Meeting in Paris may seem like a romantic start to a love story, but it was only the prologue for the tale of Jenna Schwartz and Eric Cohen. They enjoyed falafel together while visiting mutual friends studying abroad in France, but it wasn’t until they reconnected in New York a couple of years later that they started dating.

Birthdays played a big part in Eric’s proposal preparations. While on a trip to celebrate the birthday of Jenna’s father, Eric was able to ask his beloved’s parents for their blessing in person – an impressive feat, as they live across the country from the couple. For Jenna’s own birthday, Eric surprised her with a visit to their favorite beach in New York. In a private moment at sunset, he asked Jenna to be his wife. “My friends and family surprised us and flew out from California to celebrate,” she shares of the special moment.

Though they live in New York City, the lovebirds decided to tie the knot at The Beverly Hills Hotel, near where the bride grew up. “Once we decided we wanted to have the wedding in LA, we knew that was our spot,” Jenna confirms. “It not only fit what we were looking for aesthetically, but it had the vibe we were going for as well.” She chose to embrace a clean and natural look by utilizing a color palette of green and white. Planning for the big day did reveal some traits the bride hadn’t noticed about herself. “I didn't realize how indecisive I was until I had so many decisions to make!” she exclaims. Luckily, she had the full support of the team at Bob Gail Events to help narrow down those choices.

“I wanted to keep everything subtle and understated, in terms of the design... Everything that we added felt like it was part of the space and worked really well with what was already there.”

Twinkle lights cascaded down from the trees for the 6PM ceremony. The bridesmaids were fresh and elegant in snowy dresses of their own choosing, but the bride captured everyone’s attention in her strapless A-line gown with a unique pattern of hand embroidery. Jenna and Eric exchanges vows while wrapped in the tallits that belonged to their respective late grandfathers, as well as Eric’s late uncle. After a joyous first kiss as husband and wife, it was time to celebrate their marriage with 300 of their closest friends and family.

The neutral aesthetic with ivory décor continued into the reception. “I wanted to keep everything subtle and understated, in terms of the design,” the bride explains. Banana leaves added a vibrant, organic element to the centerpieces, as a nod to the famous wallpaper print of the venue. “Everything that we added felt like it was part of the space and worked really well with what was already there,” affirms Jenna.

“It was really important to both of us to make our wedding a real party with a focus on our friends, making it a young and energetic celebration,” Eric notes of the reception. That’s not to say that older folks didn’t enjoy the revelry portion of the evening as well – the dance floor was filled thanks to a mix of classic oldies, Motown, funk, and pop music. “Also our late night saxophone/DJ combo was a hit!” adds the groom. A disco ball added to the spirit of the night, which lasted until 2:30 a.m. Revelers were treated to a late-night snack of burgers in order to keep their energy up to dance with the newlyweds.

Neither the bride nor the groom would have changed a thing about their day. “I thought I would be more nervous but I really wasn’t,” Eric admits. After a year of planning, everything was perfect. “We were so fortunate to be able to share this event with our family and friends. It was more amazing than we could have imagined,” the bride muses. “It was an incredible day all around, but my favorite part was marrying Eric, of course!”