Lighthearted Palm Springs Wedding: Nicole + Vince

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Nicole + Vince’s lighthearted Palm Springs wedding took place at one of my absolute fave SoCal spots: the iconic + charming Ace Hotel in Palm Springs! Agreeing to forgo many of the formalities of a traditional wedding, Nicole + Vince focused on certain aspects that were important to them – like serving yummy food + throwing an epic dance party! And since Nicole was completely inspired by the beautiful mid-century modern decor + old Hollywood glamour inherent to the hotel’s design, they worked with what was already available, and added small + purposeful details throughout. I’m super in love with their pink ombre ribbon ceremony backdrop + the perfect use of gold + sparkle in the reception design. Here’s a bit from Nicole about why they decided to throw a Palm Springs wedding:

Palm Springs is one of our favorite places. We love to vacation there and we even got engaged there during an amazing weekend in March of 2012. Vince proposed to me over drinks at The Parker on a Friday night and of course I said yes but the best was yet to come… Little did I know that Vince and our two best friends, who later became our Maid of honor and best man, had been planning a surprise engagement party with all of our friends for the following night!  Needless to say, Palm Springs is a special place for us and when it came to planning our wedding it was the perfect choice.

Such a fun engagement story! Big thanks to EP Love for the gorgeous photography and congrats to Nicole + Vince!

ace wedding chevron invitation

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Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

I was initially opposed to seeing each other prior to the ceremony, BUT Vince was very adamant that we get through pictures prior to the ceremony so that we could spend time enjoying ourselves afterwards. He is, at times, the more rational one in our relationship, so I eventually agreed and it was a really great decision. Seeing each other for the first time was better than both of us could have imagined. Vince had seen my dress, I had seen him in his tuxedo, but when we locked eyes on that day it was like we were in a movie. He looked so handsome and my dress was sparkling in the dessert sun. Our eyes both filled up with tears of joy and then we quickly moved in to our silly secret handshake and laughed and all of our nerves melted away. It was such a beautiful moment.

first look

pink and gold boutonniere

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ombre backdrop

ombre backdrop

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pink bouquet


I’m crazy about the gorgeous floral design by Chelsea of Hello Gem. And Nicole, Vince and their wedding planner, Courtney of LVL Wedding and Events, handmade all of  the flower vessels themselves by collecting over 100 bottles, scraping the labels, and spray painting them with different gold patterns. Love how they turned out!

gold painted bottle vases

table numbers

gold painted bottle vases

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gold painted bottle vases

mrs sign

mr. sign

ombre ace wedding dessert bar

bundt wedding cake

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Bridal Party: Montezuma – Fleet Foxes; Bride: Sea of Love – Cat Power

Recessional: Crazy Little Thing Called Love – Queen

First Dance: That’s How Strong My Love is Covered – Otis Redding

first dance

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

This is probably a common theme with brides but if you can do it, get a planner, even if it is just a day of or partial planner, it's totally worth it. I would have been lost without my planner, Courtney. I started a brand new job two months before we got married, talk about stress. Courtney was so helpful and amazing and I could not have done it without her.

In addition, if friends and family want to help, let them. My family was all the way across the country in Ohio so I was lucky enough to have my best friends Tara and Erin and their mom Linda that were nearby to help. Last but certainly not least, our mothers were a HUGE help by being supportive about all of our decisions and being there every step of they way through the process. A wedding is a true labor of love when you want to make it your own and you choose to DIY a lot of elements. So many people came together to make our day so special and I cannot thank them enough for that. Accept help and let go of control when you can and it will make things a lot easier and less stressful.

photography: EP Love // venue name: Ace Hotel and Swim Club, Palm Springs, California // event design: the bride and Courtney Caplin Cotter of LVL Wedding and Events // planning: the bride and Courtney Caplin Cotter of LVL Wedding and Events // wedding dress: Thiea from the Nordstrom Wedding Suite // hairpiece: hair comb by Nina from the Nordstrom Wedding Suite // bride's shoes: Christian Louboutin // bridesmaid dresses: Amsale from the Nordstrom Wedding Suite // hair stylist: Jennifer Naideth // makeup artist: Jennifer Naideth // groom attire: J Crew // catering: The Ace Hotel -- King's Highway // cake: Nothing Bundt Cakes // music: DJ Chris Paul // floral design: Chelsea Kline of Hello Gem // paper goods: Paper Source and Linda Pionkowski (family friend of the bride), ceremony programs by Chelsea of Hello Gem. All other paper goods by The Pionkowski family and the Bride // garland: The Flair Exchange // balloons: The Flair Exchange // glitter letters for the Mr. & Mrs.: Natalie Xanthakis // cheers: Natalie Xanthakis // etc: Natalie Xanthakis

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