Linzy + Jeffrey
One sentence sum-up of the wedding vibe: An intimate surprise wedding filled with love and Disney magic
Planned Budget: 30,000
Actual Budget: 40,000
Number of Guests: 24 (including bride & groom)
Location: Redbird, Los Angeles, CA
Photographer: White Rabbit Photo Boutique
Where we allocated the most funds: We allocated the most funds to 2 big chunks, our venue/food budget and our wedding vendors (photography, videography, wedding planner). As nature lovers, it was important to us to get married at an outdoor, greenery-filled location, and our wedding planner found us the perfect venue—an amazing restaurant with an outdoor garden! Because of the complexity and quirkiness of our surprise wedding, we wanted professionals who could coordinate the details and capture all the emotions. While big expenses, every single one was totally worth it as they all created and contributed to our wedding vision!
Where we allocated the least funds: We allocated the least funds towards decoration. With Redbird allowing us to use the garden, we had a beautiful outdoor venue surrounded by gardens and greenery, so we supplemented it with only a little extra floral.
What was totally worth it: Hiring an experienced wedding planner! We would not have been able to keep our original wedding weekend if it were not for Anything But Gray Events. Holly put our wedding together in about 3 months and saved us from stressing about wedding details. We’re a pretty simple couple, and she not only brought our ideas to life, but she also elevated them and added magical touches we never would’ve dreamed of. Don’t skimp on this, hire someone you can trust that has a proven track record!
What was totally not worth it: Nothing. Everything we paid for contributed to our overall unique experience. No regrets here. Would do it all again in a heartbeat!
A few things that helped us along the way: As a couple, we constantly checked in with each other to identify and adjust priorities. Staying aligned through every decision was so important. In addition, COVID quarantine and limited in-person interactions with friends and family made it really easy to keep our wedding a secret. Lastly, having professionals who we got along with and trusted gave us a stress-free experience from start to finish.
My best practical advice for my planning self: Always remember the “why” behind your marriage and wedding. Stay true to yourself as a couple, and focus on what’s important to you both. Be flexible and don’t fret about the small stuff. Trust the professionals—they’ve planned and prepared for way more weddings than you.
Favorite thing about the wedding:
His: The SURPRISE! The nerves, joy, laughter, and pure shenanigans fit us as a couple perfectly. Also, the intimate environment allowed us to spend time with all of our guests throughout the night.
Hers: Spending so much one-on-one time with my partner on the day of the wedding. We were able to relax and focus on ourselves, not on everyone or everything else.
Anything else: Our original wedding was set to be at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in June 2021. It was going to be a proposal turned surprise wedding with a much larger guest count.
Once we knew the wedding was unable to happen on our original date, we scrambled to find a way to still have our wedding within our desired month. We hired Anything But Gray Events, and Holly managed to plan our wedding in 3 months taking our original vision out of this world and incorporating Disney magic in all aspects of our wedding! It was exactly the wedding it was always meant to be. Keeping it intimate, manageable, and heart-centered was at the core of what we wanted.
