A Fun and Modern Wedding in Downtown LA

Excited bride groom and dog celebrating their wedding

If we could sum up this next wedding in just a few words, we’d end up with something along the lines of drag queens, an arcade bar, and tropical decor. But even that doesn’t come close to describing Terence and Nancy’s fun and modern wedding at the Millwick in Downtown LA.

Their unique day is just too good to sum up, so we’re going to let the beautiful images captured by Rachel Gulotta Photography, and a few words from the bride (shared below) do the talking instead. Oh, and if you want to see the full wedding, check out the entire gallery.

A traditional red tea set displayed on a beautiful tray Groom carries bride at traditional Chinese wedding

Traditional tea ceremony

From the bride: We began our wedding day with a small traditional Chinese tea ceremony. We had taken a trip to China earlier in the year in order to be fitted for our Chinese wedding outfits (a request of my mom’s that we were glad to do as we both love to travel). We had previously been resistant to adding this part into our day but it turned out to be such a fun and meaningful memory; it was such a grounding way to begin the whole day surrounded by our closest family.

Happy bride and bridesmaids with lovely wedding flowers

Happy bride and bridesmaids pose with beautiful bouquets

Bride holds a unique elegant protea bridal bouquet

Confident groom and handsome groomsmen pose in suits

Bride and groom hold hands in urban wedding portrait

Leavey wedding neon sign with guest book and cards Wedding sign phone rules for ceremony reception and party

Lush leaves adorn a pathway to serene outdoor chairs

This cute white dog proudly wears a veil at the wedding

Make your ceremony unique

For our wedding ceremony, we decided to compile a list of traditional ceremonies from around the world and perform them all in rapid succession just to really seal the deal. What started out as a silly idea that made us laugh turned out to actually be really nice.

Romantic garden wedding ceremony with string lights

Bridesmaids in dusty blue gowns hold bouquets in a lush garden Bride and groom share a kiss at their wedding ceremony

Happy couple in wedding attire against graffiti wall

Bride and groom kiss by pink graffiti wall on wedding day Bride and groom playing arcade games at their wedding reception

Wedding table place cards with cactus and palm designs

DIY Elements

Terence and I along with my bridesmaids used stamps to make our place cards, we got a letter-board for our no camera request to our guests. In a previous life, Terence did graphic art so he handled the menus. The most stressful part of the week was getting our neon sign with our last name made. I had ordered a sign from a different company that had been lost in the mail and eventually arrived broken and we didn’t have time to fix it. We found a woman who was kind enough to rush the order and got it done for us in two days.

Elegant wedding reception venue with long tables and lush greenery Floral garland hanging from rustic ceiling beams

Modern and simple table decor

Modern reception decor at Millwick, the perfect indoor/ outdoor urban loft venue in the arts district in Downtown LA Single rose centerpiece idea

White modern wedding cake

Favorite moments

Favorite memories of the day... kind of all of it, but in particular my Dad’s party starting speech with a glass of wine in hand, “Two words! Thank you for coming!” My dog jumping on us after the first kiss. Being able to wear my mom’s reception dress at my own reception. Our fabulous drag queens at the end of the reception. Playing arcade games with all of our guests in suits and gowns after dance party... It was the perfect day.

First dance in front a star screen Drag queen performance