LOCATION: Vibiana
PLANNER: Rheefined Company
CAKE: Vanilla Bake Shop
RENTALS: Found Vintage
RENTALS: Rrivre Works
FLORALS: M Flowers
MAKEUP: Stevi Christine
HENNA: Henna DilSe

SRI LANKAN WEDDING

Vibiana
214 S Main St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 626-1507

When planning a big South Asian wedding, Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles may be one of the best wedding venues. It can easily accommodate hundreds of guests. There is also a massive ballroom for a reception or ceremony and an outdoor space for a ceremony or cocktail hour. There is also a ton of character. Built in 1876, Vibiana is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Back then it was once the west coast headquarters of the Catholic Church. Now it is one of Los Angeles’ most unique event spaces. Imagine getting married in a place like this!

For this wedding our clients were married outside at dusk and then moved inside for dinner and dancing. They are both Sri Lankan which means the wedding ceremony is very different than an Indian South Asian wedding. The ceremony is called a Poruwa ceremony. The bride and and groom stand on an ornate wooden platform. There are many customs, most noticeably the moment when their pinkie fingers are tied together. Water is poured over their fingers and onto the ground. The idea is that the water and ground are witnesses to their union. Other great moments are when a group of teenage girls sing ‘Jayamangala Gatha,’ and when the priest breaks a coconut in half, blessing their union.

Like most South Asian weddings, there were hundreds of people in attendance, actually 600! Again, this is why Vibiana is the best venue for this type of wedding. It can easily and comfortably hold this amount of people. Special thanks to Jason Rhee of Rheefined Company for his planning and design.