The Wedding Story
Dan and Daniela got married in their grand parents Malibu villa, built by Daniela’s architect dad, Jaime Gesundheit.
They mixed the upscale feel their parents wanted with their personal artistic ideas and love for all things eco.
They had sustainability in mind when choosing succulents and moss and birch boxes for their centerpieces and movies like “Blood diamond”(2006) when going for ethical diamonds and recycled gold.
The modern, high-ceiling house, the cover page of Architectural digest when it was built in 92, with it’s Koi pond yard and ocean deck was the perfect canvas for their delicate taste. Both musicians of the alternative kind, both eco conscious, creative human beings, they looked at their wedding as a celebration of life. It meant to respect the environment and to offer healthy life sustaining foods and keep pesticides and chemicals as far away from their guests as possible.
It also meant to extend their love to everybody, young or old, vendors, family or dad’s business partners and to integrate the community as much as possible. Their musicians and DJ’s, their photographer and Rabbi were friends or friends of friends co-creating an amazingly loving atmosphere.
Their invitation, a very personal piece of water color art was beautiful and whimsical.
Renowned photographer Greg Slick, San Francisco, captured their eclectic and unique style with intuition and great sensitivity, a style, which was at the same time fresh, modern and sprinkled with romantic and traditional moments.
Daniela and Dan followed the outline of Jewish ceremonies but added their own hearts to it: the couple was woven into a Star Mandala by their attendants, every word was hand crafted and their female Rabbi later joined the Klezmer band as their lead singer. I didn’t expect a Klezmer band to rock the crowd, but Kugelplex high energy contemporary sound got guests off their seats – not just for the hora.
Todd Bracken, eco conscious jeweler for the stars in Los Angeles, created their rings from gold their families fished out of drawers and forgotten jewelry boxes: broken or old fashioned pieces, which were recycled into unique wedding bands full of memories of many dear people.
Hand made paper bound into an antique looking guest book and the Kippahs matched the sparkling blue (with orange accents) color of the wedding.
Haute florist Arsine from Shirvan Design used organic flowers for the bouquets and boutonnieres but kept all center pieces alive: only succulents and plants were used or leafs of plants, which continued growing after their trim. Arsine started to grow the succulents in her own garden six months before the wedding, another personal touch adding to the warmth of the reception. They are now happily growing on in mine and gardens across California.
The Challah was enormous, too big for the table…
Susan Gesundheit, Daniela’s mom and a wonderful artist, offered a colorful water color Ketubah and Lily Goldman, Dan’s mom, a well-known water colorist in Montreal, Canada where Dan’s parents live, created decorative pieces like the Martini Mashed Potato Bar menu.
The wedding started in the early afternoon, which saved electricity, but went way into the night and, sorry environment, nobody wants to give up on those amazing lighting effects, made easier with LED.
We used my treasured memories from Farolito-lit Christmas nights in Santa Fe, New Mexico and created Luminarios out of recycled paper bags and soy candles, which were placed around all water features and the beach seating.
Classic Party Rentals has become a green rental company with trucks running on alternative fuels. They did beautiful up-lighting, always conscious not to overdo it but still creating a lush effect. We did not need a generator, but when we do, we know where to rent bio diesel generators. (No fear, they are quiet.)
Curtis from Classic and his crew placed a huge wooden floor on the beach with over head retro lighting. The crew did not only help to quickly set up tables and chairs on the yard after the ceremony but stayed all night jumping in whenever necessary and with a smile on their faces. Dan and Daniela’s community spirit wrapped everybody in a happy helpful mood.
On the practical side: I ordered solar powered bath rooms and eco trash bins to recycle all waste.
Jaime, Daniela’s dad and a wine connoisseur, took care of stocking the two bars. He also knows his cocktails; when Jaime and Susan invited me for dinner at the Garden of Taxco after the wedding, where nervous Dan had spilled the news about their wedding idea a year before, he ordered an amazing fruity cocktail, its name unfortunately drowned in its powerful ingredients.
Don Kreindler and his crew did their catering magic again: delightful hors d’oeuvres were followed by delicious food stations, most of it organic and certainly sustainable. 2009 also was the year of – organic – mashed potato bars.
After a journey through well known bakeries and talking to a dozen pastry chefs, we found that nobody in the wedding cake market was open to create the very specific pies Dan had asked for. The pies were his thing and had to be just right.
Susan contacted one of the restaurants she frequently visits and Aaron from Boneyard Bistro was eager to help: a multitude of colorful pies arrived at the wedding to be served with organic whipped cream and Lavender Honey Vanilla Ice cream.
Daniela’s brides maids were asked to choose dresses thinking of Daniela – the whimsical, peace silky result was just like her.
Daniela’s dress sums it all up: it is a white designer dress but unpretentious, unique, re-wearable, and with that touch of Pixie which is part of the magic of this creative duo, with love for life in their hearts and the happiness of the earth in their mind.
Location: Malibu Beach
Event Planning&Design: Eco&the Princess
Photography: Greg Slick, SF
Caterer: Don Kreindler, LA
Flowers: Shirvan Design, Glendale
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Culver City
Entertainment: Kugelplex, Chansonniers, Live Piano, DJ (friends), SF
Favors: Home made coco powder in small recycled glass containers, Snowblink CD’s
Chuppah: home made, family
Rings: Todd Bracken, LA
