A Monique Lhuillier Bride for a SUPER Luxe Jewish Wedding with an EPIC Colorful Chuppah at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California, USA

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2018 is officially here, and after a little blogging break for the holidays, we’re delighted to be back with a real bang – the explosion of color and floral fabulousness that is Gilda and Shahin’s super, super, SUPER luxe Jewish wedding! (With the perfect hashtag #Gildafindshershah )

We couldn’t start anywhere else if we tried – that chuppah is just BEGGING to be talked about. With its rainbow of stunning color and abundance of blooms, the chuppah was no less than a work of art, created by Celio’s Design, who also provided the divine arrangements for the reception. We are not worthy!

Not only was it show-stopping in its own right, but the chuppah perfectly framed all of the incredible ceremony and wedding party shots captured by photography GENIUS Jessica Claire. If you’ve heard the name Jessica Claire before, it’s because she’s truly one of the very very best in the business, a world-renowned photographer working out of the LA area and an absolute wedding industry legend – we absolutely adore showing off her work on Smashing The Glass.

After Eight Event Productions made the very most of the already unbelievable venue, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, creating a truly outstanding event.

Beautiful bride, Gilda, looked like a designer’s dream in her timeless Monique Lhuillier gown and epic Christian Louboutin heels. Here at Smashing The Glass, we all have serious bridal style envy!

We’ll hand over to 2018’s very first Smashing The Glass real bride, Gilda, for the full writeup – take it away Gilda!

How we met

Gilda, the bride: My best friend, Della, introduced us at a party. She gave me the best gift a girl could ever ask for! Working around our schedules to plan our wedding was hard (I’m a dietician and Shahin is a vascular surgeon) but we did it!

A colorful, vibrant theme

My wedding planner, After Eight, was unbelievable. He would called me multiple times a day, just to check in with me, he got my vision, dealt with everything stressful that comes with planning a wedding and, most importantly, he was by my side through the entire process (and this is the short list).

None of it would have been possible without Payman and Shadi. I drew a lot of inspiration from French and Italian weddings. As risky as it was, I knew I wanted a very colorful, vibrant wedding.

Natural soft waves

I wanted my hair to be very natural and simple. Before the ceremony, I had soft waves, and after the ceremony, I put it up halfway.

My hair stylist, Ara from Seanara Salon, is truly amazing. I have been going to him for years and he always styles my hair exactly how I want! He is the best! Plus, he calmed my nerves the day of my wedding with his amazing energy.

I also LOVED working with Olivia Virden. She did the most amazing job on my highlights/color. She took me in a couple days before my wedding! I love her.

The dream Monique Lhuillier dress

For my dress, I wanted a something very simple, classy and timeless. I tried on many before I found the one. I finally found my dream dress at Monique Lhuillier and it was perfect.

Lovely Louboutins

I wore the white lace “Neoalto” shoe by Christian Louboutin.

Bridesmaids in pastels

My bridesmaids all looked so stunning. They had the option to wear any style they wanted, as long as it was pastel.

THAT chuppah!!

I designed my chuppah with the most amazing florist, Celio! He is not only a florist, but an artist as well. He is so incredibly creative and, most importantly, all he wanted to do was make me happy. He is truly amazing! There is NO florist like him out there.

An unforgettable first dance

Unfortunately, we had no time to take any professional classes but it all worked out! Our first dance was actually one of our favorite moments from our wedding. Dancing with Shahin for the first time as husband and wife surrounded by all the people we love to KC and Jojo – All My Life Was So Unforgettable.

Our fabulous photographer…

Two words: Jessica Claire. There is no other photographer like her. She captures all your happy/exciting/emotional moments so beautifully, while making you feel like a supermodel at the same time. On top of that, she is incredibly professional and sweet. She is truly born with this amazing talent. I love my pictures so much.

…and videographer

We choose David Medill for our videographer and it was the best decision. He is TRULY the best at what he does. He takes the most beautiful shots of your wedding, and the most amazing highlights video. He also cares very much about making the bride and groom happy. He spent hours editing my video to make exactly the way I want it.

My family and I are truly so grateful to both Jessica and David. Thanks to them, we have the most beautiful memories share with our grandchildren.