Renewing vows is surely one of the sweetest things a married couple could ever do. Reminding each other just how in love you are and planning a celebration that (let’s face it) in hindsight may actually be a little more reflective of the two of you is a beautiful thing! Without the pressure that a wedding can sometimes bring, a vow renewal can be all about celebration + fun. And for Maria + Nick of Studio 1208 Photography, their stunning desert vow renewal was exactly that.
They share, We spend our life traveling the world together, telling amazing love stories for other people, so it is really important to us to take time out to tell our own! When you shoot photo and video professionally, you always end up as the designated shooter at family events or parties and we love that… but it also means we are never in any pictures together. We understand better than anyone how precious it is to be able to have the important parts of your life committed to film, so we dreamt up this fantastic party!
They reconnected with Tyler Branch, who shot their wedding in England, and enlisted their talented wedding creative friends to pitch in wherever they possible. The end result was the most fun + eclectic celebration smack dab in the middle of one of our most fave locals: Joshua Tree.
Hicksville Trailer Palace perfectly set the stage for the fun that was to come. Gianna of Chic Celebrations beautifully planned + designed the event and Lauryl Lane worked her insane floral magic to bring everything together in the best of ways.
We’re officially obsessed with this perfect ceremony set-up!
Our Favorite Memory
Maria: The most memorable moment for me was having Jackson (our son) walk me down the aisle to Nick. He has been at all of our weddings, but this is the first time he was big enough to take part. He was so proud!
Nick: I think for me, it was this almost slow motion moment when it all hit me during the first dance. I was just looking around at all our close friends, waving sparklers at us, in the middle of nowhere, under a million stars, thinking wow.... we are really lucky to have this. It was incredible.
Obsession part II goes to Maria’s absolutely perfect vow renewal look! Guys, that’s a Forever 21 top paired with a champagne under skirt from Cynthia Vincent. Way too good.
^^ Wow, wow, wow! ^^
We’re in love with every portrait Tyler captured, but that one above might have to take the cake!
Maria, Nick + their top-notch crew handled a big snafu with the coolest of attitudes. Maria says, We had a major uh-oh moment at the party… our original caterer didn’t show up…yeah, worst nightmare!!! However, our coordinator didn’t skip a beat, and literally saved the day (night) by heading to Del Taco (25 mins away!) to get about a million tacos, burritos, and quesadillas for us to stuff our faces with. We were in the middle of nowhere, and our options were zero for non fast food. DEL TACO SAVED OUR WEDDING!!! Everyone loved it – it was the perfect thing to eat, and you should have seen everyone’s eyes light up when they saw their favorite fast food show up in heaps!
Take a peek at the film Central Studios captured of the celebration!
Our Advice
Yes! Do exactly what you want, and have fun with it! What is so great when you renew, is that there are no rules, and you can do anything and the stress should be far less than the first time! You can right the wrongs (if any) of your first go 'round, and it can evolve. Re-write vows to each other and be completely present in the moment. We kept it really small, and thought that was great so we could spend time with everyone and celebrate all of our guests too - they are such a big part of our story!
Featured in This Wedding
Tyler Branch
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Other Vendors in This Wedding
Venue: Hicksville Trailer Palace // Event Design: Gianna SanFilippo, Chic Celebrations // Wedding Planner: Gianna SanFilippo, Chic Celebrations // Florals: Lauryl Lane // Hairpiece: Vintage 1930's tiara // Bride's Shoes: vintage and Converse X Missoni // Hair Stylist: Ryan Richman // Makeup Artist: Bride did her own // Videography: Central Studios // Paper Goods: Tessa Shane, Nathan Walczak // Catering: Del Taco // Music: Nick Bentley – the groom DJ'd the entire party // Officiant: Danny Hagendorn (personal friend) // wedding look 2: dress and fur – vintage // macarons: Priscilla Mariani, and Angela Lam // pastries: Priscilla Mariani, and Angela Lam // rentals: ModMix Studio
