When you meet the right one, your soul just knows. Sade and Marion were first informally introduced back in 2011 at her coworker’s birthday celebration. Though Marion barely uttered two words to Sade, she found herself stuck on thinking about him. And like all new millennial women, she turned to social media to get the scoop on her secret crush. “I socially stalked him and found his Twitter account. I sent him a casual request and noticed he was traveling to Hilltop, California where my grandmother lives, so I sparked a conversation,” shares Sade. Subsequently, her sly plan took a positive turn when things pivoted and Marion “hit her with a DM” (direct message) asking for her number. The rest is history.
In 2014, the couple relocated to Los Angeles and Marion hoped to plan a celebration in the City of Angels for Sade’s birthday weekend. In spite of Sade’s intentions on keeping things low-key after their big move, Marion still arranged for her close friends to fly to LA to spend a long weekend together. “I felt in that moment, he was definitely going to propose that weekend. But as the weekend progressed, I was less sure about it,” says Sade. The group hit the affluent Malibu for a day trip that included a wine tour. At that point, a suspicious Sade began to doubt that the proposal was happening that weekend, as she had always imagined that Marion would be nervous wreck if a proposal were on the horizon, but he seemed to be totally fine. However, she surmised that it could’ve been due to the fair share of wine the group consumed during the tour.
Once they reached the second stop, Marion requested Sade leave the group to “check something out” on a quite random hill. Sade dismissed his odd request, by telling him, “No!” at least two times, before finally giving in – only to find that she would get the birthday surprise of a lifetime. “He finally got me to walk up the hill and immediately got on one knee. I was shocked!” says Sade. Next, their friends came running up the hill, screaming with excitement – as Marion hadn’t let anyone in on his plans. The two wed on a warm July at the luxuriously-posh SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Sade wore an alluring, art deco-inspired Lazaro slip-gown: a gown that she had stumbled upon and fell in love with at first sight, during an impromptu shopping trip at Panache Bridal’s Beverly Hills location. “When I put the dress on, I immediately knew it was the one. I tried on two or three more dresses, but they just didn’t compare. I’m not a traditional girl, so I wanted a dress that was a standout. This Lazaro was made for me,” shares Sade.
The bride, who’s also an event planner, sported two invisible hats on her wedding day, as she acted as her own planner. The ceremony took place on the hotel’s Garden Terrace which is already decked with large picturesque, wood framed mirrors. Playing off it’s effortless feel, lush soft-hued florals were incorporated throughout their decor, while spangle-sequin table covers added subtle glitz to the already opulent reception space. Playful details were also spied on their macaroons, that read “Eat Me” and “VIXXV” (which was also the pair’s wedding hashtag to pay homage to their wedding date of 7/25).
Sade notes that her big day was nothing but pure bliss, with her fondest memory being the host of friends and family that traveled from all over the states to celebrate with the couple. “It felt like we were 18 again. We partied all night and it made every sacrifice worth it!” shares Sade. Simply beautiful.
Bride & Groom: Sade & Marion Lee
Occupation: Bride: Bride – Account Director and Event Planner/Groom – Management Consultant
Wedding Date: July 25, 2016
Wedding Location: SLS Hotel Beverly Hills
Wedding Style: My wedding gown was designed by Lazaro and purchased from Panache Beverly Hills. The funny thing about the day I found my wedding gown, I wasn’t even planning to really go shopping. My mom happened to be in town and on a whim said we should go to a dress shop to get an idea of what looks good. Walking into Panache there were so many options and honestly I was a bit overwhelmed. My dress was way over budget, so we tried it on first to “get it out of the way”. When I put the dress on , I immediately knew it was the one. I tried on 2-3 more dresses and they just didn’t compare. I am not traditional girl and I wanted a dress that was a standout, this Lazaro was made for me.
Memories: Our wedding night was truly the most fun I’ve had since I was in college. Having all our friends from all around the United States there to celebrate with us was simply amazing. It felt like we were 18 again, we partied all night and it made every sacrifice worth it!
Help a Bride-to-be out! The wedding is only the beginning of your journey, take time to enjoy one another. Every conversation doesn’t have to be about the wedding.
This wedding was featured in the Fall/Winter 2016 issue. Purchase a copy here.
Vendors:
Bride’s dress: Lazaro/Dress Salon: Panache Bridal Beverly Hills
Bride’s shoes: Prada
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Twobirds
Cakes/desserts:M Cakes Sweets
Calligrapher: Kimi Nam
Ceremony: SLS Beverly Hills
Event planner: Sade Monroe
Flowers: Bella Bloom Floral
Hair: KayeDash
Makeup: Eye Dream of Drini
Photography: Hunter Leone of Three Nails Photography
Reception venue: SLS Beverly Hills
Videography: Noteworthy Weddings
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