A Boho Beachfront Wedding at the Montage Laguna Beach in California

Just five months after getting engaged on a private island in the Maldives (more on that below!), Sabrina Idels and Yishai Turner said “I do” with 100 close friends and family at the Montage Laguna Beach.

Knowing they wanted a beachy vibe, the couple chose the venue for its oceanfront property where they could have views of the Pacific throughout the celebration. “We wanted to make sure we were somewhere that made us feel good,” Sabrina says. “We love the beach. We got engaged on the beach, so it felt fitting for us to get married on the beach.” 

With only a few months to pull it together, Sabrina and Yishai hired Allyson Joseph and Katie Pincus of Bob Gail Events. Sabrina describes herself as “more bohemian than glam,” so the team ran with that idea: The day included warm sunset colors, sea-inspired textures, dried grasses, rich woods, rattan accents, and terracotta pottery.

The couple’s laid-back approach really helped on the big day as unexpected weather changed their plans for an outdoor celebration: It rained! In fact, Sabrina admits that “accepting that it was going to rain on my wedding day" was the hardest part of planning. That said, she was pleasantly surprised with "Plan B." “We ended up being really happy with the tent,” she says. “We wanted every part of the wedding to have a view of the water, and we were able to accomplish that—and, it actually ended up being more comfortable and intimate for our guests.”

Read on for all the details of their seaside California wedding, planned by Bob Gail Events and photographed by Anna Jones Photography. 

“They came up with a ton of spot-on design concepts,” Sabrina says of her planning team. “Everything was so aligned with our taste. We really couldn’t have asked for a better fit.” Some of those details included the invitation suite and paper goods designed by Prim & Pixie. The colors and textured reflected those of the wedding day décor.

Sabrina wore a strapless Marchesa gown. By her side was the couple's adorable pup! “We love our dog very much—it was important for her to be part of our day,” Sabrina says of including their dog in the festivities. 

Sabrina carried a loose bouquet by Holly Flora. It was filled with buttercup, peach, and blush florals, and dried grasses.

Yishai donned a blue Emporio Armani suit that he accented with a pink tie and a boutonniere of Pieris and dried grasses. 

One of Sabrina’s favorite memories was the first look when Yishai unexpectedly spouted some tears. “I truly didn’t anticipate his reaction and it made it that much more special,” she says.

“It was the most romantic surprise,” Sabrina says of Yishai’s proposal. The couple was on vacation in the Maldives, when Yishai took them parasailing one afternoon. They landed on a private island, where Sabrina was greeted with her favorite champagne, Champagne Billecart-Salmon rosé. Yishai then popped the question in the sand before they sat down to a five-course dinner. “The best part was that I had left my phone at the hotel, so we really had no distractions,” she adds.

“I wanted a lot of pretty flowers, muted colors with some pops of pink, orange and yellow,” Sabrina says of the wedding, where large arrangements greeted guests along with yarmulkes for the Jewish ceremony.

The ceremony took place on a lawn at the Montage Laguna Beach overlooking the cliffside and the Pacific Ocean. The couple set the chuppah so the backdrop would be the water and the horizon.

Pampas grass anchored the ceremony florals, which featured a mix of grasses with baby’s breath. The couple’s florist used the grass in the chuppah as well as the hedging along the aisles filled with natural wood chairs.

The couple’s chuppah was covered in pampas grass with dried palm leaves and baby’s breath for a statement structure for the ceremony.

The ceremony was full of surprises. For one, the couple’s dog bolted down the aisle toward Sabrina and Yishai. At another point, the skies opened up and guests huddled under umbrellas from the hotel and blankets to stay dry. Sabrina was chilly so she opted to wear her leather jacket during their vows. But the couple took it all in good spirits. “Honestly, the whole combination felt so intimate and just so us,” Sabrina says.

Sabrina and Yishai exchanged rings designed at RockHer.

A solo guitarist played a cover of Phish’s “Waste” as the newlyweds exited the ceremony.

“One thing I learned is how important it is to work with someone who not only understands but also likes your vision,” Sabrina says of their planner, Bob Gail Events. Though the couple did add a clear tent, they were able to keep their aesthetic completely. Woven light fixtures accented with pampas grass hung from the ceiling and two long tables were flanked by natural wood bistro chairs. 

The bride and groom each had a signature cocktail: Sabrina’s was a “Smoky Osso” made with tequila, mezcal, and a chipotle-tamarind syrup, while Yishai’s was a Ron Zacapa rum-based cocktail, made with yellow chartreuse, pineapple juice, and orgeat syrup, dubbed the “Blackbeard Swizzle.”

The sunset colors were echoed in the menus at each place setting as well as the handmade terracotta and stone vessels holding the low centerpieces of airy grasses and flowers. 

The couple put a lot of time and attention on the menu by working with the culinary team at Montage Laguna Beach. That included cocktail hour offerings like tomato gazpacho with cucumber air and royal Kaluga caviar atop yeast-leavened blini as well as a lineup of wines from California and Europe. Dinner featured Petaluma squab breast, chicken ballotine, and beef striploin. “It was fun, it was beautiful, it was comfortable, and it was delicious,” Sabrina says of the dinner party. 

Everyone moved into the hotel’s Studio restaurant for dancing, where wrought-iron Moroccan lanterns and Persian rugs continued the bohemian theme. An eight-piece band played a mix of music from Motown to the ‘90s, and the couple, of course, partook in the hora. 

“Yishai was swinging me around all night, and I got to watch him truly get down on the dance floor with his best friend to 70s disco,” Sabrina says of the reception. The newlyweds also cut into a three-tier cake, hand-painted to mimic the sunset.

The newlyweds also cut into a three-tier cake, hand-painted to mimic the sunset.

“It all went by so fast, but it was the best time,” Sabrina says of the wedding. After, the couple set off on a honeymoon to the Mediterranean, with stops along the Amalfi Coast, Mallorca, and Portugal. “It was a beachy, foodie dream,” she adds.