While browsing through social media, Danielle Harris was struck by a picture of two married friends at a wedding. But it wasn’t her friends who caught her eye; it was the tall man beside them, who she would later learn to be Paul Marmaro. “I saw him, and something in me knew I needed to know who he was,” admits Danielle. So, she reached out to her friend to learn more. “He is single and he’s the best!” was the answer, and the mutual pal of Danielle and Paul agreed to set them up – despite the pair’s distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

Soon after, Paul received a text asking if he was interested in the match. “I said, ‘Absolutely! Send over her info,’” he reveals. “A few days later, I sent Danielle a text with a pickup line about Game of Thrones – somehow it worked!” The pair exchanged messages and got to know each other, and six weeks later Paul booked a trip to San Francisco so they could meet in person. The rest is history!

Less than two years after they exchanged that first text message, the happy couple was living together in Los Angeles. One rainy March day, Paul asked Danielle to join him at one of their favorite spots to bring lunch and relax. Though the rain made it a less enticing offer, he insisted they head to the roof to eat under the awning. 

He took her by the hand and said, “You can’t predict the weather, just like you can’t predict the journey of life. All I know is I want you by my side for it all.” Paul then got down on one knee and asked Danielle to marry him. “As it turns out, it rained on our wedding day too! A slight drizzle during our ceremony actually made for a very magical setting. We think it’s a very special tie to our engagement day that we got good-luck rain for both,” the bride muses. 

Though many can find the process stressful, that was not the case for Danielle when it came to organizing the big day – thanks to her consultant. “I honestly loved wedding planning with the fabulous Linda Howard and her team [at Linda Howard Events],” raves the bride. After creating a list of “must-haves” – which included space for an outdoor ceremony, a classic reception ballroom, the ability to accommodate 250 guests, being local to Los Angeles, getting-ready suites for both the bride and groom, and the option for attendees to stay at the location – Danielle and Paul began their venue search. 

“I honestly loved wedding planning with the fabulous Linda Howard and her team [at Linda Howard Events]!”

“The second we saw the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills we knew it was perfect,” affirms the bride. “It has a magical feeling as soon as you walk out to the ceremony location, and it truly checked off every single one of our boxes.”

The big day finally arrived, and the wedding vision became a reality. Befitting the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, the gorgeous chuppah with cascading orchids was the focal point. “I cried when I saw it!” Danielle exclaims of the stunning structure. On the arms of her parents, the bride was glamorous in a satin V-neck gown with a blusher veil that her mother had worn on her own wedding day. After the breaking of the glass and a celebratory confetti cannon, Danielle and Paul were officially husband and wife. 

As guests entered the light and airy ballroom wedding reception – filled with gold details and elaborate floral centerpieces – they were greeted by five ice-sculpture butlers offering glasses of Champagne. “It really set the tone for what truly was an incredible, fun, and love-filled evening,” confirms the bride. 

After finding their table assignments from the suspended acrylic signs in a chic obsidian hue, attendees not only enjoyed the lovely arrangements of orchids and other blooms, but also baskets of garlic fries before the formal dinner was served. “We had endless amounts of food and drinks throughout the entire evening – no one left our wedding hungry,” Paul shares. 

The extensive fare kept guests satiated and energized all night long, as the black-and-white dance floor was filled until the conclusion of the celebration at 1:30 a.m. “I’ve honestly never danced so much in one night and have heard from so many people that they have never danced so much at a wedding,” the groom elaborates. Reflecting on a day that was about as perfect as possible, the bride advises couples preparing for their own nuptials to stay true to themselves, adding, “You want to see yourself in your wedding day.”