Whimsical Jewish wedding at LA River Center

Whimsical Jewish wedding at LA River Center

Eliana and Michael wanted their wedding to feel like a midday hike—sun shining bright, trees all around them, colorful flowers abound—so LA River Center & Gardens was the perfect venue for them. And while they were super laidback (they directed guests to wear something comfortable they loved), they also wanted to incorporate meaningful Jewish wedding traditions all throughout their day. Put it all together and you have a dreamy, whimsical wedding full of emotion and celebration. See their wedding photographed by The Shalom Imaginative below!


colorful pink, green, lilac floral chuppah for jewish wedding colorful pink, green, lilac floral chuppah for jewish wedding

A moment for this chuppah… Just, wow. The couple were inspired by dreamsicle orange and dusty pink as their wedding colors (drawing inspo from Eliana’s own bat mitzvah invitation!), which floral designer With You Floral paired with bright pastel purple and greens, and lots of funky foliage. It made for a spectacular pop of color amongst the lush greens of the lawn and gardens at LA River Center.

gorgeous pink, lilac, green floral chuppah for LA wedding
creative welcome sign for wedding
welcoming guests at jewish wedding ketubah signing ceremony bride signing ketubah at jewish wedding

In Jewish weddings, the Ketubah signing typically takes place before the wedding ceremony. They signed theirs in the atrium at the venue, and then moved out into the garden where guests gathered for the wedding.

guests at jewish wedding grandparents walking down aisle at wedding
bridesmaids walking down the aisle

E + M’s friends walked their dog Shluffy down the aisle!

women flower girls bride and parents walking down aisle at jewish wedding ceremony modern bedeken at jewish wedding ceremony in front of floral chuppah

They opted for many Jewish wedding traditions throughout the ceremony, but personalized certain elements. Eliana says, We did a non-traditional Bedeken. Unlike a traditional ceremony where the man attempts to identify the correct woman, we stood back to back and then turned slowly to face each other to truly see each other for the first time. It was about departing from the ideas that we have about each other, and trying to really see one another as we are. We both bawled (mostly Michael).

bride and groom with colorful floral chuppah at LA River Center wedding
gorgeous floral chuppah and bride
bride and groom in front of floral chuppah at LA River Center & Gardens wedding
bride and groom at colorful jewish wedding ceremony in Los Angeles couple breaking the glass at jewish wedding ceremony

The breaking of the glass was another favorite memory of theirs.

bride and groom at colorful jewish wedding ceremony in Los Angeles bride and groom at colorful jewish wedding ceremony in Los Angeles bride and groom at colorful jewish wedding ceremony in Los Angeles
whimsical wedding portraits at LA river center and gardens
floral hair accessory for bride

Their outfits fit right into the ethereal tone of the day. They both wore flowers in their hair. Eliana wore a flowing, light dress with a lace veil, and Michael’s wore a neutral-colored linen suit.

whimsical wedding portraits at LA river center and gardens whimsical wedding portraits at LA river center and gardens colorful bridal bouquet with pink, orange, green, and lilac whimsical wedding portraits at LA river center and gardens whimsical wedding portraits at LA river center and gardens whimsical wedding portraits at LA river center and gardens
The Shalom Imaginative captured their big day on both digital and film, making for even dreamier imagery.
cocktail hour at LA River Center and Gardens wedding venue
purple lounge furniture at LA river center and gardens wedding venue
modern colorful wedding floral centerpieces with fruit
modern colorful wedding floral centerpieces with fruit

Modern centerpieces following their candy-colored palette also featured fruits like melons and grapes for added texture and interest in keeping with the nature-inspired vibe.
modern colorful wedding floral centerpieces with fruit
modern colorful wedding floral centerpieces with fruit
colorful wavy table number idea
modern colorful wedding floral centerpieces with fruit
wedding sweetheart table with colorful green, orange, pink, and lavender florals and fruit

Such a pretty floral sweetheart table!

bride and groom entering reception at LA wedding
hora dance at jewish wedding reception hora dance at jewish wedding reception hora dance at jewish wedding reception

Another Jewish wedding tradition they incorporated was the hora dance, which both the couple and their guests had a blast participating in!

hora dance at jewish wedding reception
wedding guests at table at LA river and gardens wedding
bride and groom at colorful sweetheart table blessing of the Challah bread blessing of the Challah bread blessing of the Challah bread

How Eliana and Michael describe their wedding style: airy, textured, vibrant, whimsical, committed, joyful, lucky

pink purple and green funky wedding cakes with leaves and flowers pink purple and green funky wedding cakes with leaves and flowers pink purple and green funky wedding cakes with leaves and flowers

They topped off their gorgeous LA garden wedding with pastel neon wedding cakes featuring more funky flowers and fruit.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Venue: LA River Center & Gardens | Photography: The Shalom Imaginative | Event Planning: Blossom Events | Floral Design: With You Floral | Catering: Todo Verde | DJ: DJ Keelez | Dessert: The Dough Life | Bartending: LA Speakeasy

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