1. Real Weddings

A Romantic Fall Wedding at the Garland in Los Angeles, California

Lauren Tarantino (29 and a singer-songwriter) and Phil Buckman (44 and a musician and voice-over artist) had a running inside joke that a twist-tie ri

Lauren Tarantino (29 and a singer-songwriter) and Phil Buckman (44 and a musician and voice-over artist) had a running inside joke that a twist-tie ring was all they needed to seal the deal; on trips to the grocery store, Lauren would even fill Phil’s pockets with twist ties from the produce department. So when Phil popped the question while they were on vacation in Maui, Hawaii, he got down on one knee in front a breathtaking waterfall and presented Lauren with a twist-tie ring, proudly displayed a beautiful ring box. “It turned out he was actually having a ring made, but it didn’t come in before we left for our trip,” Lauren says. “When we got home, he gave me the beautiful Tacori ring that I had always dreamed about.” 

For their November wedding in Los Angeles, California, the pair pulled off a timeless, romantic affair with plenty of warm candlelight, lush blooms and subtle hints of glitz and glamour. The day unfolded at the Garland, a retro-chic boutique North Hollywood hotel that had once belonged to actress Beverly Garland. With its idyllic garden and elegant ballroom, the Garland provided a breathtaking backdrop for Lauren and Phil’s “I dos.” An outdoor ceremony kicked off the celebration, with Lauren and Phil exchanging vows in Beverly Park. Bundles of pink, ivory and coral roses added a pop of color to the aisle, while ivory rose petals guided the pair to the lush birch-wood arch, under which the ceremony unfolded. Towering sycamore trees with dramatic foliage framed the scene, infusing the outdoor setting with a sense of visual drama and romance. “When Phil and I started dating, I assigned his ringtone as ‘Save My Soul’ by the band Lights. I always pictured walking down the aisle to this song, so I had a musician friend of ours create a piano version, and that’s what I walked to,” Lauren says. The newlyweds then whisked their guests off into the Garland Ballroom for the reception. Taking cues from the ballroom’s elegant aesthetic, the couple went all-out classic, adorning their tables with ivory linens and lush arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and dahlias in white, blush and burgundy hues. “Since we’re both musicians, it was important for us to have an amazing band and a huge dance floor,” Lauren says. After dinner, Jordan Music Entertainment got guests out of their seats and onto the dance floor. —Libby MacCarthy

“I just wanted our wedding to be simple and romantic, so we went with a lot of candles to add some sparkle and white flowers with a touch of burgundy for the floral arrangements,” Lauren says. For the bridal bouquet, Blossom Floral created a bountiful bundle of succulents, hydrangeas, scabiosas, dahlias and roses in dramatic shades of burgundy, blush, purple and green that popped against the pale blush organza of Lauren’s Hayley Paige dress.
Before the day’s festivities unfolded, Lauren and Phil took a moment for themselves, meeting in the Garland's courtyard for a first look. Lauren knocked Phil’s socks off with her floaty Haylay Paige Carrie ball gown, while Phil wowed her in his sharp gray Vera Wang suit.
Lauren spotted Hayley Paige’s whimsical Carrie dress while searching for inspiration on Pinterest and was instantly smitten with its tiers of ethereal organza and showstopping back. “It made me feel like a fairy,” Lauren says. The bride-to-be decided against a veil, accessorizing her scene-stealing gown with an elegant updo and glitzy crystal earrings instead, for a look that exuded modern elegance and romance.
The romantic fall theme carried over into the wedding party’s attire, with Lauren and Phil choosing a dramatic palette of bordeaux and gray for their bridesmaids and groomsmen. The girls donned strapless chiffon gowns for the occasion, while the guys kept it classy in traditional three-piece suits and Bordeaux ties.
Blossom Floral took Lauren and Phil’s vision for a romantic soiree and ran with it, creating a stunning birch-wood wedding arch for their outdoor garden ceremony. Adorned with a lush rose and ivy garland, the arch provided a striking focal point for the affair, standing out even among the garden’s sea of breathtaking flora.
Achieving Lauren and Phil's vision for an elegant, romantic affair was an effortless exercise with Blossom Floral and Rose Petal Events on their side. The talented teams transformed the Garland’s Beverly Park into a dreamy, romantic scene, lining the aisle with ivory rose petals and bouquets of blush, pink and coral roses.
Under the shade of old-growth sycamore trees, Lauren and Phil exchanged heartfelt vows as their family and friends looked on. The pair gathered their guests in the Garland’s Beverly Park, a quaint urban oasis complete with a refined stone fountain, cozy fireplace, lush flora and beautifully manicured lawns.
The ceremony unfolded in the Garland's Beverly Park, a picturesque garden complete with shady sycamore trees, brilliant blooms and a quaint stone fountain in Los Angeles, California. To give the proceedings a personalized feel, Lauren and Phil wrote their own vows, expressing their commitment to each other in words laced with sincerity and meaning.
Lauren and Phil put a sweet finish on dinner with a three-tier buttercream-frosted cake decked out in fresh blush roses and dramatic burgundy dahlias. The classic confection perfectly captured the couple’s vision for the day with its balance of rustic, romantic appeal, and whimsical calligraphy-inspired cake topper.
After the ceremony, Lauren and Phil ushered guests into the Garland Ballroom for a night of dinner and dancing. The elegant interior set the tone for the decor, with classic ivory linens giving way to lush, bountiful high and low bouquets of hydrangeas, roses and dahlias in shades of ivory, blush and burgundy. Votive candles surrounded each centerpiece, casting a warm, romantic glow over the stately ballroom.
Since Lauren and Phil are musicians, tunes were an important part of their wedding day. Each musical element was chosen with care, from the processional—the song Lauren set as Phil’s ringtone when they first started dating—to the first dance. Before kicking off the rest of the evening’s festivities, Lauren and Phil took to the dance floor, where they shared their first dance to a live rendition of Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat’s “Lucky.”
Lauren and Phil are musicians, so great music was high on their priority list. In addition to hiring a live band to send the soiree into high gear and keep the dance floor packed, they decided to surprise guests with a performance of their own toward the end of the night.