It’s no secret that a desert wedding tends to bring out those bohemian vibes, but we’re loving the timeless romance that Allie + Jeff brought to their big day at the Parker Palm Springs! The couple exuded simple elegance with a black + white color palette and classy florals but chose to let the venue speak for itself so they could focus on the personal touches. (Like the super-cute seating chart!)
Here’s what Allie had to say about planning the Palm Springs celebration: Early on we were overwhelmed by all the options, so we outlined our priorities for our big day. The recurring theme was to make everything fun and feel like more of a celebration than a formal event. As a result, we thought it would be best to keep things minimal and focus on our love and commitment to each other. We were lucky because the décor and gardens at the Parker are stunning on their own, so we didn’t have to do much. We added as many personal touches as possible throughout. For instance, we captured the pictures on our own camera for our invitations. We also used pictures of our guests for the seating chart and our engagement pictures on our menu. These little touches made the day feel like it really was about the two of us.
Gantes.Co had a blast capturing the sweet day, sharing that A + J “radiated love and calm” — and we can totally see it in the beautiful photos below!
Hello Gem took on the lucky task of the day’s design + planning, as well as crafting some gorgeous floral designs!
Palm Springs is notorious for it’s hot days, but A + J didn’t complain when their photographers at Gantes.Co chose a rad spot off-site for their first look.
Allie’s stunning Noel and Jean dress brings a whole new meaning to the term ‘diamondback’!
The bride sported a chic pony and natural makeup, thanks to the talented Jenny Bowker.
Such a good-looking group!
The classiest way to beat the heat? Parasols, darling! Allie’s gals sported black numbers from Reformation, Madewell and J.Crew. We chose a few of our favorites here for you to shop!
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There were so many memorable moments that made the day. From sweating it out in 109 degree heat during photos, to the couple of wedding crashers we had and of course the amazing speeches. But our favorite moment was during our ceremony when the “personal words” were exchanged. Our officiant asked us to write personal words about the other discussing a story that meant a lot to us. We sent the personal words to him and he kept them a secret until the ceremony where he read them aloud for our guests, and for us to hear for the first time. It was a really special moment. We also wrote all of our own vows, which made the entire ceremony feel so personal. It was a powerful experience that we will never forget.
Processional: Acoustic Instrumental of XO by Beyonce
Recessional: Don’t Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
First Dance: Coming Home by Leon Bridges
Fresh + fun with the couple’s unique personal touch — love it!
Worried you’ll be too busy to truly enjoy your wedding day sweets? Allie + Jeff offered this bit of brilliant advice:
Ask your day-of coordinator to coordinate with your venue to pack any leftovers, and in our case, leftover deserts. We both love sweet treats knew a lot of the desserts from the dessert bar would not get eaten. Also, several of our friends who were recently married told us that they didn’t get a chance to enjoy their food because they were dancing and talking to guests. We walked away with several boxes of sweet treats that we munched on during our mini-moon.
We can’t emphasize enough to hire vendors who match your style and personality, and most importantly, who you get along with. We were fortunate to have great vendors, not only for their creativity and experience with weddings, but just great people in general. We clicked with our vendors like we had known each other for years and felt like we made great friends during the process. Also, don’t forget to make time for each other while planning. It gets busy, stressful, and lots of outside voices will come in. Making sure to take a step back and enjoy the company of your soon-to-be spouse always puts things in perspective.
Additionally, schedule some time alone with each other after the ceremony. During cocktail hour, we went back to our suite and spent the first hour of marriage together, reflecting on the day so far, and basking in each other’s excitement and love.
Margaret and Corey for Branch and Cole captured the intimate moments of A + J’s nuptials in this stunning video:
Wasn’t it the most lovely day?! All our congrats to the couple; here’s to the happiest forever-ever!
photography: Gantes.Co // venue name: Parker Palm Springs, Palm Springs, California, USA // event design: Hello Gem // planning: Hello Gem // florals: Hello Gem // wedding dress: Noel and Jean // bridesmaid dresses: Reformation, Madewell and J.Crew // hair stylist: Jenny Bowker // makeup artist: Jenny Bowker // groom attire: Suit Supply // videography: Margaret and Corey for Branch and Cole // music: Dart Collective
