Long before SIMJI and Kai Arwas started creating content around rugs and rug tufting together, they met in the middle of tenth grade, when he transferred to her high school. “We were just friends, but we started dating almost as soon as we graduated!” SIMJI says.
After a decade together, Kai proposed on their anniversary. He had planned a trip to St. Thomas—where they’d celebrated their first dating anniversary—and had mapped out the whole day, which raised SIMJI’s suspicions, given that she describes him as not “the perfect planner.” He didn’t disappoint: they set sail on a private yacht cruise to Christmas Cove for a private dinner, and at one point Kai produced a pink guitar and performed a new song he’d written for the occasion. “He usually writes me songs for special occasions, but this one was like no other,” SIMJI says. “He began strumming and singing a song about our story—how we started our journey together.”
Kai also typically writes letters on their anniversary, but admitted he hadn’t gotten to it that year. Instead, he said that if he had, “it would go like this”—then pulled out a ring and got down on one knee. After SIMJI said yes nearly ten times, their best friends appeared from below deck, having flown all the way from Australia to celebrate.
Once engaged, the couple began planning their wedding at the Bel Air Bay Club. “It checked all our boxes,” SIMJI says. “It’s stunning, overlooks the ocean, and has a grass area outdoors for the ceremony with the option for an indoor reception.” Their initial instinct was a Bridgeton-inspired vibe with romantic florals, but they quickly gravitated toward something more distinctive. “We wanted sculptural, dramatic, soft but also edgy.”
Janna Takeyama of Takeyama Events brought their vision to life, while Ria Georgia photographed and Boy Brooklyn filmed the whole spring weekend.
SIMJI knew she wanted lace but hadn’t settled on a silhouette. With the help of stylist BEXtique, she fell in love with a Lee Petra Grebanau design at NWLA. “I made slight custom changes—adding two feet to the train and changing to a basque waist rather than a U-waist,” she explains.
Her reception dress search started at the same boutique with a particular Francesca Miranda look. “It was a long gown, low cowl back, with the most beautiful fabric layered with sparkles, crystals, and lace,” SIMJI shares. “I had never seen anything like it and knew straight away I wanted to have a dress with this fabric but with a different silhouette. I worked with the designer to come up with a design that would suit me more which was a full length gown with a halter neck, low back, and a leg slit and they stunned me with the final piece!”
The groom’s look was equally considered. For the ceremony, Kai wore a black tuxedo with a shawl lapel and vest adorned with seven brooches the couple sourced themselves. “A favorite is the rat brooch he wore close to his heart—one of our nicknames for each other is ‘rat,’ so a vintage rat brooch was perfect,” SIMJI says with a smile. “We removed the brooches just before our first dance so they wouldn’t snag the lace on my dress.”
On the morning of, SIMJI got ready with a beauty team from Kelly Zhang Agency, while bridesmaids put on V. Chapman dresses from the same collection. “We are obsessed with V. Chapman,” the bride states. “The designs are so stunning and they have such a signature look!”
On June 7, 2026, SIMJI walked down the floral-lined aisle—blooms by Peony and Plum—on her father’s arm. “He told me, ‘Walk slowly, so we can have this moment for as long as we can.’ But no matter how slowly we walked, it didn’t feel slow enough.” Before exchanging vows, the couple held a matcha tea ceremony, a personal touch that surprised guests. Their dog, Simba, served as ring bearer, and they said their vows in front of 50 of their closest friends and family.
During cocktail hour, the content creators surprised their guests with a gifting suite filled with their favorite brand’s products and a photo moment in front of their custom ocean rug. Dinner followed in the reception space—a four-course meal at tables draped in a serpentine style to evoke ocean waves, with seashell-shaped place cards adorned with mini pearls.
DJ Aflex of Hi Def Group hosted the dance party and emceed a run of games—Squid Game challenges, a scavenger hunt, and trivia—with prizes including lotto scratchers and custom rugs. “A really memorable moment was when we were all on the dance floor taking group photos and suddenly the Squid Game music came on and the lights went red,” the bride recalls. “Every guest froze. Then when the game was announced, everyone grabbed each other.”
After a night of dancing and games, the newlyweds headed to their suite at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills with most of the wedding party in tow. “We talked and laughed for hours, and finally went to bed around four in the morning.”
