loreto los angles wedding on film
summer solstice wedding
loreto la
words written by nick martino and sage chodosh (bride & groom) (who are writers)
On the weekend of the summer solstice, beneath a canopy of auburn California light, on the back patio of a Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles teeming with cacti and succulents, we were married beneath the reaching arms of a honey mesquite tree. Bright garlands of marigold flowers hung down from the branches around us, a floral canopy at once both chuppah and mandap, blending the Jewish and Hindu traditions of Sage and her family.
Because we were officially married almost nine months prior in a small civil ceremony with our immediate family, we were able to dispense with the rigors of a traditional wedding ceremony, deciding instead to blend our cultural and familial traditions. Sage wore a hand-made crochet dress the color of creamy coffee and Nick his wide-legged favorite linen suit. There was the throwing of rice and marigolds, processional music sung by Sage’s aunt and cousins, and a nod to Nick’s heritage when his father described—and demonstrated—the Italian football weddings he grew up with, a tradition particular to large Italian-American families who would prepare large sub sandwiches for the reception and wrap them in butcher paper so that they could be thrown down banquet tables to hungry wedding guests. A platter of subs from a nearby shop was procured, and sandwiches thrown to volunteering guests. The ceremony closed with the Hindu tradition of Saptapadi—seven steps the couple take around a sacred fire—followed by the exchanging of vows and the Jewish tradition of breaking the glass.
Just as the light fell and deepened into sunset, the rest of the evening unrolled with an effortless joy. Cocktail hour in the succulent garden with trays of mezcal margaritas and scallop tostadas. Tables abundant with fruit floral arrangements; mangos for Sage’s nani, strawberries and raspberries for her father’s parents, whole melons for Nick’s grandmother Marie. Family-style dinner of butterflied branzino. Toasts from our parents. Carajillos and churros for dessert, followed by the opening of a mezcal bar to get our guests geared up for the dancefloor. After we split a carajillo, we opened the dancefloor with a couple’s dance to If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys.
We designed and curated the night to be less a celebration of us and more a celebration of all the wonderful people—past, present, and future—that make us, us. Who love us, support us, and enrich our lives as a couple and individuals. We wanted the night to feel abundant, authentic, and inviting to our loved ones, just as the solstice invites us to step outside with the people most dear to us and savor the long summer light.
