A Modern and Minimalist Wedding in Black and White
From talking on Tinder, to running into each other at a private comedy show in Hollywood, Desanka and David Pinder were destined to be together from the start – and the universe was going to see it through.
Over the course of six years together, the couple made it through their Master’s Degrees, bought their first house, traveled the world, and started a business. Then, in March of 2022, David proposed during a Disney cruise sailing from San Diego, California to Ensenada, Mexico.
“This was so us.”
A Modern and Minimalist Wedding in Black and White
Desanka and David’s wedding was the most “untraditional, traditional” wedding one could imagine.
“Our inspiration came directly from everything that Vogue is,” Desanka shares. “Editorial, timeless, classic, and modern. We measured the success of our wedding based on people's reactions being, ‘That was so David and Desanka.’ This held us both accountable to making decisions that were directly related to who we both are as people, and who we are as a couple – not trends that we saw on Pinterest or boxes that society has built for us to adhere to.”
This approach to the wedding planning process resulted in a modern and minimalist wedding in Long Beach, California, overlooking the private airport. The glossy black and white theme was garnished with white neon and mixed metallic touches, accompanied by a live pianist, an all-black wedding party, and an 8-foot heart arch at the end of the aisle to symbolize a day of celebrating love.
“Our 12-person wedding party walked down the aisle to ‘Hedwig's Theme’ from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone,” Desanka adds, “followed by my entrance to ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ from Pinocchio – my husband's favorite Disney character. These unexpected personal touches alluded to our shared passion for Harry Potter and love for Disney, nodding to our engagement story. We nixed traditional vows during our ceremony, as we knew what we felt for each other. All 150 people in attendance led us to a ‘This Is What Dreams Are Made Of’ exit from The Lizzie Mcguire Movie, of course.”
The Wedding Details
The bride wore a Julie Vino gown that was studded with sequin clusters, a sweetheart neckline, and off-the-shoulder billowing sleeves. This was paired with a long, sweeping veil scattered with Swarovski crystals, which perfectly matched her bridal manicure. However, it was her Chanel boots that stole the show.
“I felt a lot of pressure to wear heels as a bride,” she explains, “but that wouldn't have been authentic to who I am – hence, this bold choice. While my bridesmaids held synthetic black rose bouquets, I held the only other ‘floral’ in sight – Venus Et Fleur pearlescent white forever roses. Having a dreamy floral arch fantasy wasn't in the cards for me, even after feeling pressured by seeing every single Lake Como wedding spoon feed me what felt like a necessity. It would have been anti-David and Desanka.”
The groom wore a custom black and white suit, accompanied by black velvet Gucci loafers that matched the assorted black velvet bridesmaid dresses. His ensemble was finished with a 24-carat gold embossed Louis Vuitton tie that matched his brother's bow tie, and a David Yurman meteorite wedding band. The meteorite band was created from a real meteor that landed in Africa.
Cocktail hour featured beer, wine, and boba selections, and dinner showcased all the couple’s “foodie dreams” at different stations: dim sum, French fries, pizza, and street tacos. After a champagne toast and a four-tier funfetti cake-cutting, a dance party erupted through the venue. David and Desanka also surprised guests with a gourmet cotton candy cart.
“The wedding ended,” says the bride, “but the party lasted until 5 a.m. the next morning. David and I were truly left feeling, ‘That was so us.’”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: The Modern, Long Beach, CA; Planner: Palm & Pine Events; Florals: Venus Et Fleur; Catering & Rentals: 24 Carrots Catering & Events, Los Angeles, CA; Cake: Susie Cakes; Engagement Ring: Jean Dousset; Wedding Dress: Julie Vino; Bridal Salon: àLouise Bridal; Groom’s Attire: Indochino; Cinematography: Declan Cadman Films; Photography: Paige Nelson