In Downtown Los Angeles, there is an old bank building that was transformed into a new and exciting event venue. The Majestic is a hidden gem that was unearthed by Jane and Jim during the very short amount of time they had to plan their day. You see, Jane and Jim had their first date exactly one year before their wedding. However, this expedited engagement did not hinder them from transforming this old financial institution into a spectacular stage, set to charm, engage, and even “wow” their guests.
The guests were first ushered up to the mezzanine for the ceremony. A string quartet could be heard in every corner of the building, thanks to the great acoustics. After the touching ceremony, friends and family enjoyed cocktails in the foyer and were soon allowed into the main ballroom, dominated by a giant vault door along the south wall. As the guests took their seats, a Jazz trio, set up right in front of this behemoth vault, played. I briefly took over to introduce each member of the bridal party by reading a short bio about each member of their ensemble as they descended the staircase onto the dance floor. Jane and Jim soon joined them and danced for the first time as Husband and Wife.
Jane, Jim, and their coordinator, Annaha, chose to minimize the formalities. Once the Jazz trio wrapped up, the guests were treated to a slide show and video of the Jim’s proposal to Jane. Then, we moved onto the speeches, cake cutting, and a very moving surprise to Jane, a traditional feet washing ceremony performed by Jim after a blessing from their pastor. Once all the formalities were completed, it was time to dance. And dance they did! I was scheduled to stop playing an hour or two after I started to make way for the “after-after party” and Karaoke provided by Jim’s friend. Well, the music and dancing was such a hit, they nixed the Karaoke and kept me almost two hours overtime. I had a blast mixing songs they loved and picked out ahead of time…some songs I had long forgotten about! I have a feeling some of them will be making their way into other wedding playlists I put together in the near future.
Dave’s recommended vendors for this wedding are:
- The Majestic Downtown – majesticdowtown.com
- Annaha Song (Coordinator) – Annaha.Song@gmail.com
- Sound Life (Jazz Trio) – chris@soundlifelessons.com
- Sam Lim Studios (Photography & Video) – samlimstudio.com
- OC Audio-Visual Solutions (Lighting) – ocavs.com