An elegant chic wedding at the The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California

For some couples, it’s love at first sight. Others travel a long and winding road. Realtor Bobby Boyd and Bravo Network’s Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles realtor Josh Flagg knew each other for 10 years before their stars aligned. One was single and the other ending a relationship when they met again, and Josh asked Bobby to dinner.

“Personality-wise, we’re very similar,” says Bobby. “We both love to be the life of the party, so I wasn’t sure how that would work.” But Bobby agreed to the date, and while talking long into the night, he discovered Josh’s “sweet, romantic” side.

The intensity of the relationship was somewhat disconcerting for Bobby, who thought they might be on “different pages.” But a particularly heartfelt message from Josh opened his eyes. “Holy crap!” said Bobby. “This must be what it’s like to be falling in love.”

Although both men were eager to be the one to propose, Josh won out. “I wanted to surprise Bobby by creating a magical moment.” On Bastille Day at the Four Seasons Paris, Josh arranged for a flash mob to pave the way to his emotion-filled question. Bobby said “yes” while trying to hold back tears.

Hours later, back at their flower-filled suite, Bobby took Josh out to their terrace overlooking the Eiffel Tower and returned the favor by proposing to Josh. 

It took some negotiating to come up with the perfect wedding plan, but at the Beverly Hills Hotel the grooms-to-be knew they had found the place and team that could help fulfill their dreams.

“Our wedding needed to be elegant, classy and chic and gay, campy and fun,” says Bobby. With walls draped in white linen and white orchids and roses everywhere, not a hint of stuffy ballroom remained. “We wanted a setting where every guest could shine and that backdrop assured our vision.”

Bobby paid tribute to his mom, who had passed away the year before, by walking down the aisle to her favorite song, “I Will Always Love You,” by Whitney Houston. As a jazz saxophone player wove his spell, Bobby could feel his mother’s spirit and realized he was ready to get married. The couple, who wrote their own vows, were wed in the hotel garden under a white floral wedding canopy. 

Immediately after the ceremony, they were whisked away and hidden in the balcony as guests entered the reception. “So much effort went into our planning,” says Bobby, “that it was fun to be a fly on the wall watching people appreciate what we had created.”

The newlyweds surprised friends and family with a first dance that began with a flowing fox-trot to Etta James’ “At Last,” transitioned to swing accompanied by Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love,” and ended in a shower of confetti after bringing down the house with a hip-hop Humpty routine they learned for the occasion.

The theatrics continued as guests were seated for dinner. While the band played “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” 50 waiters appeared with caviar on miniature ice sculptures. “It was over-the-top dramatic and totally Josh,” says Bobby. Between courses, speeches and a professional dance troupe provided entertainment, and the grooms privately joked that it felt like they were hosting the Oscars.

A favorite moment for Josh came as Bobby performed a drum solo tribute to his late parents. “He took lessons for months just for this, but everyone thought he’d been playing for years,” says Josh. “He was a rock star and I loved watching him.”

Later that night, a grand Willy Wonka-esque chocolate factory was revealed. “I’m a kid at heart,” says Bobby. The candyland’s six-foot lollipops and massive gummy bears introduced every kind of sweet imaginable from s’mores, donuts, brownies and cookies to candy piled in bins, heaped in bowls and spilling from glass jars. “It was just like a movie,” says Bobby. 

A 10-day honeymoon in Bora Bora fit the bill of being somewhere the newlyweds had never been before and a place where they could unplug from life. “We laughed, had fun, ate our faces off and drank tons of good wine,” says Bobby. “It was spectacular and it was paradise.”