Dramatic Flair: A Daring and Unexpected Display of Details at Grand View Malibu

Perched high in the Santa Monica Mountains, a Malibu wedding might typically conjure visions of lush, garden-inspired romance. But a talented team of creatives—including founder and lead designer Gabi Pilar of Pilar Floral, Heidi Hou, owner and principal planner of The Fête Collective, Jasmine Ortiz of Jasmine Marie Photography and Scott Lu of Scott Lu Events—envisioned something entirely different: a bold, avant-garde celebration for couples eager to take risks, break from tradition and embrace their wedding as a canvas for creativity.

At Grand View Malibu, with its sweeping vistas as the backdrop, the team unleashed that vision through an unexpected melange of design elements: whimsical floral arrangements (baby banana tree, anyone?), cloud-like ottomans for the ceremony, sculptural tabletop vessels, linens in a moody storm-gray and mirrored surfaces that reflected the ever-changing sky.

“The tone created a dramatic canvas that allowed the florals and sculptural details to really pop while echoing the natural landscape around us,” Hou explains.

Even the bar menu received a daring twist. Instead of the usual paper or acrylic display, signature cocktails were etched into a quartz slab edged in gold. The striking stone doubled as art when paired with modern glassware and sculptural florals—an elevated focal point for cocktail hour.

“The real opportunity was in challenging the space, pushing past what’s expected into something more daring,” Pilar says. “That’s the beauty of styled shoots: they give us the freedom to play, experiment and explore ideas that haven’t been seen before, showing just how expansive the creative process can be.”