It’s no secret that we love when our weddings take us to the beach! For Brianna and John’s big day, we revisited an absolute gem of a wedding venue in Huntington Beach, California, the Waterfront Hilton. While we adore nautical themes and blue hues when we’re celebrating everlasting love by the ocean, their black and white wedding made a lasting impression. Continue reading for more details and photos of their elegant and modern ocean view wedding.

Monochrome Groom Styling

It’s typical to see a groom dressed in a black suit emphasizing the significance of their bride’s white wedding dress. However, RCE groom John, took this tradition a step further by choosing a “blacked out” style. A monochrome look down to the details on his leather watch band looked clean cut in every photo. John’s wedding day styling allowed for his bride, Brianna, to absolutely glow beside him in her beaded fit-and-flare gown. 

An additional black accessory was given to him by his bride at the altar… his wedding ring! Black wedding bands have become more popular for grooms in the last five years. While we celebrate the symbolic meaning of the ring, an unending love and commitment, it is fun to see how the rings our couples choose for each other truly embody each of their personal styles.

White Ballroom Draping

One way to elevate your wedding reception design is to invest in draping. Draping brings a soft feel to any event space and provides the sense of elegance and coziness in one fell swoop. For this wedding design in particular, white wall draping helped solidify the black and white color scheme by muting competing colors within the ballroom. The wall drapes combined with a white dance floor, monogram projection, and statement florals hanging from chandeliers made for a lavish design.

The All-Black Dress Code

All wedding guests were asked to wear black to the wedding. The bridal party, aside from the flower girls, were dressed in black as well. We’re all for a color coordinated dress code because even photos with guests in the background look beautiful! In addition, a dress code sets your guests at ease in preparation for your wedding day. Knowing what is expected of them and feeling a part of the wedding just by showing up dressed as asked makes the whole experience more exciting for them.

Modern Elegance Achieved

Everything about this Southern California wedding was stunning. From the wooden cross against the ocean view at the front of the ceremony space, to the alternating cloud arrangements and candle stick holders decorating the reception tables. We feel so blessed to have been a part of Brianna and John’s wedding and wish them a lifetime of love! If you’re looking for more wedding planning inspiration, browse our Pinterest boards and follow us on Instagram.