It was about three years ago when Fiona Nasseem and Trent Revic were first introduced through mutual friends in Marina del Rey, California. Trent had just moved from Australia for work a month prior, and his Australian accent was among the first things that caught Fiona’s attention. One date was all it took to seal the deal.
When it came time to pop the question, Trent succeeded in pulling off the perfect surprise engagement. “I used to be a competitive horse rider for my whole life, and Trent is super thoughtful,” Fiona shares. “He planned to take me to Santa Barbara.
“IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE WE WANTED TO CREATE FOR OUR GUESTS”
It was supposed to be my birthday celebration but a week late, to throw me off so I wouldn’t know what was coming. We went to this gorgeous ranch and they have about 500 acres of land to ride around. We ended up on this cliff overlooking a lake, and it was just us and the guides.”
Since Fiona and Trent have family around the world who were unable to travel long distances for a wedding, they decided to have two celebrations. The first was an intimate ceremony in Australia with family, which took place at a historic private estate. The newlyweds then departed for their honeymoon, spending a day in Singapore before continuing on to the Maldives. Once they returned home, it was time to get ready for a lavish reception at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
More than anything, the couple wanted the wedding planning process to focus on their guests. “It was all about the experience we wanted to create for our guests,” Fiona describes. “I.E.C. was absolutely amazing. Even before we contracted with them, Jonathan spent over an hour on the phone with my mom, walking through all the details.”
The Lee Petra Grebenau dress Fiona chose ended up setting the tone for the wedding décor scheme, which was designed with a contemporary vision in mind. Despite being told that anything modern would be “too simple,” the bride knew she could take a younger, more relevant aesthetic and have it leveraged into a show stopping reception space.
“I will take credit for this,” she says. “I was really pushing for modern. I did not want to do the same overabundance of grouped flowers you see in a lot of opulent weddings. I already found my dress at that point, and the dress was modern. We also designed the flower chandeliers together. I cannot stress how much effort and details the planners put into this—it was one of those things where you just had to be there. I had planned it, and my breath would still catch when I looked around that room.”
Fiona’s father is an architect, so attention to detail was second to none. Every aspect of the wedding was considered, including the color of the drinks that were served and how they would look on the table. He even had a collection of tailored outfits brought in for the waitstaff and organized a choreographed ballroom dance with professional performers, adding yet another carefully planned layer to the guest experience.
“The morning of the Beverly Wilshire wedding was the coolest thing, because Trent and I had so much time together,” Fiona states. “We woke up and had our breakfast and got ready. The best part of the day for us was taking photos and driving around in my dad’s old Jaguar. It was like royal wedding vibes.”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills, CA; Planner: International Event Company, Beverly Hills, CA; Event Design: Revelry Event Designers, Los Angeles, CA; Floral Design: Mark’s Garden, Los Angeles, CA; Wedding Dress: Lee Petra Grebenau; Bridal Salon: Kinsley James Couture Bridal, Los Angeles, CA; Groom’s Attire: Custom Favourbrook London; Rentals: Town & Country Event Rentals, Van Nuys, CA; Lighting: MJ Lighting & Décor, Los Angeles, CA; Linen: Luxe Linen, Carson, CA; Cakes: Joanie & Leigh’s Cakes, Los Angeles, CA; Entertainment: LA Follies, Venice, CA
