A Bad Bunny-Inspired Monochrome Wedding at an Old Cathedral in Downtown Los Angeles
Esthela and Jacob first met in college, living just a few doors down from one another on the same floor. From the start, the two hit it off and soon found out both of their families were from Aguascalientes, Mexico. “I had shared a story with him that when I lived in Mexico, I had won a fundraiser that made me the ‘queen’ of the school. We had a parade, and I was crowned at in a gazebo,” Esthela says. Jacob tucked this information away until it came time to pop the question, where he got down on one knee at that same gazebo, surrounded by Esthela’s family.
Having shared so much of their life together since meeting in college, the two wanted a personalized wedding full of inside jokes and their favorite music. “We wanted our wedding to feel the way our relationship feels: exciting, detailed and extra,” Esthela says. “The theme was ‘Monaco' by Bad Bunny because the song's sound fully embodied our feelings.” With a black-and-white color palette, the soon-to-be-weds began planning the chic day of their dreams that included their Mexican culture.
Even the bride’s wedding day fashion followed the monochrome theme, with an ivory ball gown (complete with pockets) in an off-the-shoulder style, with a sequined black reception look ready for the dance floor. Jacob’s satiny tuxedo with a black bow tie and white boutonniere matched the white florals of the decor. Esthela says they wanted a "classic simple look” that still matched their elevated Mexican theme.
To host this opulent affair, the couple chose the Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles. The historic former Catholic cathedral had old-school architecture and modern amenities, which was what the couple was looking for their wedding day. “Our main goal with decorations was a beautiful open space with dimension,” says the bride. Another important aspect of the day for the couple was injecting thoughtful touches for their guests. “Our goal was also to let each guest know that we thought of them every step of the way because we wanted to bring them into our world of laughter, love and excitement,” Esthela adds.
Both the ceremony and reception spaces had white florals with little hints of black. Esthela says, “Flowers were important to us, but we mostly utilized them to create dimension for the hall. They followed the black-and-white theme and were all different shapes and sizes.” Using classic white blooms, like baby’s breath and roses, these displays lined the aisle, served as centerpieces and created a breathtaking wedding arch during their Catholic mass.
Other custom additions included their menus, buñuelos (their favorite holiday treat) placed at each guests' seat and personalized “thank you” candles waiting for them at each table, in Spanish and English. To bring pops of color to the venue, Esthela and Jacob made “McMarried” McDonald’s Happy Meal boxes with our favorite foods, jokes and a toy with one of their engagement pictures on it. Guests could even participate in a temporary tattoo station that had copies of sayings they love and Jacob’s favorite meme.
From the cocktail hour to the end of the night, Jacob and Esthela’s loved ones had plenty of chances to immerse themselves in the newlyweds’ beloved things. They also had a “merch shop” that had the bride's favorite drink, gift bags and much more. So both sides of the family could learn more about the couple, custom napkins with fun facts were part of the cocktail hour decor and a watercolor artist offered paintings of the guests.
With a music-themed wedding, the focus was naturally on the dancing. “We love to be on the dance floor, whether it's dancing or getting thrown in the air,” Esthela says. “Having all of our family and friends there made the dancing portion the best part of the night” the bride continues. In order to spend even more time with their loved ones, the two had a photo booth with one of their favorite Bad Bunny quotes and took pictures with their guests.
Planning a wedding truly is a team effort, and one way Esthela and Jacob worked together was by DIY-ing the important elements and finding vendors who understood their main goals. With a love for “The Office,” it was a must to find a wedding photographer to capture “candid headshot interviews for a unique wedding film that would stand out” while still bringing the sophisticated vibes they wanted, says Llena Vida Media, the couple's photography/videography team. The newlyweds offer this advice, if you plan to DIY any part of your wedding day: “If it’s not fun, it’s not worth the stress.” Esthela adds, “It was tough personalizing everything, but it was fun doing it with Jacob.” After all, having a partner who brings excitement to any situation is the perfect ingredient for a happy marriage.