A Floating Garden Inspired Wedding at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California

Chantal Kazandjian and Teddy Kazarian started out as childhood friends and officially began dating during college. “Even throughout the years – Teddy was living in New York and I was attending school in Los Angeles – we knew we wanted to be together, so long distance was never a concern for us,” says Chantal.

Although the couple had been in a long-term relationship, the topic of marriage was never discussed. It was a complete shock for Chantal when Teddy popped the question on New Year’s Eve of 2016, surrounded by their closest friends. “I helped plan the ‘party’ we were hosting, and Teddy had let me know beforehand that he wanted to make a New Year’s toast during the countdown,” Chantal recalls. “This was pretty typical for him, but little did I know the toast was his proposal!”

The wedding planning process was an adventure for both the bride and groom-to-be. Since Chantal never “envisioned” her dream wedding, Teddy was hands-on with piecing together the perfect day. “We knew we wanted the venue to be somewhat non-traditional from our Armenian culture and wanted an outdoor ceremony space,” describes Chantal. 

“When we arrived at Monarch Beach Resort for the first time, we knew it was the right fit for our celebration. We wanted to create a vacation-like setting, with the possibility of having a two-day event as most of our guests would drive down from Los Angeles.”

When the wedding day arrived, all the details came together seamlessly. The bride and groom were relatively calm before the ceremony, and excited to celebrate with their loved ones. “In our culture, close friends and family typically dress the bride beforehand and the shoes are placed by the brother,” Chantal shares. 

“To honor our Armenian heritage, Teddy also wore green and red ribbons to symbolize, peace, love and sacrifice, which was placed on him by both his grandmothers. Walking down the aisle with our friends and family by our sides was surreal.”

As soon as the newlyweds stepped into their ballroom reception for the first time, their jaws dropped. While they had an idea of what the design concept would look like, seeing it culminate in a warm and inviting space filled with floating orchids, peonies, and roses was more incredible than anything they’d imagined.

“Our vision was to create a floating garden, and it was just that,” says the bride. “Everything from the decor, to the custom menu we created, to the entertainment was beyond our expectations and we were there to enjoy our party. Our celebration was filled with plenty of dancing, drinking, laughs, and tears. For us, it was about making sure our guests enjoyed their time and felt the love we share.”