Jordan and Nick are both from Michigan, but they didn’t meet until they both picked up and moved to Los Angeles—and started working for the same company—in 2016. “Nick offered to buy me lunch one day in order to get my number,” Jordan remembers. The move worked and their friendship slowly turned romantic. In September 2022, the couple took their annual summer trip to Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa. One morning, before the boats and visitors came out on the lake for the day, Nick proposed to Jordan on the dock. Their best friends, along with Nick’s brother and sister-in-law, who are professional photographers, were waiting in the wings to celebrate and capture the moment. “I was so surprised to see them—it made it even more special to have some of our favorite people there to experience our special place together and celebrate with us,” Jordan says.
As soon as the couple walked into the Ebell Long Beach in Long Beach, California, they knew it was the right place for their February 17, 2024, wedding day for 158 guests. “I’ve never seen such a unique space; each room has its own feel and theme. There are so many fun nooks and design surprises at every turn,” Jordan says. “It was so easy to picture our guests enjoying all of these thoughtfully curated spaces.” They worked with Jessica Foster Events to pull off their big day with a black and white color palette, intentional florals, a heart-shaped cake, and bow details. Keep reading to see all the details from Simply Adri Photography.
Jordan and Nick chose to host their wedding at the Ebell Long Beach, a historic venue in Long Beach, California. “We love to dance and have fun and wanted to choose a space where the party and dance floor would flourish,” Jordan says. “The moment I saw the chandeliers over the Mediterranean-tiled flooring, I knew that we had found our dream space!”
With a black and white palette, the couple also felt the venue offered a great canvas for their vision to come to life. Jordan may have fallen in love with the dance floor and courtyard, but it was the hidden Black Panther oil painting that sealed the deal for Nick. “He is a huge Marvel fan!” Jordan says.
When Jordan went dress shopping with her three sisters and five nieces, she was incredibly decisive; she chose the first dress she tried on. “When I walked in the store, I went right up to where the dress was hanging and said, ‘I’m trying this one on first,’” she says. “I wanted something that was timeless and elegant but also sexy.” She chose an off-the-shoulder sweetheart Essense of Australia ball gown with a structured corset top and customized it with a thigh-high slit. When she walked out and saw her hype girls’ jaws on the floor, she knew it was the one.
Jordan accessorized with a blue acrylic clutch with her new last name as her something blue, diamond hoop earrings with a pearl drop, diamond initial stud earrings that Nick gave her as a day-of gift, and a bracelet with baguette diamonds as her something borrowed from her sister. She also wore a dramatic cathedral-length veil with sparkles, which was the finishing touch.
The bride works for a makeup brand, so she has had a lot of time to get inspired for her day-of beauty look—and she admits she can be picky when it comes to getting her makeup done. She chose her makeup artist, Kayla Arielle Artistry, after she experienced her work firsthand as a bridesmaid. Jordan went with warm brown and rose tones to look sunkissed, along with wispy, lightweight, and flirty lashes from the brand she works for, r.e.m. beauty, for herself and her bridesmaids. “I loved seeing my bridal party wearing things that I’ve brought to market!”
Jordan’s maid of honor was her younger sister, Sydney. She asked all of her bridesmaids to wear sleek black gowns in their choice of style; Sydney stood out in a tiered tulle gown. “I’ve always loved seeing pictures of bridal parties in all black,” Jordan says. “I wanted to let each bridesmaid choose their own black dress that they felt like a star in.”
The bride held a small, structured white bouquet that was made to feel as though it was freshly picked from a secret garden; her bridesmaids held similar arrangements. “The bouquets felt like a fun fashion accessory that complemented the dresses,” Jordan says. The couple had three flower girls, and they envisioned them looking like clouds in white dresses; the bride's sister added pearl details to their dresses by hand.
Nick wore a burgundy tuxedo jacket with a black satin lapel and black slim tuxedo pants. “He loves color and since the wedding was black and white, he wanted to find a color that suits him that only he would be in,” Jordan says. He accessorized with a floral pocket boutonnière and a Shinola watch that Jordan gave him as a day-of gift. “I’m from Detroit, so getting him a watch from there was special, as they’re a Detroit based company,” Jordan says. As a finishing touch, Nick wore his signature scent—Dior Sauvage. The groomsmen wore satin shawl collar tuxedos from The Black Tux and the couple’s ring bearer matched them in a black tux.
Jordan and Nick shared a first look because they knew the day would fly by. “When Nick turned around for the first look he got tears in his eyes and for a moment was truly speechless,” Jordan recalls. “That moment grounded me and reminded me that I am marrying someone who loves me more than they can put into words.” The couple also took photos before the ceremony so that after they were officially married, they’d have time to enjoy a cocktail together in the bridal suite!
The couple’s ceremony took place in the courtyard, where crystal orb chandeliers hung from the ceiling and black bistro chairs were set up on the black and white mosaic tiled floor. “For the ceremony, we aimed to blend seamlessly with the venue's unique architecture and design features while crafting a warm and inviting atmosphere for our guests,” Jordan says. An asymmetrical floral arch adorned with greenery and white roses was set up in front of a fountain as the focal point. The aisle was decorated with alternating floral arrangements of roses, orlaya, sweet pea, lisianthus, and ranunculus, along with clusters of white pillar candles.
Even though we were surrounded by people, it truly felt like it was just Nick and me speaking to each other.
Jordan and Nick chose to play songs that were special to them rather than traditional wedding music during their ceremony. The wedding party and Nick walked down to Frank Ocean’s “Pink and White;" Jordan’s sister Michelle walked her down the aisle to an instrumental version of “Nobody Gets Me” by SZA. “She is my best friend and the rock of our family,” Jordan says. “She’s supported me my entire life and I wanted her to have a special part in our wedding day.”
Shortly after the service began, Jordan and Nick exchanged personal vows they wrote themselves. They had to pause reading their vows a few times to hold back tears. “Even though we were surrounded by people, it truly felt like it was just Nick and me speaking to each other. We were able to tune everything out and just focus on each other,” Jordan says.
After the couple’s kiss, they celebrated back down the aisle to “Treasure” by Bruno Mars. “It’s such an upbeat song, you can’t help but stand up and dance,” Jordan says. “We saw people dancing in their seats as we walked back down the aisle.”
At cocktail hour, the couple served ahi poke tune cups. Jordan’s signature cocktail of choice was an espresso martini, while Nick chose a “pogmosa” made with passionfruit, orange, guava juice, and Champagne. “He loves mimosas, so we wanted to serve something that made sense for night time and pog juice/pogmosas are popular in Maui, one of our favorite places to visit. It seemed like the right fit,” Jordan says.
Jordan and Nick used an arched mirror for their escort display, complete with guests' seating assignments for dinner. The mirror was decorated with greenery and delicate orlaya blooms.
The couple’s reception took place in the venue’s Grand Hall, where hand-stenciled beamed ceilings, crystal and iron chandeliers, and a floor-to-ceiling mirrored fireplace created a cozy ambience. “Our design concept of moody romance unfolded seamlessly, with black linens lending a touch of drama. They were complemented by an eclectic array of smoke and vintage glassware and bespoke printed menus, adding a personalized touch,” Jordan says. The centerpieces included a mix of taper candlesticks, delicate votives, and flower arrangements of white roses, orlaya, sweet pea, lisianthus, and ranunculus. The floral arch from the ceremony was brought in to frame the fireplace.
Jordan and Nick chose “See You Again” by Tyler the Creator for their first dance. “This isn’t a very traditional slow song for a first dance, but it has always been special to us and sums up how we feel about each other,” Jordan says. “We’ve known for years that we will dance to this at our wedding one day.” They worked on some choreography for the beat drop. “On the wedding day, it was so much fun to show what we’ve been working on and seeing our family and friends cheer us on was an overwhelming feeling."
The couple served a light California-inspired meal, starting with an avocado salad with citrus; it was followed by a miso-glazed black cod. They listened to heartfelt (and hilarious) toasts shared by their closest loved ones. “People still talk about the speeches—we got roasted a bit,” Jordan says.
Jordan and Nick's vintage-inspired, heart-shaped wedding cake by Nicole Bakes Cakes was topped with skinny black bow embellishments—a décor detail that was repeated on the couple's Champagne coupes. They chose a vegan vanilla wedding cake with coconut passionfruit filling. Nick’s favorite dessert is churros, so they passed those around the dance floor, too.
Jordan and Nick love R&B and hip hop, so their party's music was a top priority. “We wanted to create an elevated atmosphere that led to an epic party. We just wanted everyone to have fun and stay until the last song,” Jordan says. They hired DJ Bino, who is also a close family friend. “The dance floor was crazy—it was exactly what we wanted,” she says. “It felt like a club when the party really got going.”
Jordan changed into platform high-top sneakers embellished with crystals and pearls and customized with her new last name for dancing. Jordan and Nick remind couples planning their big day that it all goes by too quickly! “Take every moment in and make time for the things that are important to you,” Jordan says. “There can be a lot of pressure from family or friends to have things done a certain way; stay true to yourself and don’t do anything that doesn’t fill you with joy.”