An Elegant Wedding at a Stunning Los Angeles Estate

A shared love of dogs, tacos, and travel instantly connected Marissa Berman and Yale Chasin after the two met online. From their first adventure together, they were immediately hooked. Fast forward three years later, to August 2015, when Yale popped the question at the couple's Echo Park home before heading out to a celebratory dinner at Petite Trois. "It felt so nice to be at home in our surroundings," Marissa says of the proposal, which she describes as "a perfectly simple and very surprising engagement." At dinner, the pair sat at the bar and indulged in steak, champagne, and escargot to commemorate the occasion. To top the evening off, Yale revealed another surprise—a room at a five-star hotel for the weekend. "We spent the rest of the night drinking champagne and dancing to Prince in a perfect suite," says Marissa.

Yale and Marissa instantly fell in love with the history and eclectic vibe of Paramour Mansion and Estate, a Mediterranean revival property built in 1923 that's close to their home in Los Angeles. The couple wanted to keep in line with space's history and enhanced its unconventional glamour for their black tie affair. "The house was very old world romantic so we wanted it to feel like a romantic and elegant place far away from L.A.," says Marissa. "We didn’t want anything cookie cutter, and this certainly wasn’t." The couple made use of the entire space, hosting the ceremony indoors and later migrating outside for poolside cocktail hour, dinner, and plenty of dancing.

With the help of Robin Baab of RO & Co. Events, Marissa and Yale ultimately brought their vision to life with Art Deco-inspired elements and a moody color palette of black, deep plum, blush, gold and ochre. Modern brides, you need to see this beautifully elegant wedding, captured by the couple's close friend, Hailley Howard Photography.

Marissa wore a satin mermaid gown with a corset top and heart-shaped neck by Oscar de la Renta. For her bridal bouquet, she selected multicolored stems to achieve the romantic and elegant look that she envisioned for the wedding. "It was beyond stunning," she says.

The bride paired her look with white Tom Ford stilettos that featured a pointed toe and statement gold heel. As for jewelry, Marissa accessorized with a pair of her mom's vintage costume earrings and a bracelet from her dad. The couple engraved "All My Love, All My Life 7.9.16" onto their wedding bands, which is the same message Marissa's grandparents bore on their rings.

Yale's look featured a simple, crisp black tux with a bowtie and boutonniere.

Marissa wrote her vows in a journal playfully calligraphed to address her "brilliant words" inside.

The bride and groom's sisters made up the bridal party, with each bridesmaid sporting a black dress of her own choosing with different styles and lengths.

The couple chose the home's grand ballroom, a deep purple space with high ceilings and dark wood beams, to host the ceremony. They decorated with jewel-tone florals and dark gold accents to enhance the ballroom's glamour.

The flower girls and ring bearer were happy to be part of Marissa and Yale's big day and took their roles very seriously.

"l walked the first part of the aisle on my own, and my mother and father met me halfway and we walked together to the chuppah," says Marissa.

The gorgeous floral chuppah was situated in front of one of the ballroom's dramatic arched windows.

Both Yale and Marissa wrote their own vows, which they heard for the first time on their wedding night. "We had our best friends write their own versions of the Seven Blessings based on important themes and values of ours," Marissa added. "That was really special."

After the ceremony, the newlyweds made their grand exit to a live version of "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure, performed by Django Foxtrot.

The couple hosted the reception outdoors, where their 218 guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks by the pool.

To go with the elegant wedding feel, stairs were decorated with clusters of white pillar candles in hurricane vases.

The Whaling Club served two signature cocktails, including their jalapeño tequila-infused “Bee Sting” beverage.

The decor on the escort card table matched the estate's color palette and set the tone for the meal to come.

Guests dined al fresco beneath a canopy of twinkle lights. The long feasting tables were decorated with Art-Deco styled paper goods, mismatched vintage china place settings, romantic florals, and brass candlesticks atop decadent velvet linens.

Yale created the perfect playlist, which played during the intimate, family-style meal. The evening continued with an epic dance party, featuring tunes by DART DJ. Marissa and Yale hit the dance floor for their first dance to a rendition of "Instant Crush" by Daft Punk, then cut into a carrot cake with a porcelain basset hound topper in honor of their favorite dog.

Tequila shots, quesadillas, and burritos were staples at the afterparty, which marked the perfect ending to the couple's dream day. "After it all, I loved putting on my white Alice and Olivia jumpsuit and checkered Vans sneakers to really dance hard and be with friends and family in a more relaxed way at our afterparty, held at El Condor down the hill," says Marissa. "After being in such an epic and elegant house, being in a casual, colorful and festive Mexican restaurant—dancing our hearts out—was the best end to the night."