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  • A Harry Potter and Maleficent Inspired Wedding at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California

REAL WEDDING

  • Photography By:

    Duke Images

    KRYSTAL BRAVO & ROBERT RIVANI

    November 11, 2018. Newport Beach, California

    Krystal Bravo and Robert Rivani were in their early-twenties when they met six years ago at a nightclub in Hollywood. Both were with their respective groups of friends when Robert decided to approach Krystal and strike up a conversation. “I knew I had to meet her,” he says. “She was absolutely stunning! It was refreshing to meet a girl at a club who was very put together. I made her laugh and she loved it; I knew I had to keep making her laugh.”

    “I couldn’t take my eyes off him,” Krystal adds. “He was just so gorgeous, and his engaging personality took it to another level. I honestly didn’t think I would ever see him again after that night – there was no way life was that good.”

    “WE LET OUR IMAGINATION RUN WILD AND TOOK RISKS WITH OUR DECOR AND VIBE.”

    In March of 2018, Robert planned out a surprise proposal under the guise of a formal real estate gala. Krystal was dressed in a gold gown while Robert wore a black and violet tuxedo jacket, and the two went to take some photos in the backyard. There, Krystal found a beautiful display of red roses and a while aisle leading up to an oversized red heart with the words “Marry Me?” on it.

    “I was in complete shock and started wailing,” Krystal recalls. “I mean, sounds came out of me that I had never in my life heard before. It was a total out of body experience. He had a quartet playing my favorite song, ‘For the Love of a Princess,’ from the movie Braveheart – I mean, come on! He had to keep pulling me down the aisle toward the heart because I kept stopping and saying, ‘Is this real?!’ while still wailing.”

    As soon as they reached the big red heart, Robert got down on one knee and presented Krystal with the “shiniest and most perfect diamond” she had ever seen. Suddenly, cheers erupted, and Krystal realized their closest friends and family were standing above on the third floor of the building, looking down and watching the whole thing.

    Not wanting to have a lengthy engagement, the newly engaged couple set their wedding date for that Fall. “We were inspired by Harry Potter and Maleficent and wanted our wedding to be a night of mystique and fantasy,” describes Krystal. “The reception ambiance was moody and dark with a velvet merlot colored draping lining the entire room. 

    We had a heavy cocktail reception with many stations including sushi, sliders, tacos, street corn, and delicious craft cocktails. One of our favorite details was a beautiful Harry Potter inspired family crest with our initials that covered the entire shiny black dance floor.”

    “Our wedding was a representation of us as a couple,” she continues. “We let our imagination run wild and took risks with our decor and vibe because we wanted it to be memorable, unique and special. We were on such a high which continued for the week to come! 

    Our wedding night was the best day of our lives and we were so happy to have had all our family and friends there to celebrate with us. We are also very thankful to all our vendors who made our visions come to life so beautifully and to our amazing coordinator Michelle Weita – I don’t know what we would have done without her!”


    WEDDING TALENT

    Location: The Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach, CA; Wedding Dress: Galia Lahav

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