After meeting at a mutual friend’s wedding, Lauren Berman and Jeremy Shore went on their first date; however, it wasn’t the date Jeremy had initially hoped for. Lauren suggested that they take their grandparents – Lauren’s 94-year-old grandmother and Jeremy’s 96-year-old grandfather – on a double date. Jeremy thought that Lauren must be joking, but she wasn’t. Thankfully, he obliged, and the rest is history! 

Jeremy proposed when Lauren would least expect it – on Christmas Day 2020, in front of her parents and grandmother at her grandmother’s home, “after eating copious amounts of Chinese food,” starts Jeremy. As they had not yet celebrated Hanukkah as a family, he got down on one knee and proposed to a “clueless” Lauren, who was simply expecting a final gift. “The ring fit despite the water retention from the sodium,” laughs the groom. 

While they initially considered Palm Springs for their nuptials, Lauren and Jeremy decided to get married in Santa Monica. The beach city allowed for their grandparents to more easily attend, and it was nearby to where they lived in Venice during their early years of dating and where they spent many of their first dates riding their bikes, getting tacos, and walking along the beach. Taking these initial experiences as inspiration for their day, they hired Tessa Brand of Tessa Lyn Events to orchestrate the details. 

As they wanted their celebration to reflect a “California-coastal feel with a whimsical tropical twist,” a color palette of blue, green, soft orange, and yellow was selected, and an array of elements that honored the theme were incorporated throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, which took place at a luxury hotel right on the beach. 

“[We wanted a] California-coastal feel with a whimsical tropical twist.”

The bride was gorgeous in a sparkling gown with a deep V-neck and geometric elements as she made her way down the jute-rug aisle. A cantor and a rabbi officiated the pair’s Jewish ceremony, which incorporated traditions including circling each other before standing under the chuppah featuring structural palm leaves, using their grandparents’ kiddush cups as well as their own to honor their family history as well as create their own story, and the breaking of the glass. The ceremony was the bride’s most memorable moment thanks to “the Jewish traditions, coupled with the unpredictable pedestrians on the boardwalk that facilitated an impromptu dance during the ceremony,” she smiles. 

During cocktail hour, the tropical theme continued with coconuts embossed with the pair’s initials used in lieu of glassware and an escort-card wall embellished with woven heart-shaped palm fans. Upon entering the ballroom for the reception, guests found their seats at tables decorated with low centerpieces comprised of hearty blooms, as well as seashells and fruits such as papaya, figs, and bananas to complement the tropical feel the pair desired. Candle votives were wrapped with rattan elements and each guest’s place setting was topped with a menu card featuring a natural woven border and backing. 

At the end of the night, guests enjoyed slices of the couple’s asymmetrical four-tiered wedding cake, which included pearl accents, as well as a fruit cart and tacos for late-night snacks in honor of the California-coastal concept. Friends and family celebrated on the black-and-white dance floor, stopping only to enjoy the surprise treats and watch the couple pour champagne over an impressive tower of coupe glasses. Once the live band concluded their set, Lauren and Jeremy’s friend took over as DJ to keep the unforgettable party of a lifetime going into the early morning hours.