For most people, Friday the 13th is considered unlucky, but for Christine Nguyen and Charles Le, it was one of the happiest days of their lives. Two years into their relationship, Christine mentioned that she would like to go to Cabo San Lucas for her next birthday. As she had previously shared that she wanted close friends and family included in a future proposal, Charles knew this was a great opportunity for an engagement and spent the next 10 months planning. “After receiving her parents’ blessings, over the next few months, I enlisted the help of Christine’s mom to help me find the perfect ring,” he confirms. “She and I shopped around together and ended up going with a family friend who made the custom ring.”
The trip arrived and Christine was delighted that so many people decided to join. “I never thought it strange or anything that all my friends were suddenly so eager to come. I just thought everyone needed a vacation!” she laughs. With a plan to have a group dinner, everyone met in a hotel room. “Charles was noticeably missing, but I just figured he was running behind getting ready,” Christine remembers.
A friend turned on the television, but instead of a show or movie, something more personal began to play. “The video was a montage composed of her family and close friends wishing her a happy birthday and telling her all the things they loved about her,” Charles details. The footage went on to reveal him sharing his favorite memories about his time with Christine and then instructed her to go outside for a final surprise. “We all walked out together and there he was waiting on the pool deck with a walkway full of flower petals and candles leading me to him. Immediately when we saw each other we started sobbing and then everyone else started crying!” Christine reveals.
Though the couple spent several months enjoying their engagement, once the planning process began, it was a breeze, as the bride is a professional event consultant. “When I first started working at International Event Company, the very first wedding I ever worked with them was at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills,” she explains. “I remember walking through the lobby doors and into the garden and just being completely floored by what I saw.” Thus, there was no question as to where the reception would be held following the ceremony, which took place in the same church Christine has attended all her life.
“It was the most perfect day in every way.”
The venue wasn’t the only source of sentimental attachment for the Catholic ceremony – the priest was the best man at the wedding of the bride’s parents and remains a close family friend. Christine made programs that detailed the service and paid respects to the memory of their grandparents and Charles’ father. As part of the vow exchange, the couple lit unity candles embellished with their names and wedding date.
Guests then enjoyed an alfresco cocktail hour in the garden area of the luxury hotel. Arrangements of orange flowers decorated the space as a nod to the mother of the bride and her favorite color. The ballroom reception, on the other hand, embraced a classic monochromatic look with white blossoms, greenery, and gold accents – along with shades of grey to add a modern flair.
“I love the formality of weddings and the idea that everyone can put on their best to come celebrate, but I didn’t want it to feel stuffy in any way, so all our centerpieces had an abundance of candles to create warmth and the florals themselves had a lot of movement,” elaborates the bride. As lovely as the centerpieces were, the sweetheart table was jaw-dropping. Instead of being strewn with fabric linens, it was draped with a blanket of white roses. “It was just so stunning and such a showstopping piece in the room,” gushes Christine.
With an energetic live band followed by a hip-hop group performing classics from the 1990s, guests kept the dance floor full until 1AM. Though Charles wishes he had taken an extra second to truly soak in the magic of the day, the newlyweds otherwise wouldn’t change a thing. The bride affirms, “It was the most perfect day in every way.”
Click here to see Christine's bridal shower featuring a dark and moody color palette!