Instagram fashion blogger Elysse Williamson never imagined that she would meet the love of her life, Brian Winokur, at a Miami music festival. “The most memorable story of our first meeting was how we immediately bonded,” Elysse muses. “[I] lived in San Francisco, and he was from San Francisco. We shared a love for the beach and music. We both loved to dance around and have a great time together.” While cruising down the Seine River on a Parisian vacation, Brian proposed to his beloved as the boat reached the Eiffel Tower. “The night was perfect!” she recalls.

The lovebirds spent more than a year planning a summertime soirée. Despite their love for San Francisco, they elected a Southern California coastal location for their nuptials, planned by Tessa Lyn Events. “Since we both have a love of the ocean, we knew we wanted to have our wedding on the water [but] the weather in San Francisco is not dependable in August. So we both thought, ‘Why not Malibu?’” the bride reveals. In honor of the romantic locale in which Brian proposed, the couple pursued an elegant Parisian-themed wedding with a palette of white, blush, and black. Just before they exchanged vows beneath a gorgeous rosy floral-embellished chuppah crafted by Butterfly Floral & Event Design, the pair popped open a bottle of French champagne to share with the wedding party.

Just before indulging in a delectable menu, attendees received a sweet treat that doubled as their place card. “Each person received two macarons that were in a box with their table number on it. The macarons were blush [and] wrapped up in a clear box with a black bow,” the bride describes. Friends and loved ones danced the night away to the sounds of the DJ as majestic smoke filled the air. “We turned the party into a Miami-like dance club when, after the father-daughter dance, Brian came out with a carbon dioxide tank and filled the dance floor with cool smoke,” Elysse remembers. Another crowd-pleaser was the late night In-N-Out food truck and the sophisticated Rolls-Royce in which the couple departed.

While reminiscing on her wedding experience, Elysse assures that every couple should make their own choices and treasure every moment: “Don’t second-guess yourself. Follow your heart and spend that extra dollar to make it special and meaningful to you. You can’t do it again!”