Sydney + Ryan: Luxury Wedding Style for an Urban Elopement at Hotel Per La in DTLA
A Note from the Photographer and Creator:
Whenever someone searches for elopement inspiration, unless you are having a civil ceremony at a courthouse, elopements are often presented as adventurous activities out in nature somewhere. While exchanging vows in front of a waterfall, in a field of wildflowers, or on the oceanfront with sandy toes is a gorgeous and special experience, where do the city centric couples go? Where is the elopement inspiration for the couples who live in Manhattan or Los Angeles, or those who don’t resonate with the great outdoors? I wanted to create a shoot that would inspire those couples who wanted something less on the adventurous outdoors, more on the urban side of things for their elopement, civil ceremony, or special celebration. I asked myself what a wedding day would look like for the couple who chose to take a more low key approach to their wedding day while still centering the style of the celebration around luxury. Fashion moments, traditional wedding elements, and overall a day spent from start to finish with the one you are pledging the rest of your days together with. This shoot is the answer to those musings, and I hope you enjoy viewing it as much as I did creating it. Included below are the incredible vendors who were chosen to be represented as part of this editorial, tips and tricks about how to make your real life celebration as unique as this one, and a list of my favorite DTLA hotels that would be a perfect fit for similar celebrations. As this editorial is meant to inspire real wedding day celebrations, the storyline below will be referring to my wonderful models, Sydney and Ryan, as the present day bride and groom, even though they have already so sweetly tied the knot in October of 2022.
Thank you for reading and loving on these photos! xoxo, Vanessa Todd
Sydney and Ryan are two incredible people! Ryan is a camera man (not the still camera kind like me, he says) and Film Director, and Sydney has been taking flight on TikTok and IG (check her out @squidwestra) through her wedding planning, bridal style inspo, and industry transparency about things she loves (and doesn’t) all things wedding and bridal. I first came across Sydney online when she posted a comedic video about things that she and Ryan would not have at their wedding. Instant follow.
For their elopement day, Sydney and Ryan got to spend all day together at the beautiful Hotel Per La in DTLA. Hotel Per La used to be known as the Nomad Hotel but recently changed titles. This boutique hotel marries modern design with art deco historical building features. From the ceiling and floor tiles to the green velvet sofas, every corner feels effortlessly luxurious. The entire space is stunning, from the moment you reach valet and walk through the mirrored tunnel all the way up to rooftop pool deck.
The beautiful bride and groom were made even more so by Emily from Emily Lynn and Company. Emily gave Sydney a soft, natural makeup look with a dazzling surprise - literal rhinestones for eyeshadow! Sydney and Ryan sipped champagne in bathrobes upon arrival before doing final touches. While getting ready, Sydney wore two stunning pieces - the Lillith Jacket by Alexandra Grecco and her mother’s white satin and pearl slip dress. This something old and something new were such a special way to pay homage to wedding traditions for this otherwise untraditional wedding day.
Instead of getting ready separately, and revealing one another during a first look, Sydney and Ryan helped one another get dressed for the day. Ryan zipped and buttoned up Sydney’s gorgeous bias cut satin gown (Harriet by Alexandra Grecco) and put on her shoes while Sydney put on Ryan’s bowtie and cuff links for him. Getting ready together isn’t as common for the wedding day but for those couples who do get ready together they feel the sentiment is that it feels more natural to them - as they get ready at home together every day, why not on their wedding day too!
Once they were dressed for their wedding, Sydney and Ryan enjoyed pastries from Bottega Louie together before heading out for their wedding ceremony. While waiting for the car at valet, Sydney and Ryan snuck away for some photos in the lobby and outside on the street. One of my favorite moments was when Ryan pulled out his phone to take a video of his beautiful bride amidst the passer-byers and car horns beeped as they drove by in the spirit of congratulations.
The ceremony was to take place in a private studio loft in the Arts District. The space was found on Peerspace! With their bright pink florals from Roobarb Studio, a florist based out of Venice Beach, CA, a simple and sweet ceremony space was constructed to make the ceremony space meaningful to the bride and groom. Amidst the flowers, Sydney and Ryan shared vows and sweet sentiments that were sealed with a kiss.
Sydney being the incredibly fashionable bride that she is, experimented with different bridal accessories for their portraits at the studio together after their vows. Wearing a second dress (the Lilly gown by Scout Bridal), her getting ready Lillith Jacket, and a more delicate floral embroidered veil), she created different and unique bridal outfit pairings! In the end, she wore her Cornelia James sheer white opera gloves and her Lelet NY rhinestone headband for her final bridal look. It gave me glamorous Old Hollywood meets Daphne from Bridgerton vibes and I loved it so much!
Returning back to the Hotel Per La, a pizza to go feast was enjoyed before the couple shared a cake cutting! Their cake was made by Sydney’s aunt’s bakery, Aunt CC’s Cookies and Sweets, which was extra special and an amazing way to include her family in the special day! It was heart shaped with icing on top that read, “‘til death do us part.” Simply iconic.
For an extra celebratory moment, silver streamers and confetti canons were popped while jumping on the bed after drinking the rest of the champagne! Even though the day was spent with just the two of them, it was still a full day of celebration, getting to enjoy one another’s company all day in a way that is meaningful, special, and luxurious. Eloping in DTLA never looked so good.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN INCLUDING A HOTEL SPACE IN YOUR ELOPEMENT/CIVIL CEREMONY CELEBRATION
Congratulations, you have chosen to elope! There are no wrong ways to celebrate your wedding as long as it is how you’d love the celebration to happen! Elopements and civil ceremonies at a courthouse can be whatever you want them to be! I highly recommend having a hotel included for part of your day to give yourself a special place to remember your day by with a built in little mini stay-cation! With that being said, here are some things to consider when choosing your hotel:
Pick a hotel with a style aesthetic in the rooms/suites that you like! Since this is where you’ll be spending your time and likely be photographed a lot, consider your hotel choice like your “venue!” Each is a little different and not all will be your style preference.
Pick a suite that gives you enough space to enjoy yourself without feeling squished. Many hotels have different sized suites. Consider upgrading to a larger room or even getting two adjoining rooms side-by-side to maximize your space!
Check your hotel’s individual policies on photos. Many hotels do not allow photos in their public spaces without an additional photo permit. The only exception to this is if you are hosting a full wedding package at the hotel, then you are permitted to take photos on site. Every hotel has different policies and prices on permits, so you will need to check in. Usually, it is the Sales Team that can give your direct answers about their policies and pricing.
THE BEST DTLA HOTELS & EVENT SPACES
The following is a list of some of my favorite (and arguably the best) hotel spaces that can be used for a similar style event in DTLA - either for getting ready and having your own in-suite elopement party, for hosting your own wedding, or getting ready only at before going to your chosen venue for your full wedding day!
Hotel Per La - Previously known as the Nomad Hotel, Hotel Per La is the venue where this marvelous urban DTLA elopement took place. They have various suites to accommodate getting ready and private celebrations. My personal favorite is the Amadeo Presidential Suite (do yourself a favor and check it out)! This hotel can also accommodate full wedding days in their various spaces, including their rooftop deck.
The Line Hotel - A touch of mid-century flair with greenhouse, open air style and suites with panoramic views of Los Angeles from each side of the building, The Line Hotel in Koreatown is a unique experience! They have suites of different sizes depending on your needs as well as the option and unique spaces to accommodate full wedding days of all shapes and sizes.
Ace Hotel DTLA - The Ace Hotel has a number of locations, including one in DTLA! This boutique hotel has industrial, mid-century style rooms that give the feel of loft apartments. They have an adjoining theater that is so breathtaking and can be used for wedding days if you are hoping for a more full wedding day celebration. If you are not using the theater and getting married on site though, Ace does not allow for photos on site, so if you choose this hotel be prepared to only be able to take your photos behind closed doors in your room. With that being said, they have a film photo booth in their lobby which is extra vibey.
Hotel Figueroa - Hotel Figueroa is a boutique hotel with very cozy suites! While the rooms are decorated very well, being able to stay on a floor that opens up to a large patio or balcony is the real gem of this hotel! The sides of the hotel are painted as a mural and if you are lucky enough to have patio access or be on the same floor, opportunities to make the space uniquely yours is limitless!
The Hoxton - The Hoxton has a number of locations worldwide! You could get married in one and honeymoon in another! It is full of boutique charm, very much like Hotel Per La is with their ornate bar, restaurant, lobby, and eclectic choices in decor! The rooms are a little cozier, so if you are hosting an event I recommend splurging for their “Apartment” which has many rooms and a full kitchen included! Unless it is a small, dinner party sized group, The Hoxton does not have a designated event space for full wedding days at this time.
Vendors:Photo: vanessa Todd Photographer
Models: Sydney and Ryan Westra
Bridal Salon: Lovely Bride - Los Angeles Salon
Gown designers: Alexandra Grecco and Scout Bridal
Venue: Hotel Per La DTLA and Peerspace Loft
HMU: Emily Lynn and Company
Florist: Roobarb Studio
Coordination: Simply Sweet Memories
Earrings: Aurum Pearls
Cake: aunt ccs cookies and sweets
Pastries: bottega louie
Shoes: dolce vida
Bowtie: dazi usa
Tux: Hugo boss
Bridal Opera gloves: cornelia james
Bridal headband: lelet ny
Ruffle veil: Faye by toni federici veils
Embroidered veil: Alba by ofrenda studioView the slideshow of their images below, or scroll for a look at the whole gallery
