REAL WEDDING

  • Photography By:

    Hello Blue Photo

    JANELLE GOLDBERG & JOEL GABRIEL

    May 20, 2017. Santa Monica, California

    After multiple attempts to meet her, Joel Gabriel first met Janelle Goldberg at a fitness convention orchestrated by a mutual friend. “I walked the convention with him, and ‘Mr. Smooth’ somehow snuck his arm over my shoulders,” Janelle recalls. “I yawned, and suddenly I was ‘fish hooked!’ He stuck his finger in my mouth, mid-yawn, and hooked me! I hadn’t laughed as much as I did with him in a long time.”

    Over time, Joel surprised Janelle daily, exceeding all expectations she had in a partner. “He took me to see the world with him, literally,” says Janelle. “We had lived and traveled together, and both knew what we wanted in a spouse. We vocalize that we saw in each other what we had been searching and praying for. I may not have been so subtle with the hints once I had clarity that I wanted him to be my forever.”

    "JOEL SURPRISED JANELLE DAILY, EXCEEDING ALL EXPECTATIONS SHE HAD IN A PARTNER."

    After his sister was married, Joel planned a couple’s trip for them all to Australia. Per his style, it was an unforgettable trip-of-a-lifetime, and Janelle thought they would be engaged by the time they returned stateside; but there was no proposal. While Joel’s sister and brother-in-law continued their vacation in Hermosa Beach, where he and Janelle live, they all planned to meet for dinner and to take Christmas card pictures on the beach. It was sunset, and Joel and Janelle were watching the sun lower below the ocean when Joel suddenly dropped to one knee.

    “I blacked out a little, but I do remember him asking me to marry him,” Janelle recalls. “He said he wanted to propose to me in Australia, but he wanted my family to be there. I looked behind me, and there were all my siblings and some friends. Joel, at one point, had to ask me what my answer was, because in the middle of my heart exploding with happiness, I forgot to answer his most important question. It was the perfect moment.”

    The wedding planning process commenced immediately, with Janelle finding her soulmate wedding planner, Susan Dunne. “When we met, this was in fact, love at first sight,” says Janelle. “She listed to our dreams and executed them better than I could have ever imagined. She made the wedding planning a fun and memorable experience. Her organization and professionalism are bar none, and she was there every step of the way.”

    When the big day arrived, guests gathered together for a beach wedding, greeted by a stunning floral arbor with flowing drapes and a gorgeous chandelier. For the reception, the newlyweds and their loved ones were surrounded by an elegant, romantic, and luxurious ambiance complete with flowers, delicious food, candelabras, chandeliers, and a DJ who inspired everyone to dance the night away.

    “I felt like, not only had I found my forever Prince Charming; I also received a true fairytale wedding,” says the bride.

    WEDDING TALENT

    Event Design and Planner: Weddings By Susan Dunne Los Angeles, CA

    Floral Design: Hidden Garden Los Angeles, CA

    Bridal Salon: Panache Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, CA

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