After forging a friendship upon their initial meeting in graduate school, Sana Moosa and Brent Thompson struck up a romantic relationship after working together on a few group projects. When it came time for Brent to propose, he decided to make his plan as grand as his love for Sana. “It entailed surprise gifts, a chartered helicopter from L.A. to Santa Barbara – [where we flew] over the Getty Museum, Santa Monica, Malibu, and up the coastline – a stretch limo waiting on the tarmac, a luxury resort, a moving proposal on the beach at sunset, and an intimate dinner,” recounts the overjoyed bride. “Of course I said yes!”

Tessa Brand of Tessa Lyn Events helped the pair design a wedding that stayed true to their specific style. “Brent and I have a minimalist attitude and just like things that are clean and simple, [as well as] atypical,” Sana explains. “Our tastes gravitated us towards the neutral tones of white and grey after we found our dream venue. The subtle accents of lavender were my feminine touches to brighten up the palette.” Keeping with their non-traditional motif, Sana and Brent elected to do a “public first look” at one another, stepping out onto two different balconies of their private estate venue to gaze at each other – all the while, onlookers cheered and snapped photos from the main space space below. 

Being from two different cultural backgrounds, the couple desired to keep their vows non-religious. Additionally, as the duo wanted to keep the wedding quite intimate, they elected to forgo tradition and did not include a formal wedding party to stand with them at the altar. “Walking down the aisle was so surreal,” recalls the bride. “Feeling the warmth of close friends and family around me while seeing Brent in front of me and hearing the waves crashing on the rocks... such an amazing feeling!” Overlooking the sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean, the two were officially wed by the bride’s brother. Elated by their new titles of husband and wife, the two walked back up the petal-lined aisle, passing contemporary-style florals consisting of ivory orchids, roses, and long-stemmed calla lilies on mirrored boxes of varying sizes. These arrangements were subsequently moved into the reception space to add emphasis to the sweetheart table.

“We love modern furniture, which was the inspiration behind the square tables and square structures for the flowers, [as well as] using mirrors throughout to enhance the look and feel of our décor,” tells Sana of her concept for the celebration. Luxe Linen provided shimmering alabaster table linens covered in sequins to coordinate with the contemporary theme and color scheme. A delectable menu in the same square design was displayed at each place setting featuring both family recipes and dishes that Sana and Brent had created together. With a completely choreographed first dance, the happy couple kicked off the festivities with a “bang” for their friends and family.

Looking back on the planning process, Sana believes that the support she and Brent received was invaluable. “Having a wedding planner was the best investment we made along the process!” she says. The newlyweds also appreciated the extra help from Brent’s family in Oregon and Sana’s family in both Chicago and Dubai. “Our families helped us with guest lists, mailing addresses, and other logistics while also engaging with design ideas and concepts. They were there when we needed support, while also giving us creative independence to build the wedding day around our own ideas.”