An Ethereal Wedding at the Paramour Estate in Los Angeles

It’s not everyday you see a wedding inspired by the nuptials of Kate Moss and Jamie Hince, but the English couple’s simple white linens, vintage flatware, and crystal stemware struck a chord with Jena Choi. “We really wanted something romantic, beautiful [but] also unique,” she says of her wedding with Curt Goodwin.  

That driving factor led the pair to the Paramour Estate, a historic, 1920s mansion overlooking Los Angeles. They immediately fell in love. “The Paramour was just that,” Jena says of seeing her vision come to life in the property. While the Mediterranean Revival architecture nods to traditional aesthetics, the mansion’s quirky interior design—was just the right fit for Jena, who works in real estate, and Curt, a creative professional. It didn’t hurt that they also adored the staff. “They were so easy to work with,” she adds. 

Taking on planning themselves, the couple dove into Instagram for inspiration and to book their vendors. They also relied on their friends, many of whom could offer recommendations and even their own services. (For instance, Jena’s college roommate designed the engagement ring and wedding bands.) Working so closely together on the planning process was a positive experience for Jena and Curt, who note that it truly was their wedding, even if it was influenced by the famous model.  “We did the design and decor selection ourselves, and sourced many of our vendors on our own, so we felt that it was truly representative of what we wanted our wedding to look like,” Jena says. 

Read on for all the details on the SoCal celebration, planned by the couple and photographed by Kelly Brown. 

Jena wore a lace Marchesa Notte gown with floral appliqué s and billowy sleeves. After trying on nearly 70 dresses, she knew this one—the last one—was the dress.  

Jena skipped designated bridesmaids and instead got ready with her mother, who wore a Tadashi Shoji gown.

Jena’s college roommate, Lara Paronyan, designed the engagement ring as well as the wedding bands with her company Gold Link Co. Jena then paired her dress with shimmery Gucci shoes. 

“I saw it on Instagram,” Jena says of her Marchesa Notte dress from the Fall 2018 collection. “The designer shipped the sample to their LA retailer so I could try it on," she says. "I felt like it fit the overall theme of romantic and ethereal, with the floral appliqués and flowy sleeves.” 

Jena's bouquet included “the most gorgeous flowers I’ve ever seen,” like butterfly ranunculus and foxglove. 

Curt kept his look classic, donning a black suit paired with a black tie and special cufflinks.  

Jena and Curt did a first look before the ceremony. The pair married nearly seven years to the day after they met at a bar in New York City.

Curt proposed to Jena in her hometown of Manhattan Beach, California.

“My closest friends came early to take pictures on the lawn,” Jena says. “The pictures came out so great with all of the different colors and styles.”

“The venue speaks for itself, so I knew there wouldn’t have to be a lot of additional décor elements,” Jena says of hosting the ceremony in the estate’s garden with views of the city. An acoustic guitarists played for the ceremony, including Jena’s entrance to Led Zepplin’s “Bron-Yr-Aur.”

The couple exchanged vows in front of a flower arch filled with greenery. The couple didn’t expect to read personalized vows, but they did write some to give their officiant for inspiration. As a surprise to everyone, the officiant read the heartfelt vows word for word.  

“After the ceremony, we enjoyed appetizers together in a private room,” Jena says. “It was nice to have time alone. It made us really be in the moment.” 

During cocktail hour, Jena and Curt served indulgent food they love, including mac and cheese and sliders. 

Jena and Curt designed the al fresco reception with the help of their caterers, Contemporary Catering. Simple white linens and low arrangements of pastel flowers topped the reception tables, which were flanked with bentwood chairs. “They were already very familiar with the property and knew everything that we would need for all of the rentals, things that weren’t even in their scope,” Jena says of Contemporary Catering.

“There wasn’t a formal color scheme or theme,” Jena says. “We went with what felt romantic, ethereal, and classic.

The menu focused on local ingredients, including a romaine salad with avocado and green goddess dressing as well as a 36-hour-balsamic-Cabernet-braised short rib. Instead of cake, the pair bite into a variety of Georgetown Cupcake flavors like peanut butter fudge and salted caramel. “We were especially excited about the special royal wedding flavor, lemon elderflower,” she says.

“We got up to give a big thank you to everyone for coming just then the sun was starting to set behind the trees,” Jena says. “It was a really beautiful moment.” 

“We felt that it was truly representative of what we wanted our wedding to look like,” Jena says. After the celebration, the newlyweds set off on a European honeymoon, hitting Rome, Positano, Capri, and Paris.