Chanel Perez and Ryan Boynton first met while studying at an arts college but were simply “just friends” and eventually lost touch after graduation. Ryan returned to his home state of Texas, and Chanel stayed in Los Angeles.
And then, in 2019, Ryan moved back to L.A. for his job and reconnected with Chanel. It didn’t take long for them to make up for lost time and begin dating.
A year-and-a-half later, Ryan surprised Chanel with a weekend trip to one of their favorite hotels, San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara. When they looked for a romantic dinner destination, they couldn’t find an open place. “It was during peak COVID in December 2020, so there weren’t a lot of options,” Chanel shares. They made the most of the situation and dressed up for a meal in the comfort of their hotel room instead. Ryan made this dinner truly memorable, though, when he asked her to marry him.
When thinking of their wedding aesthetic, Chanel and Ryan knew they wanted something intimate, unique, and fun. “Being from LA, Chateau Marmont has always held a special place in my heart,” Chanel says. “We knew it would be the perfect place because it’s so romantic and classic.” Beloved by Greta Garbo and Jay-Z, the hotel is an iconic Sunset Boulevard establishment. Chanel and Ryan were even more impressed when they found out their wedding would be the only one the famed venue has ever hosted.
Chanel planned the event herself but turned to Kristopher Brock for help with her dream dress. When one of your best friend’s boyfriends is Kristopher Brock from the Brock Collection, it’s a “no-brainer.” Chanel adds, “I fully trusted him on the design process. We ended up combining two dresses for my dress and used the same lace from the sleeves for my veil.” She paired the gown with her mother’s earrings. As for beauty, Chanel has always been low-maintenance and only hoped to look natural on her wedding day. Jenny Ventura and Ricky Mota achieved the effortless style she sought.
Ryan kept his wedding outfit sharp with a Paul Smith tuxedo, cufflinks, and shoes. Chanel’s sister Olivia served as the maid of honor and dazzled in a pink Elie Saab gown.
When the sun set on August 28, 2021, 33 guests congregated around the pool area of Chateau Marmont. Inessa Nichols Designs arranged the beautiful flower arch at the altar. Ryan’s two nieces and Chanel’s niece were the most precious ring bearers and flower girls. Chanel walked down the aisle with her mother, father, and a bouquet of cream-colored anemones. Intimate and special, the Jewish ceremony was everything Chanel and Ryan could have hoped it would be.
Afterward, the celebration continued in the garden by candlelight. The newlyweds led dinner with a toast of gratitude for their guests. Chateau Marmont served the fresh, airy meal that began with spring pea soup with crème Fraiche, creamy burrata, and garden salad. For the main course, plates of chateau bolognese, roasted chicken, and pan-seared market fish were brought to the table. Everyone dined on the delectable chocolate chip cookies—a sweet precursor to the olive oil Whoa Nelly Cake the bride and groom would later cut.
Once the meal was finished, it was time to dance. Around 80 friends were waiting in the bungalow to witness Chanel and Ryan’s first dance to Leon Bridges’s “Coming Home” and the Hora, of course! They noshed on late-night grilled cheese sandwiches and sliders, which powered all of the dancing that continued until 5 in the morning.
Chanel and Ryan honeymooned across Italy for three weeks. The vacation began in Florence, meandered to the Tuscan countryside where they stayed at the Borgo Santo Pietro, followed by the Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole and Le Sirenuse in Positano, and finished with Hotel de Russie in Rome. Chanel notes, “It was a total dream vacation, especially after not traveling for so long due to COVID.”
