This wedding's design was a complete surprise to the bride!

Modern Hollywood Rooftop Elopement During COVID-19 – Julia Green Photography 1

Real Bride Symone has a level of chill I think we all aspire to have. How many of us brides tell our wedding planners “Surprise me!” and really, truly mean it?

Symone and AJ had always wanted a small wedding with just 20 guests, so this intimate rooftop venue was the perfect fit to bring their vision to life. The bride left the design plan a complete surprise and just trusted her design team to create a dreamy and warm ceremony and reception set up – and we love what they came up with!

Incorporating plenty of greenery for a groom who loves nature and taking cue from Symone’s Pinterest boards, the couple says planner Rea Danielle Designs “saved the day” with her incredible planning & styling to make their dream wedding happen during Covid-19.

Our Love Story

We met in Religion 102 class at Pepperdine University back in 2015.

In June 2019, we took a trip to Cabo where both of our families there and a few friends. A few nights into the trip, we were going to go out to a nice dinner so everyone was dressed up. AJ told me his sister wanted to take pictures before we went, which was a normal thing for her to want to do. We all gathered outside by the pool to take different group shots.

Once AJ and I took a few pictures together he turned and looked at me and I could tell he was getting emotional, which confused me and then I realized he was starting to propose. Everything after that was a blur of tears and excitement and was such a memorable moment for us both! It made it extra special that our family was there to experience it with us.

The Planning

Most of the vendors we chose were based on availability after having to change the date for our wedding due to the pandemic. Everything turned out amazing despite all the uncertainties, but the only thing that was really important to us was food and I knew I wanted to wear a Hayley Paige dress.

We’re both simple when it comes to color schemes, so we wanted to keep it classic with a lot of greenery because AJ loves nature. Everything turned out perfect and really, our planner Rea was able to turn my Pinterest boards into a reality.

Modern Hollywood Rooftop Elopement During COVID-19 – Julia Green Photography 2

What our wedding just so us:

Symone made the playlist with her best friend, which means every song was a hit!
We were able to have our puppy there!
We had late-night snacks of burger & fries and chicken & waffles, which is totally us as foodies!

Our favorite moments:

The ceremony, the first look & the dance party after the speeches.

The Videography

We chose our videographer, Garrett Baker, because he is a close friend of ours and has known us since the start of our relationship. He not only captured our special day, but was also able to tell a love story that showed our journey up to that moment.

Photo by Julia Green Photography via Bridal Musings

Advice to Other Couples

A tip that was shared with us that we didn’t take seriously at first: get a wedding planner! It helps so much with the stress, finding vendors, and makes for a much smoother process. A few months into planning Rea Danielle came on as our wedding planner and to say she saved the day would be an understatement!

The Honeymoon

We didn’t take a traditional honeymoon because of the pandemic, but we did stay at an Airbnb in Santa Monica the month of our wedding. It was really close to the beach and was our little staycation for a few weeks before and after the wedding.