“I Do” or “Be Mine?” 💘 Why not both?
Valentine’s Day fell on a Tuesday in 2023, but the mid-week date didn’t stop romantics Amy + Jeff from making it their wedding day!
This quirky + creative couple gathered their friends and loved ones at Ace Hotel Palm Springs for a celebration best described as a colorful, eclectic 1960’s Valentine’s Day prom. Thanks to the help of month or coordination by Weddings By Sabrina and tons of DIY brilliance, Amy + Jeff immersed their guests (all dressed festively in their “brightest, happiest, wildest, most sparkly, or most dapper outfits and their dancing shoes,” btw) in all sorts of vibrant Valentine’s romance + fun.
But this isn’t your run-of-the-mill pink + red Valentine’s Day moment. Amy + Jeff chose to lean into all kinds of color—blues, greens, yellows, fuchsias, you name it— to capture the retro whimsy of a vintage Valentine.
We can’t get enough of Amy’s powder blue vintage-inspired custom wedding gown, and we are so excited to show you all of Mary Costa’s gorgeous pics of this one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day wedding!
Bride Amy designed these fab retro invites herself using Canva! If you like the idea of skipping a traditional stationer and dreaming up your own vibe, check out our list of the most beautiful wedding invites you can buy online.
How fun are the blush + blue floral robes that Amy and her BFFs got ready in?? Take a look through our list of the 39 best bridesmaid robes your bridal party will love to find the right getting ready look for you and your crew.
Amy’s white and gold floral earrings are delicate, bridal, and so sweet with the floral lace cuff details on this dress.
If you’re going to rock a pair of wedding boots, why not go for something dazzling? Amy’s Cady Rhinestone boots by Betsey Johnson added so much festive sparkle to her vintage-inspired bridal look.
“I’m not a huge fan of traditional wedding dresses,” says Amy, “so I had thought of trying to find a designer dress that was not specifically a wedding dress, but did not have much luck finding something I liked. So, I decided to design my own dress!”
“I purchased light blue swiss dot fabric from Mood and found a daisy lace trim that I liked, and approached Tashina Hunter about sewing a custom dress based on a few images and details. We had several fittings and Tashina created the dress of my dreams!”
So into Jeff’s deep green velvet jacket tuxedo from Cosiani. Perfect for the vintage prom vibes of the day.
The First Look
Sneaking a peek with your person before the ceremony can be so romantic!! Check out our 8 reasons why we love a first look if you still need some convincing.
Definitely explore our list of all the blue wedding dresses we love best and our list of our fave high neck wedding dresses if you’re loving Amy’s unique + colorful bridal silhouette as much as we are.
Okay. We are OBSESSED with these matching sequin floral bridesmaid looks!! Amy’s bridal party wore the Showstopper Dress from Ivy City Co., and we can’t get enough of the way that the pale blue sequins in their dresses pick up the pale blue of Amy’s gown!
You might want to investigate our favorite sequin bridesmaid dresses and our favorite floral bridesmaid dresses if the sparkly + flowery maximalism of this bridal party look is lighting you up.
(And yes, there was a matching jumpsuit version for a member of the groom’s crew.)
One of the many amazing DIY elements of Amy + Jeff’s day? Amy and her friends did ALL of the flowers! Loving the gold accent floral hair accents that the bridesmaids wore.
These groomsmen’s shiny suit jackets from Coofandy complimented Jeff’s velvet look and totally tapped into the festive midcentury formalwear aesthetic.
You can never have too many black heart frame sunglasses!
The Ceremony
So charmed by the retro simplicity of this ceremony setup! Amy + Jeff nailed the vibe by letting the midcentury poolside Palm Springs energy of the space speak for itself.
Dying to recreate this whimsical monochrome white ceremony arch? Grab some white paper party decor of your own!
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding Several! Exchanging our written vows, having our friends and family sing "With a Little Help From My Friends" by the Beatles during our ceremony, and the ice cream toss we had at the end of the reception in lieu of a bouquet toss. We found 10 or so tiny ice cream stuffies and instructed the winners to take someone out for ice cream later!
Ace Hotel Palm Springs’ Feel Good Spa is responsible for Amy’s flawless sleek fringe down-do and her dramatic winged eyeliner makeup look.
We simply can’t get over these bridesmaid dresses. Such a bold + exciting take on to the more traditional matching bridal party look and such a fun alternative to the popular mismatched bridesmaid vibe.
Our Musical Choices Processional: "Here, There, Everywhere" + "And I Love Her" by The Beatles
Recessional: "When I'm Sixty-Four" + "Got to Get You Into My Life" by The Beatles
First Dance: "Sea of Love" by Cat Power
The Reception
Planning a poolside wedding day? Snag a pool float letter set like Amy + Jeff did to add a romantic monogrammed touch.
Custom foil printed cocktail napkins like Amy + Jeff’s are an excellent way to put a personal, retro stamp on cocktail hour.
The gold foil lace doilies that Amy+ Jeff used as chargers and throughout their table decor conjured some serious Cupid-style nostalgia.
Love seeing the pale blue of Amy’s wedding dress incorporated into the reception table linens!
These shimmering three-tier tinsel fringe chandeliers were screaming PROM!
Audio guest books are such a fun alternative to your typical pen-and-paper version. And how perfect that this one came with a powder blue vintage phone!
Sweetheart frame sunnies made for fun + romantic wedding guest favors.
A bar covered in vintage Valentines and shimmery metallic tinsel decor!
Who can say no to a double chocolate cupcake?? Look through our list of 14 wedding desserts to serve besides cake if you want to shake things up in the sweets department.
Our Advice To Those Planning Now From the bride: Don't be afraid of a theme! It's only tacky if you make it tacky, and it's a lot of fun!
Don't be afraid of color! Especially if wild, maximalist decor tickles your fancy.
There will be many small details that do not go according to plan, especially if you're doing it yourself. Don't fret: it will all turn out fine and it won't matter in the end.
DIY? Start early and don't get too crazy on your Pinterest boards! I certainly had too many ideas, and it was hard to edit down. Make sure to pace yourself, and don't leave everything to the end, otherwise it will be unbelievably overwhelming.
Indecisive? Find a sounding-board friend! My wedding party friends all lived far away and had small children, so I didn't want to bother them with details, and I wished I had reached out earlier for help.
Amy + Jeff’s two-tier vintage-inspired red and blush stunner of a wedding cake was created by Over the Rainbow Desserts.
Congratulations, Amy + Jeff! Your vintage Valentine’s Day prom wedding in Palm Springs was colorful, eclectic midcentury magic. ❤️ GWS wishes you many happy Valentine’s Day anniversaries to come!
photography: Mary Costa Photography // venue name: Ace Hotel & Swim Club Palm Springs, Palm Springs, California, USA // event design: Bride // florals: Bride & friends // wedding dress: Miss Tashina & Bride // hairpiece: Bride's mom's veil // bride's shoes: Betsey Johnson // bride's ring: Mason Grace // bridesmaid dresses: Ivy City Co // hair stylist: Ace Hotel Feel Good Spa // makeup artist: Ace Hotel Feel Good Spa // groom attire: Cosiani // groom's ring: Zales // groomsmen attire: Coofandy // paper goods: Bride using Canva // handmade details: Bride // cake: Over the Rainbow Desserts // desserts: Over the Rainbow Desserts // music: Supermoon DJs // photo booth: California Booth Bus // month of coordination: Weddings by Sabrina
These tones! In love with the colors. It seems like shoot with Kodak Ektar film roll!
Love the red ribbon on the bridal bouquet – helps the bouquet pop against the blue tones of the dress