Photo: Paige Jones
When Daniela Malca, an interior designer in California, walked into a Moroccan furniture store in June of 2012, she had no idea she was about to meet her future in-laws. “The owners invited me to their home for Shabbat dinner, which is where I met their son.” It turns out, their son would be her future husband, Jeremy Benloulou! Two years later, the pair got engaged in Palm Springs and started to plan a black-tie wedding for a crowd — 331 guests, to be exact. “Our biggest challenge was finding a venue that could accommodate our head count, as well as a kosher wedding,” Daniela says. Thankfully, they found the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica. On September 6, 2015, they gathered their family and friends from around the world for a glamorous party full of rich, vivid colors. With Charley King of Bluebell Events at the helm and Paige Jones behind the camera, the result was a stunning, colorful wedding you won’t be able to take your eyes off of.
Daniela used her design skills when selecting the couple’s invitation suite. She decided to mix pink and coral floral prints with graphic black and white stripes and shimmering gold accents for a formal yet fun look. She and her bridesmaids even dressed the part, getting glam while wearing matching pink, white, and gold tunics, a nod to the groom’s Moroccan heritage.
The bride stunned in a figure-hugging Vera Wang wedding dress with a layered skirt. “I tried on almost 70 dresses,” Daniela says. “I couldn’t decide, so my mom made the final choice! It was the opposite of what I’d planned for, but I wanted something a little less ornate that wouldn’t compete with our bold color scheme.” She borrowed her Jennifer Behr headpiece from her maid of honor, and topped the strapless neckline with a sheer jacket for the ceremony.
Every bride needs fabulous accessories! For Daniela, that meant shimmery Jimmy Choo sandals and a multicolored bouquet of dahlias, garden roses, ranunculus, and anemones. “I wanted the opposite of a traditional blush and ivory wedding,” she says.
The groom donned a classic tuxedo from Hugo Boss. He’d planned to wear cufflinks Daniela got for him, but he forgot them at home. He ended up donning a pair they’d rented as back-up from The Black Tux.
Jeremy’s boutonniere combined a white anemone with a vibrant ranunculus.
The bridesmaids sparkled in sequin gowns with draped cowl backs and carried bouquets that were just as bright as Daniela’s, with lush dahlias and garden roses in shades of coral, pink, and blush. “I was set on gold sequins,” says the bride. “I knew it would be fun, but wouldn’t compete with the bright flowers. I also wanted them to be able to save money by renting their dresses from Rent the Runway!” The groomsmen’s tuxedos were the perfect classic complement.
The traditional Jewish ceremony took place beneath a chuppah draped in bougainvillea. The aisle was covered in ombré petals, fading from soft pink to orange to bright fuchsia.
Finding dresses for the flower girls was a challenge, but Daniela ultimately located the perfect black and white satin gowns — to match the invitations, of course! She walked down the aisle with both her mother and step father by her side.
At cocktail hour, guests sipped pomegranate mojitos and jalapeño margaritas as they ate Peruvian dishes like lomo saltado (stir-fried marinated steak and vegetables) and ceviche in honor of the bride’s Peruvian heritage and Moroccan cigars, or meat in pastry, in honor of Jeremy’s.
The escort card table was draped in a black sequin linens, then topped with a full arrangement of dahlias and garden roses. The floral accents on each escort card matched the invitation suite.
Inside the ballroom, tables were arranged around a custom black and white striped dance floor. In the center stood the dramatic cake, on a table covered in gold sequins.
Guests were seated at a mix of round tables, with black sequin linens and gold flatware, and rectangular mirrored tables, with low candles and black flatware. At the head table, an organic and vibrant flower wall was arranged behind the bride and groom’s seats of honor.
High arrangements were set on cut crystal stands, while low arrangements were bathed in glowing candlelight. The combination of formal details with bright, punchy colors was totally eye-catching.
For dinner, a pomegranate salad was followed by either prime rib, sea bass, or vegan stuffed Portobello mushrooms.
During Jeremy and Daniela’s first dance, to a French tune the groom picked that morning, the speakers blew. Thankfully, with a room full of French guests, it became a sing-along to keep the couple dancing.
The Butter End created a stunning black, white, and gold cake with the bride’s favorite wallpaper printed on wafer paper and wrapped around the tiers. “To keep everything Kosher, they made our wedding cake, but the cake we served was a lemon and raspberry sheet cake baked by our caterer,” Daniela explains.
If cake wasn’t enough, there was also an entire room filled with other sweets, from eclairs and cake pops to fruit tarts and cream puffs.
Photo: Paige Jones
Around 2 a.m., the ballroom finally closed, but the celebration wasn’t over. “Our family and friends kept the party going in the hallway!” says Daniela.
Her advice? Aside from keeping organized with spreadsheets and remembering to eat, she suggests having a hair back-up plan. “If you’re wearing your hair down, know what you want to do when you get sweaty dancing. I had to have my mom’s friend, who happens to be a hairdresser, fix and pin my hair for me so I could get back on the dance floor.”
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows || Wedding Planner: Charley King of Bluebell Events || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Vera Wang || Shoes: Jimmy Choo || Hair & Makeup: Make-Up Therapy; Design Visage || Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Badgley Mischka, from Rent the Runway || Flower Girls’ Dresses: Pantora Bridal || Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss || Groomsmen’s Attire: The Black Tux || Florist: Krista Jon Floral || Invitations & Paper Goods: Occasions to Celebrate || Music: Brandt Jacobus; DJ Francky Perez || Catering: La Gondola || Cake: The Butter End Cakery || Rentals: La Tavola Fine Linen; Classic Party Rentals; LM Event Productions; Glam Events; Town and Country Event Rentals; Archive Rentals || Videographer: David Medill Productions || Photographer: Paige Jones
Looking for more black tie inspiration? Then check out another couple’s formal celebration below.