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When the wedding planning process starts, one of the first things most couples decide on is the theme for the big day. Are you a hippie bride who wants a casual vibe or a fancy pants with dreams of diamonds and a downtown setting? LA affords plenty of venues and picturesque spots — from the desert to the beach to the city — that can easily morph to accommodate any theme.
We asked Paige Appel and Kelly Harris, the virtuoso partners behind event production team Bash, Please to let us in on the most popular wedding themes. The duo's celebrity and tastemaker client roster includes Nasty gal founder Sophia Amoruso, Jenny Bernheim from Margo and Me, Kelly Mindell from Studio DIY, and Cupcakes and Cashere's Emily Schuman, and our fair city is the perfect place for any wedding you can imagine. "LA is an eclectic city of all types of people. Luckily enough, there is something for everyone here!" they say, and we dug a bit deeper to find out what themes are hot right now.
PALM SPRINGS PARTY
"We are particularly fond of the destination weddings out to Palm Springs or the interesting loft downtown with minimalist decor. The Palm Springs weddings always have that drunk groomsmen who jumps in the pool with his clothes on and his tie tied around his head!"
DOWNTOWN INDUSTRIAL MODERN
"The downtown set always has a bearded guy and supermodel sitting in the corner, usually smoking, looking bored. Beards are as prevalent as cement floors and exposed brick. Simple touches add texture over flair in neutral tones. A coffee cart draws as many guests as the bar in this environment. And a vinyl playing DJ mixes dance sets even your great aunt Glenda can get down to."
MALIBU VINEYARD
"The quintessential Southern California wedding. Soft, muted tones accentuate earthy, organic touches like olive branch place cards and vineyard related decor like wine bottle table numbers. Overhead bistro lights create a glowing ambiance for a family style dinner and dancing into the night."
BOHO DESERT
"The Boho Desert couple will 100% have cactus centerpieces and some type of incense in their welcome bags. As much as we try to go against the grain with wedding design, you can always count on the guests to bring back the old stereotypes and make us all laugh!"
ARTISTIC MINIMALISM
"It's form over function for this set. Less is more and each element is carefully considered and curated from the blind letterpress dinner menus to color coordinated cocktail program. Ghost chairs and all white everything often set the scene. No detail left to question, this couple won't hesitate to ask their guests to adhere to a color specific dress code."