While fulfilling his language requirement at the University of Pennsylvania, Daniel Landy sat next to a pretty girl.
He began passing notes to her in his Spanish textbook and eventually used that same method to ask her out on a first date. “I actually had a boyfriend,” recalls Alexandra Lippman, “but Dan pursued me.” By the time they got their diplomas, the two were a couple heading to New York City for law school.
“DAN STILL MAKES FUN OF ME, IT WAS SO OBVIOUS... HE ACTUALLY HAD TO PROPOSE BEFORE I GOT IT.”
On her birthday, Alex’s parents visited from Los Angeles, checking in at the couple’s favorite hotel. Meanwhile, Dan took Alex to dinner and brought her back to where her parents were staying. He took her up to a suite that was filled with flowers and twinkling candlelight, but she did not have a clue. “Dan still makes fun of me, it was so obvious, but I thought we were meeting my parents,” says Alex. “He actually had to propose before I got it.”
She said, “Yes,” and 20 of their family and friends, most of whom were in on the plans, joined them in the suite to celebrate with champagne toasts. To create an intimate experience, they decided to hold the ceremony at the Los Angeles home of her parents. “It was so special to have all my friends join me and get ready in my childhood room,” says Alex.
The couple personalized the Jewish service by penning their own vows. They shared what they wrote to each other on the morning before the ceremony. For Dan, what was written on the envelope was particularly poignant. “It said ‘your last letter from Alex Lippman...more to come from Alex Landy,’” says Dan, “and that put the entire weekend into context for me.”
Every weather possibility at this outdoor wedding was taken into account with a thoughtful gesture for the guests. Chairs were draped with custom pashminas in case it was chilly and sunglasses and parasols for sunnier conditions.
Because of neighborhood noise restrictions, after the ceremony guests were transported to the Beverly Hills Hotel for the reception. “We wanted to transform the room into a warm setting like being in someone’s home,” says Alex. Several shapes of tables, some with cloths and others with warm wood left uncovered, classic gold and ivory china, and blue and white French-style planters with white tulips helped create the ambiance. A 20-foot wall of blue hydrangea served as a stunning, beautiful backdrop.
Dinner was personalized with a mini-raw bar for each guest as starters, followed by truffled risotto served tableside from rolling carts. Entrées included Dover sole or steak, while late in the night In-N-Out burgers helped fuel the crowd.
The couple’s first dance to John Legend’s “All of Me” surprised and wowed everyone, not only for the fancy footwork, but because Legend appeared in person to perform it. The energy was so high throughout the night that one friend said his Fitbit recorded that he had danced for nine miles.
After brunch with family and friends the next day, Alex and Dan headed for a honeymoon that started with tickets to the French Open in Paris and ended with relaxing time in the Greek Islands.
WEDDING TALENT
Ceremony Location: Private Estate; Reception Location and Caterer: The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA; Event Design and Planner: Levine Fox Events, Los Angeles, CA; Art Direction and Event Design: Ed Libby & Company Events, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; Event Design, Décor and Linen: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Wedding Dress: Naeem Khan; Groom’s Attire: Tom Ford; Cake: Sylvia Weinstock Cakes, New York, NY; Special Entertainment: John Legend; Photography: Joe Buissink Photography and John Solano Photography, Los Angeles, CA
