Vivian Mehrabian and Anthony Grigorian first met during middle school, when mutual friends introduced them on AIM – AOL Instant Messenger. Something clicked right from the start, as their first phone conversation lasted for three hours. Of course, being kids at the time, they eventually stopped “dating” but became the best of friends throughout high school. For their senior year, the two teens rekindled their relationship, went to prom together, and officially began dating.
“Funny thing is that Anthony was my first kiss,” Vivian shares. “Now, eight years later, we’re married!”
“Funny thing is that Anthony was my first kiss. Now, eight years later, we’re married!”
Anthony proposed on June 22, 2019, in a very intimate setting at Hermosa beach. Vivian didn’t see it coming and was overcome with emotion. For the couple and their chill, laid-back personalities, it was the perfect proposal with just the two of them – plus Vivian’s dream engagement ring.
The newly engaged pair jumped right into the wedding planning process, setting their wedding date for September 2020. Like countless other couples, they had to change the date twice due to the pandemic, but finally secured a date on April 30, 2021. Both Vivian and Anthony knew they wanted to work with the best team of vendors, so they enlisted the help of Rene Zadori Photography and celebrity floral and event designer, Eddie Zaratsian. They also chose to have a traditional church wedding ceremony, followed by a reception at their favorite banquet hall, Taglyan Cultural Complex.
“We weren’t even sure if our wedding was going to happen for sure up until less than three weeks till the wedding,” Vivian recalls. “This was pretty stressful trying to get invites out to everyone and hoping they would show up. Other than that, we put everything in Eddie’s hands. All we told him was that we wanted black draping and black floors because it’s so sexy and chic, with blush florals. He took care of everything else from plates to cups to cake design to floral choices.”
When their long-awaited wedding day arrived, the bride and groom were filled with excitement more so than nerves, and they couldn’t wait to be husband and wife after so many years together.
“I was so ready to begin my life with my best friend and felt a sense of calmness, knowing I have an amazing man by my side who has always loved me for me, who I can trust, and who will make an amazing father one day,” Vivian adds. “We always say to each other how lucky we are to have a love like we do, and how it’s so rare for high school couples, let alone middle school sweethearts, to end up together!”
With Armenian weddings being an all-day affair, the groom got ready at his house. His family members joined him at 10 a.m. to dance, eat, drink, and help him prepare for the big day. The bride enjoyed the same with her side of the family until 12:30 p.m., when Anthony and his family went to her house to “ask permission” from her dad to take her as their bride. More family celebrations took place before everyone transitioned to the church for the ceremony, followed by a wedding photo session at a beautiful Beverly Hills mansion.
“When we finally got to the banquet hall, we were in complete shock with how beautiful everything looked,” describes Vivian. “Our floral arrangements looked like floating clouds of cotton candy! Everything was breathtaking. We had an exquisite fine dining menu and unlimited drinks. We had our favorite singer fly in from Armenia to sing our first dance. We partied with 200 of our closest family and friends until 2 a.m. and went to our newly purchased dream home together.”
After such an eventful wedding experience, the newlyweds took three weeks off before heading to Mexico for their honeymoon, as it was one of the few destinations they could visit with the travel restrictions at that time.
“We needed the relaxing vacation on the beach,” Vivian states. “Two days in, we both got food poisoning and stayed in our room binging on Ozark and laughing about the entire honeymoon experience! We’re definitely going to have our initial honeymoon plans pre-covid as soon as everything opens up again. Europe, here we come!”
WEDDING TALENT
Location: Taglyan Cultural Complex, Los Angeles, CA; Floral & Event Design: Eddie Zaratsian, Los Angeles, CA; Wedding Dress: Berta; Photography: Rene Zadori Photography, Glendale, CA