Can we guess which bustling city this warm, rustic villa is hidden in?

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You will not believe today’s rustic Italian villa venue is hiding right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Our real couple took advantage of all the warm, old world charm of Carondelet House and it is so romantic!

Alexis and Luis met while in high school but didn’t notice one another until they joined a band together called BEATMO after college. After playing together for six years, Luis confided in Alexis that he compares every girl he meets with her and if finds one that comes close, he would consider dating that girl. He then closed with, “Until that time comes, I will be waiting for you.” How could you not be charmed after that?!

We can’t help but see how madly in love the two are, thanks to their enigmatic expression and emotive photos by Amanda McKinnon.

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The Proposal

On the morning of my birthday he woke me up and told me he had a special surprise outside for me. As I opened the door to our backyard I discovered it had been completely transformed. There were white candles and rose petals at my feet that led to a gorgeous picnic area set up with white paper lanterns and pink flowers hanging from our tree, white pillows on a large plush picnic blanket, a dozen red roses, champagne, donuts, fresh orange juice, gifts and a poster that read, “Happy Birthday Baby!” I was overjoyed! I had always wanted a picnic in our backyard and this was a dream come true!

Luis then told me, “Open your gift,” and handed me a gold gift bag. I then responded with a, “No! I want to enjoy this moment and this picnic is the best.” He responded, “I have another gift for you then,” and pulled out a black box from his pocket and proposed! It was such a surprise! After I said yes I opened other gift and pulled out a framed picture of the two of us with “In it to win it!” written across the top.

After we had time to hold each other and take it all in, his sisters popped out and surprised me. They recorded the whole proposal and helped him transform our backyard while I was sleeping. I am truly blessed to have their love and such a thoughtful and romantic proposal.

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The First Look

The moments Luis and I were able to share were priceless. Our first look was such a beautiful and private moment I am so grateful to have experienced. I was extremely nervous before seeing him and seeing his gorgeous eyes made me feel safe again before we took that big walk down the aisle.

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The Venue

Because our wedding was in December we always kept Winter as an inspiration and our beautiful wedding venue, The Carondelet House, was also an inspiration. Our colors consisted of deep berries, maroons, with light mauve, white, gold, grey and mercury glass accents. We wanted the style to feel romantic with simple elegance.

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Special Moments

After our wedding ceremony, we were swiftly sent upstairs to the bridal suite to privately celebrate our new titles as husband and wife. This moment was pure magic and we were brought cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by the Tres LA staff at Carondelet House. When we joined the rest of the wedding downstairs Luis and I stayed glued to each other the whole rest of the night.

The Planning

Our wedding coordinator Emily Louise-Jacks of Louise Georges Yves was spectacular! She not only has a sleek designer eye and aesthetic, but she is also resourceful, organized, innovative, creative and extremely talented. She is an amazing listener and helped us sort out anxieties and stresses we were having about various aspects of the wedding and planning. We highly recommend her and her team.

We also highly recommend The Carondelet House and Tres LA. With all the anxiety and nervous energy we had as bride and groom on our wedding day, we felt completely safe and taken care of by Emily Louise-Jacks and The Carondelet House. Our wedding turned out even more beautiful and special beyond our wildest dreams.