A Quaint Classic Wedding at The Langham Huntington Pasadena in Pasadena, California

“We met at a lounge bar through a mutual friend of ours, and I immediately fell in love with how much he loved to smile,” Dodonna Jen says about her first encounter with Theodore Lin. “He was always laughing or smiling, and just had such a positive energy that attracted everyone to him.”

When it came time for Theodore to pop the question, the proposal was very low key. Taking place at home, it was “nothing crazy” – and Dodonna wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The two were engaged for ten months, and spent about eight of those months planning their big day.

The wedding planning process was made simple with the help of a wedding planner. While the bride-to-be was surprised by how many decisions there were to be made, everything was streamlined with the additional help. Inspired by a pretty floral arrangement she saw on Instagram one day, Dodonna chose shades of purple and accents of gold for the wedding color palette.

And in terms of choosing her wedding gown, she knew exactly what she wanted. “I always knew I wanted to wear an Oscar de la Renta dress for my wedding,” she explains. “I found one that was part of his last collection he designed personally before passing away, and I fell in love with it.” The wedding day was a charming and intimate celebration with 125 of the couple’s closest friends, family, and furry pets.

Dodonna's two dogs attended the ceremony, wearing floral wreaths and relishing in the love and attention they received from everyone. With the Langham Huntington Hotel being dog-friendly and allowing the two pups to roam around, it was the perfect venue for hosting the celebration. For the bride, the most memorable part of the wedding was a dance with her brother.

Having been through so much together and sharing a close relationship, it was an emotional moment for the siblings. The reception was spent dancing the night away. Guests went home with a box of the newlyweds’ favorite cookies – which they had brought over from Asia – featuring custom sleeves with their silhouettes on them.

There was also some delectable Langham fudge red velvet cake that paired perfectly with the cookies. “At the end, we felt so accomplished and there isn’t a single thing we would’ve done differently,” says Dodonna . “I was able to marry my best friend and I just wish we could do it all over again!”