The Tamesis
Zella took a unique approach to helping plan the look of her bridal party. “I gave each bridesmaid five yards of yellow silk and one yard of chiffon, which I sourced in downtown Los Angeles,” she shared. “I wanted them to be in the same colors and fabrics, but create a dress that made them feel really good.” The groomsmen were also tasked with finding a black suit. “It’s fun to see everyone wearing different button-down shirts and accessories,” Zella said. “They all have interesting personal styles, and at the end of the day, we wanted the wedding party to have fun with the task.”
The festivities kicked off on Friday night with a welcome party at The Devil’s Backbone Ballroom. “Our friend Matt Tedder played Texas Swing with his jazz trio, and another friend of ours, Josh Pearson, gave two-step lessons at the beginning of the evening, which were the perfect icebreaker for the weekend,” the bride shared. The night was lively as guests drank Lone Star beer, played pool and danced on the floor.
The wedding day came with a heavy rain. “Fifteen minutes before I was supposed to walk down the aisle, it started raining so hard that a creek started forming in the center of Pioneer Town, preventing them from setting the tables and all the guests having to take cover,” the bride shared. “I finally asked my sister to close the curtains so that I could shut everything out and concentrate.” Fortunately, five minutes before she had to walk down the aisle, her stepfather arrived with a smile and brought the news that the clouds had cleared up.
When the guests took their seats, the song “Church of Love” played. “The smell of rain was in the air as my stepfather led me out into the sunshine and held my hand through the gurgling water,” Zeira said. As they approach the church, a version of “God Only Knows” starts playing on banjo and pedal steel. At the door, Zella’s stepfather escorted her mother to her seat while her father walked down the aisle on her arm. “It’s very important and meaningful to honor the two fathers in my life,” Zella said. “It makes the parade feel complete.”
“Our best friend, bandmate and later officiant, Beau Bedford, asked Jesse and me at the beginning of the ceremony to look around the room and see our loved ones,” the bride recalled. “Since the church was too small and could not accommodate more than 60 people in the seats, others gathered around the church and watched from the windows. When I looked around and saw everyone’s smiling faces looking at us, I started to cry. We were truly surrounded by love, and this is an image and feeling that I will cherish forever in my heart.”
After reciting personal vows and saying “I do,” Jesse’s nephew rang the church bells while his jazz trombonist father led a quartet in a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “Over There in New Orleans” that had guests dancing from their seats. “When the trumpet blows, everybody—I mean everyone— gathered in front of the church to take pictures,” the bride shared. “In my mind, it was this Photos from the wedding. “
