While attending a medical conference, Aimée Gray was intrigued by a particular doctor who spoke during one of the sessions. She furiously took notes, intrigued by the content and his knowledge. Unfortunately, Aimée didn’t have a great view of the speakers, so she told herself to be sure to figure out who the gentleman was, so that she could learn more about him and his work. 

As fate would have it, Dr. Craig Ziering had taken notice of her, too. “When I saw a beautiful blonde walk in, my heart skipped a beat. I knew right then that I had to meet her,” he admits. Craig approached Aimée as she purchased a coffee during the break. When he started speaking, Aimée recognized the voice of the interesting man she had hoped to meet. “Our energies instantly clicked!” she says. 

Their serendipitous meeting led to a romance where Craig, years later, proposed to Aimée at her favorite place: The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Aimée said yes as the magic trick played out, with the magician handing her a card that read, “Will you marry me?” while Craig got on bended knee. 

The couple began working on a classic 1950s Hollywood-themed wedding, complete with vintage-inspired Life magazines as save the dates to help introduce the Golden-Age concept to their loved ones. Aimée had a very clear vision for the big day and securing a venue that was architecturally accurate of the ’50s was of particular importance. 

“Defining exactly what the theme entailed was a challenge, as Old Hollywood presents a vast array of design options and palettes,” tells Aimée, who also mentions that she was lucky to have an amazing wedding planner, Charley King of Bluebell Events. “Sourcing props and finding actors to serve as photographers was not as cookie-cutter as a modern wedding.” 

Though the bride and groom’s families lived out of state, Aimée did spend a lot of time with Craig’s mother Lin, who wed his father Lance in Brooklyn in the 1950s. The bride explains that as she looked through the wedding albums of her future in-laws, she was drawn to many of the elements. 

“It was so classic and curated, and it was also meaningful to pay homage to their love and family unity,” she says. “Lin and Lance’s ‘Z’ logo was used throughout our wedding, from the dance floor, to photo backdrops, and more, and the reproduction of their gorgeous silk taffeta pink dinner menu was also a hit amongst guests.” 

Chic chairs in a shade of blush faced the gazebo bedecked in a fantasy of roses, lilies, and feathers in shades of bright white, ivory, and peach. Additional boxed florals and tall gilt candelabras lined the aisle of the gorgeous alfresco space of the luxury hotel. The couple’s respective grown children preceded the bride down the aisle in lieu of a traditional bridal party. 

As Aimée and her father made their grand entrance, a Louis Armstrong impersonator sang “La Vie en Rose” along to a live trumpeter. “I have loved Louis Armstrong’s sounds since I was a child!” she shares. Though the bride and groom opted to partake in the Jewish custom of breaking the glass as a nod to Craig’s heritage, the couple chose a shaman instead of a rabbi for the service. “We have felt more connected through shamanic healing,” confides Aimée. 

“We injected art and the love of the era throughout!”

Loved ones soon made their way to the reception ballroom where they were asked to record messages for the newlyweds on a vintage telephone, which were later preserved digitally. Photographers dressed in vintage costumes, acting as old press paparazzi, captured candid black-and-white shots of partygoers that would be presented as favors at the end of the evening. 

“I wanted guests to feel like celebrities from the past,” explains Aimée of the special detail. Attendees imbibed on cocktails cleverly named to celebrate celebrities who had frequented the storied property, and a musical group of costumed “starlets” sang in the style of Aretha Franklin and other popular female singers and groups of the late ’50s and ’60s. 

Tables surrounded by emerald-green velvet chairs were swathed in bullion linens and adorned with grand flower arrangements. To honor the bride’s late brother, a framed picture of Justin sat at a place setting and a seat was held for him at the family table. 

The party lasted until 11:30 p.m., with family and friends reveling on the dance floor, enjoying the music of the 10-piece big band, and taking photographs in the three themed areas filled with props. “We injected art and the love of the era throughout!” exclaims Aimée. Even the cake and petit fours were inspired by images from the bride’s mother’s original 1950s Betty Crocker cookbook. 

Aimée emphasizes to other brides that stress is unavoidable and nothing is perfect. “However, the golden rule will get you through: Remember that you’re celebrating love!” And celebrating their love is exactly what the couple intended to do on their honeymoon to the dreamy destinations of Paris, St. Tropez, Capri, and Rome.

This real wedding was originally published in the Fall 2023 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. 

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