Vintage-Meets-Urban Palm Springs Wedding: Laura + Ken

Ace Hotel wedding

Oh, The Ace. We love it so. And we think it’s so fun how every couple who ties the knot there puts their own personal spin on the setting + makes the place their own. We’ve never seen two of the same, and we’re definitely crushing on Laura + Ken’s vintage-meets-urban celebration! These two had a unique vision for their day: a bit modern, a bit vintage, and a bit bohemian, with a dash of Victorian influences. And they wanted their laid-back personalities and love of music to really shine through. Well, leave it to Beau & Arrow Events to make that happen + then some! Ellen + Kate are the queens of collabs, and once they joined forces with L + K, amazingness ensued!

More about it all from Laura, Having lived in Los Angeles for a number of years, the traffic, grind, and pace of life can take a toll which is why we like to escape a short drive away to the desert on the weekends from time to time. There’s just something about the desert landscape that we both connect to. Because we so often relish our getaways, we decided to make one of our favorite places to run away to, the place where we would get hitched. We loved the quirky, bohemian decor of the Ace and especially loved that all of the events of the wedding (ceremony, drinks, dinner, dancing) could be contained in one area – easy for us and easy for our guests. As for the event itself, we wanted it to reflect our personalities and our passions – low-key and non-fussy, with beautiful music and food that our guests would rave about the next day. 

Big thanks to Hugh Forte for these gorgeous images from the day  + congratulations to Laura + Ken!

Ace Hotel wedding

wedding sign


Have you ever seen a better desert-inspired bouquet?! Go, Tend Living, go! So pretty.

anemone and airplant bouquet

groomsmen ace 1

bridesmaids

airplant bouquet bridesmaids

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Laura: The first look - just remembering the joyous, excited expression on his face as I made my way to him through the desert always makes me tear up. And definitely the moment we took for ourselves after the ceremony. We were able to chow down on a plate of the appetizers and sip on glasses of something bubbly and just allow the moment and magnitude of what we've done sink in and savor it. I'll also never forget piling into the photobooth immediately after and taking our first few photos as husband and wife.

Ken: Easily the most memorable part of the day was the vows. We decided to write our own vows, and I had spent so much time thinking about what I wanted to say to LD and how to express those feelings, that I really hadn't thought much about what it would be like to hear her say something to me. We didn't show each other the vows beforehand, so when she started speaking I went through these waves of emotion which basically went from "These are the most amazing words anyone has ever said about me," to "Keep it together man, you've got to go next and if you're weeping uncontrollably, it's going to be a long ride for everyone," to "Oh my god, I have to go next - I thought I'd written some pretty awesome vows, but how the hell am I going to follow this???" I think something that most people don't realize about LD is that she's an incredible writer - it's a pretty powerful thing to have someone like her articulate their feelings about you even if you thought you already knew.

first look

Ace Hotel wedding

bow tie

boutonniere

halo 11

Ace Hotel wedding

Ace Hotel wedding


Laura’s look is so up our alley! And, yep, Ken looked pretty great, too! :)

bridal halo

Ace Hotel wedding

ceremony programs

Ace Hotel ceremony

Ace Hotel ceremony

Ace Hotel ceremony


A succulent + foliage garland = ceremony decor of the very best kind!

airplant garland

Ace Hotel ceremony

Ace Hotel ceremony

Our Musical Choices

Processional: Emer's Dream – Colm Mac Con Iomaire (Live Version)

Recessional: Sleepy Time – Fialta

First Dance: Hysteric – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Acoustic Version)

Ace Hotel ceremony

wedding party

green napkins

airplant centerpieces

gold flatware


Throughout the reception space, a fun mix of emerald green + rich gold tones juxtaposed succulents, airplants and other local desert naturals.

anemone bud vases

anemone bud vases

table numbers

foliage wall

succulents in driftwood


Such a cute shot!

cake cutting

first dance

wedding exit

Our Advice To Those Planning Now

Laura: So much of what you've probably already heard is true. It's so easy to get swept up in the events and seeing all the people who've traveled from near and far to be with you but it's equally as important to take those moments together to step aside and revel in it. Hire someone to help you and trust their guidance. Roll with the punches. Even though I was wearing flat shoes, I tripped and almost ate it on our walk back down the aisle after the ceremony. It was hilarious, ridiculous, but so very me. Also, my husband, as he has had to time and time again, caught me.

Ken: I heard a couple pieces of advice that I would pass along. First, try to stay together as much as you can throughout the evening - it's really easy to fall into divide-and-conquer social mode since it's hard to see everyone as much as you'd like, but it's good to be able to have the same memories to look back on with your wife/husband so you can share the same moments later. Second, is to make sure to find time to step back with your new spouse and just take it all in. There's a lot of buildup and time spent planning leading into the day, and it's good to take a beat and really see it - it's probably the only time in your life you'll have that many people you love and care about all in one place.

photography: Hugh Forte // venue name: Ace Hotel // event design: Beau & Arrow Events // planning: Beau & Arrow Events // hair stylist: Diana Lucia // makeup artist: Amy Clarke // paper goods: GoGoSnap // catering: Ace Hotel // cake: Ace Hotel // linen rentals: La Tavola Linen // music: friend // floral design: Tend Living // churro bar: Ace Hotel // vintage rentals: Found Rentals

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