Real Wedding: A Modern Celebration Designed to Inspire

An unexpected location, subdued color palette, and unifying motif make this wedding a polished, modern affair.

Halli Brunkella and Nicholas Thiel

For a couple that met in design school and share a passion for modern architecture, a casual, beachy wedding would not do. So when Hallie Brunkella, 29, and Nicholas Thiel, 30, decided to get married in their hometown of Los Angeles, they searched hard for a space that had a contemporary, urban feel. They settled on Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral and, for the reception, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, designed by Frank Gehry. Once the location was booked, the sleek color palette—black, white, and platinum, with accents of pale green—fell easily into place. The couple created one simple graphic, a plus sign, that they used everywhere from pins for the guests to the decoration on the cake. When it came to creating a cohesive look, everything just came together.