unfolded on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific, with the sun dropping toward the horizon as they exchanged vows. By the time their Jewish ceremony ended, the sun had set completely. Family heirlooms were incorporated into the ceremony, adding meaningful touches to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel’s oceanfront setting.

The rest of the day shifted between two distinct settings. Outside, Shauna and Jon envisioned something with a rustic, Italian influence. Indoors, they moved into a more formal evening reception. The approach suited a couple who had spent months collecting ideas, figuring out what they liked and, just as importantly, what they didn’t.

What We Love About This Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Wedding:

  • A Jewish ceremony held on the oceanfront bluffs at sunset
  • Family heirlooms incorporated into the ceremony
  • Separate outdoor and indoor design directions
  • Custom roll-up backgammon boards in the welcome bags

A Matchmaking Story That Started With Their Moms

Shauna and Jon didn’t meet through an app or by crossing paths at a party. Their introduction came through a mutual friend of their mothers. “She was at Shauna’s parents’ house one night when Shauna was there and told her that she had a nice boy in mind for her,” they shared. “She told my mom, who told me, and the rest is history!”

When it was time to plan their wedding, family remained part of the process. They worked with a planner while also turning to close relatives whose taste they trusted. Mood boards and Instagram posts helped them narrow their ideas over time, giving them examples of both what they wanted to use and what they preferred to leave out.

Two Different Settings for the Ceremony and Reception

Shauna and Jon described the overall direction as “thoughtful, detail oriented, and chic,” but they didn’t want every part of the day to look the same. 

For the outdoor ceremony, they gravitated toward a rustic, Italian-influenced look that suited the coastal surroundings. Once everyone moved indoors, the atmosphere changed to an elegant evening reception.

The location itself had been a major consideration. The ceremony site on the bluffs overlooking the ocean was one of the primary reasons they selected the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel.

The Sunset Disappeared Just as the Jewish Ceremony Ended

Of all the moments from the day, Shauna and Jon singled out their ceremony as especially memorable. Held outside overlooking the ocean, it coincided almost exactly with sunset. “The sun was setting as it happened and disappeared just as the ceremony ended,” they shared.

They also incorporated family heirlooms into the Jewish ceremony. Against the blufftop setting at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, those family pieces became part of a ceremony already shaped by tradition and an unusually well-timed California sunset.

Venue, Music, and Food Led the Priority List

With a long planning process ahead of them, Shauna and Jon were clear about the areas where they wanted to concentrate their budget: venue, music, and food.

Their planner took the lead in helping them find much of their vendor team, while a few choices came directly from work the couple had already seen and liked. Junebug vendor EFEGE was one of those selections, as was Eli’s Band.

Their wedding weekend also started before the ceremony. The day before, Shauna and Jon rented poolside cabanas and invited their guests to join them for a pool party, giving everyone a chance to spend time together before the formal events began.

Custom Backgammon Boards Made Their Way Into the Welcome Bags

Shauna and Jon put particular effort into what guests received when they arrived. As people who love games, they skipped more conventional welcome bag items in favor of something they would genuinely enjoy themselves: custom roll-up backgammon boards printed with their monogram. It was a specific, useful detail that guests could take home after the weekend, tucked into welcome bags the couple had spent considerable time assembling.

Their advice for other couples comes from that same willingness to stay involved throughout a long planning process. “It is a long planning process, but stay together and make it what you love,” they shared. “The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.”

The Wedding Team:

Photography – EFEGE
Event Planning – Events By Goli
Venue – Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel
Catering – Cottura
Live Music – Eli’s Band
Invitation Design – Paperie Bakery
Wedding Dress – Monique Lhuillier
Groom’s Apparel – Klein Epstein Parker

 

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This Nature-Filled Portugal Destination Wedding at Areias do Seixo Incorporated a Persian Sofreh Aghd

October 17, 2026 | justine

Mona and Kamran chose Areias do Seixo without ever seeing it in person. Set near the ocean and surrounded by dunes and gardens, the eco-conscious hotel had the natural, organic setting Mona had been searching for. For their May Portugal destination wedding, spring flowers filled long wooden tables, candles glowed throughout the reception, and a traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd brought Mona’s heritage into the ceremony.

Portugal already had a place in their relationship. Mona and Kamran met on Hinge while living in different Southern California cities, with Kamran in San Diego and Mona in Los Angeles. Travel soon became something they loved doing together, and a previous trip to Portugal made returning there to get married an easy choice.

What We Love About This Portugal Destination Wedding:

  • A Persian Sofreh Aghd complete with a mirror, candles, honey, sweets, fruits, nuts, and sugar cones
  • An eco-conscious hotel near the ocean, booked entirely sight unseen
  • A sparkler-lined cake cutting followed by disco balls and a packed dance floor

Featured Vendor:
Nuno Lopes Photography

Planning the Entire Wedding and Hiring Their Vendors From Afar

Areias do Seixo came with a wedding planner who already knew the property and had coordinated many celebrations there. Mona arrived with a clear idea of the look she liked, using Pinterest images of flowers, tablescapes, and other details to communicate it. The planner then translated those references into plans that worked with the property.

The rest of the vendor search happened online, too. Mona spent hours looking through weddings on Instagram, then researching the teams behind the work that caught her attention. She and Kamran ultimately booked their entire team without meeting anyone in person beforehand. Junebug vendor Nuno Lopes was among those finds, along with hair and makeup artist Tom Perdigao. “We actually chose our entire team through the power of the internet without meeting them in person beforehand, which definitely required a little trust!” Mona says.

Keeping the guest list smaller also helped them decide where to spend. The venue, food and drinks, and details for the people traveling to Portugal took priority. Mona admits there was some flexibility involved: “We definitely had a budget, and I definitely went a little over it. Kamran knows now!”

Areias do Seixo Was a Sight-Unseen Gamble That Paid Off

Mona was initially drawn to Areias do Seixo for its eco-conscious approach, proximity to the ocean, and architecture surrounded by nature. The hotel grows flowers and greenery in its own garden, while natural materials appear throughout the property. Ocean views, dunes, gardens, and the hotel’s distinctive design gave them several different settings without leaving the venue.

For the tables, spring flowers in reds, pinks, purples, and softer seasonal shades were arranged loosely in glass vases along long wooden tables. Clear ghost chairs kept the tables visually open, while candles and greenery filled the spaces between place settings.

Booking the property without visiting first could have been one of the bigger risks of their Portugal destination wedding. Once Mona finally saw it in person, the property exceeded what she had imagined.

Mona and Kamran Saved Their First Look for the Aisle

Mona skipped a first look because she wanted Kamran to see her wedding dress for the first time during the ceremony. She wore a Tom Sébastien gown covered from top to bottom in intricate beading and lace, while Kamran chose a custom Enzo suit in deep maroon. The couple also skipped traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen, inviting their family members to walk down the aisle instead.

As an aesthetics nurse, Mona started preparing her skin about six months before the wedding. Tom Perdigao handled her wedding-day hair and makeup, with Mona asking for a look that still resembled her usual self.

Of waiting until the ceremony to see each other, she says, “Seeing his reaction as I walked toward him, surrounded by all of our closest friends and family, was incredibly emotional and something I’ll never forget.”

Their Persian Sofreh Aghd Brought Family and Heritage Into the Ceremony

A traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd was one of the central elements of the ceremony. The display included a mirror and candles representing light and a bright future, honey for sweetness in married life, and nuts, fruits, and sweets associated with abundance and prosperity. During the ceremony, sugar cones were rubbed above the couple, symbolically showering their marriage with sweetness.

Mona’s sister officiated. With family surrounding them and the Sofreh Aghd arranged beneath an arch overflowing with flowers and greenery, Mona and Kamran exchanged vows with traditions from her Persian heritage incorporated into the ceremony.

They Actually Stayed for Cocktail Hour

After the ceremony,food stations opened for cocktail hour. Instead of spending the entire stretch taking portraits, Mona and Kamran stayed long enough to mingle, grab a drink, and spend time with their guests. They later slipped away for a shorter portrait session together before joining everyone again for the reception.

It was one of the choices Mona appreciated in hindsight. Wedding days move quickly, and staying for part of the cocktail hour meant they actually got to enjoy some of the time they had planned for their guests.

A Heavy Wedding Dress Changed the Reception Plan

Real-flame candles and flowers filled the dining space for dinner before the evening shifted toward dancing. Mona and Kamran cut their cake with guests holding sparklers along the way, and later, disco balls and their DJ took over as everyone moved to the dance floor.

One part of the timeline changed earlier than expected. Mona loved her beaded wedding gown, but after wearing it for several hours, its weight became difficult to manage. She changed into her second dress sooner than planned and didn’t end up doing the couple’s first dance in her original gown. “It wasn’t what I had pictured, but in the moment, I just went with it,” she says. “Honestly, being comfortable made it so much easier to enjoy the rest of the night and actually dance!”

The other surprisingly tricky task was gathering relatives for family photos while everyone was busy talking and enjoying themselves. Mona’s practical recommendation for other couples is simple: designate someone ahead of time to round up the necessary people.

Their Advice: Build in Time to Step Away Together

For Mona, one of the biggest surprises was simply how fast the wedding passed after months of planning. She recommends deliberately finding a few moments when both people can leave the activity around them and be alone together. 

That was something she and Kamran managed during their own Portugal destination wedding, particularly when they briefly left cocktail hour for portraits. “Make sure you carve out a few moments throughout the day to step away together, just the two of you, and soak it all in,” Mona says. “Enjoy the planning, trust your vendors, and on the wedding day, let go and have the best time!”

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Nuno Lopes
Event Planning –
Venue – Areias do Seixo
DJ – Puyan Moselhi
Videography – Torga Films
Makeup + Hair Styling – Tom Perdigao
Wedding Dress – Tom Sebastien
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Bronx Banco
Groom’s Apparel – Enzo Custom Suits
Rings – Lanore Fine Jewelry

 

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A Sangjit, Tea Ceremony, and Night Reception in This Meaningful Chinese Malaysian Wedding

October 16, 2026 | justine

Yvonne and Marco’s wedding moved through several distinct celebrations, each with its own look. The morning began at home amid red double-happiness symbols, family traditions, and door games before the couple changed for a colorful tea ceremony. By night, the reds and oranges had given way to white, navy, and emperor yellow, the couple’s feng shui colors, with orchids, sheer draping, low-lying fog, projections, and blue light filling the reception.

There was plenty happening between those two settings. Yvonne wore three different outfits across the day, the family remained closely involved in the celebrations, and the evening moved from dinner and speeches into performances and a lion dance. Junebug vendor Rotikahwin documented those shifts as they unfolded, from the quieter getting-ready moments to the full scale of the nighttime festivities.

What We Love About This Tea Ceremony:

  • Three distinct bridal looks
  • Playful door games with Marco and his friends
  • A gold double-happiness symbol surrounded by orange and white flowers
  • Feng shui colors of white, navy, and emperor yellow for the reception
  • A night celebration with projections, theatrical lighting, fog, and a lion dance

Featured Vendor:
ROTIKAHWIN

For the Tea Ceremony, Yvonne Leaned Into Color and Tradition

Yvonne had a clear design direction for the sangjit and tea ceremony. She changed into an intricately embroidered high-neck dress covered in colorful floral motifs, finished with detailed hair accessories and earrings. Marco wore black alongside her colorful look.

“For our sangjit and tea ceremony, I knew I wanted something bold, colourful and playful, while bringing together the richness of traditional Chinese colours with a touch of French-inspired elegance,” Yvonne says.

White draping framed the family ceremony, with a large gold double-happiness symbol positioned above the couple. Orange flowers punctuated arrangements of white blooms and greenery around the seating area.

Yvonne and Marco moved through the tea ceremony with their families, kneeling to serve tea and receiving red envelopes in return. Formalities quickly gave way to hugs and conversation, with several relatives eventually gathering around Yvonne in a group embrace.

The Wedding Day Started With Door Games and Family Traditions

Yvonne began the day  surrounded by her bridal party and family in a home filled with signs of what was ahead. Red double-happiness symbols appeared throughout the space, while red and orange florals framed the entrance.

Before Marco could make his way inside, he and his friends had the door games to contend with. The challenges quickly became one of the livelier parts of the morning, with Yvonne’s bridal party looking on as the group worked their way through them and red envelopes went flying across the room. The morning stayed close to family, with relatives appearing throughout the preparations and traditions.

A Clear Vision Made Vendor Selection Easier

Yvonne was decisive about the look of the wedding and equally selective about the people she trusted to execute it. She discovered most of her vendors online, paying close attention to portfolios and choosing teams whose existing work already aligned with what she had in mind.

“Their style and attention to detail already aligned closely with the vision and vibe I had in mind, so I was quite firm about the vendors I wanted from the beginning,” she says.

Working with a planner also meant Yvonne and Marco could stay focused on the bigger picture while the details, coordination, and execution were handled for them. They shared their ideas and color direction, then worked together on the styling, florals, and atmosphere for the different parts of the day.

Feng Shui Colors Gave the Night Reception a Completely New Look

The reception introduced another color palette altogether. White, navy blue, and emperor yellow, chosen from Yvonne and Marco’s feng shui colors, became the basis for the evening design. White orchids and baby’s breath filled the floral installations, joined by yellow chrysanthemums. Sheer fabric descended around the reception space, while the couple’s monogram appeared across the room and in the projections behind their table.

The navy remained more subtle, just as Yvonne had planned. Both mothers wore navy evening gowns, while soft blue lighting introduced the color across the room after dark. As the evening progressed, the lighting shifted between warm amber and deep blue, with beams crossing overhead and projections changing the appearance of the space.

   

A Fog-Filled Entrance Kicked Off the Evening

Yvonne changed for the reception, this time into a fitted white gown with intricate detailing and a long train, while Marco wore a black tuxedo.

For their entrance, low-lying fog covered the aisle as the couple walked beneath the fabric installations and lighting overhead. Later in the evening, the room was washed in blue as Yvonne’s train stretched behind her through the reception space.

Dinner gave way to speeches, cake cutting, and live entertainment. A colorful lion dance brought the performance into the middle of the room, with guests gathering around to watch. 

The Connection Was Immediate, Just in Different Ways

Yvonne and Marco met through work while collaborating on a mutual friend’s project. Both were in the same field, and Yvonne quickly noticed how naturally they complemented one another. “For him, it was love at first sight,” she says. “For me, it was meeting someone who simply felt right.”

There was a similar balance to the wedding they planned. The playful door games, family traditions, colorful tea ceremony, and polished evening reception were distinct from one another, but none seemed out of place beside the next. Different colors, traditions, and moods could all exist within the same celebration, and somehow, together, they simply made sense.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Rotikahwin
Venue – Shangrila Tanjung Aru Resort

 

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