From their first moment meeting, Erin Feldmar and Mark DeVitre had chemistry and an instant and special bond. Thus, it came as no surprise that the nuptials of the two illustrated the bonding together of their respective backgrounds and cultural traditions. Marks’s family hails from India, and Erin’s family is Jewish, a combination that made for a very unique wedding experience for all.

Many Jewish elements and traditions were incorporated into the ceremony, which was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Garden after sunset, beneath the stars. Erin and Mark, for instance, joined together in a traditional “bedeken” ceremony prior to the Ketubah signing. This ceremony followed a men’s “Tish”, in which the men drank and gave toasts, and a simultaneous women’s “Tish,” after which Mark placed the ceremonial veil over Erin’s head, symbolizing the intimacy, modesty and privacy that she will now share only with him. The couple’s Ketubah, written in ancient Aramaic, was hand-made and designed by a family friend who has known Erin since she was a kid.

The groom’s Indian heritage also provided a strong aesthetic influence. Mark and Erin were engaged in India the previous November, and the rich oranges and reds so prominent in traditional Indian weddings were key stylistic ingredients. Erin also sought to weave in the bright oranges with chocolate-brown and to have feathers in abundance. The bride pictured a very organic, “forest-y”, and candlelit outdoor sensibility, something she pictured would resemble a Renaissance-era production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Befitting Erin and Mark’s personalities, the setting was magical and romantic, whimsical yet sophisticated; and the colors were bold and vibrant, fiery and warm.

The Polo Garden was festooned with large glass cylinders, each holding petals and floating candles. Also present were high candelabras with woodsy tree-looking bases, covered with a lush moss that featured twigs and orange roses growing out. The Chuppah was also covered with deep oranges, green and twigs, with small, dripping votive candles. The tables at the front of the ceremony site were covered with orange silk organza tablecloths, feathered flowers, and orange rose petals. Covered in orange and brown feather flowers were large organic-looking baskets, which held brown-satin yarmulkes and the personalized ceremony programs.

The bride’s gown was an ivory, French Renaissance-styled creation, very romantic and resembling a vintage costume. The mothers of the bride and groom and bridesmaids all wore chocolate brown dresses, which provided a lovely counterpart to the setting’s deep browns and the bridal gown’s rich ivory hue. The bridesmaids carried bright orange roses surrounded by green hydrangeas; the bridal bouquet was burnt orange calla lilies surrounding by green cockscomb. The flower girls dresses were hand-made, designed by Erin and her mother, to look like “forest fairies,” a style that mirrored the bride’s dress. Deep orange in color with uneven layers of silk organza with off-the-shoulder organza sleeves, the layers were lifted up in areas with hand-made orange and brown “flowers” made out of feathers; adorned with their fairy wings handmade out of chocolate brown feathers. The flower girls carried dark brown twiggy baskets lined with matching orange silk organza and covered in orange and brown feathered flowers. The ring-bearer carried a hand-sewn pillow dripping with chocolate brown marabou feathers, with a large orange flower in the center to which the wedding rings were tied.

At the reception, the tall centerpieces resembled whimsical trees, with a moss and twig covered trunk, a base of deep orange flowers spiked with bright mint greens, roses of every shade of orange, calla lilies, cockscomb, berries, orange fruits, pomegranates, and hydrangeas. The low centerpieces were large arrangements, without vases, which gave the impression of having grown out of the tables. Each centerpiece sat on orange silk organza loose fabric, surrounded by numerous votives, which were covered green moss and tied with an orange velvet ribbon.

The cake was a four-tiered buttercream and chocolate chip-filled confection. The outside was brown chocolate frosting, around which the florist had hand-decorated each layer with countless orange roses.

Guests unanimously found the wedding to be one of the most beautiful and creative they had attended, a true artistic success. Following the triumph of their own “midsummer night’s dream,” the newlyweds enjoyed an autumnal honeymoon in Fiji.