Jaimie + Ryan are a stylish couple from Toronto, Canada who decided to run off to the desert and elope in Palm Springs! The day before they were going to get married there was a huge storm (rare for So Cal, let us tell ya!) but the day they tied the knot it was sunny + perfect – totally meant to be! They exchanged their vows in the Coachella valley and then ran all around the desert taking photos and enjoying being newlyweds. Exactly what an elopement is all about!
Sarah + Drew of Piece of Cake Elopements helped put their amazing day together, from marrying them to helping with the florals + details! And the lovely Samantha Arroyo captured it all to perfection. Go team!
So why’d they decide to elope? Jaimie tells us, We decided on eloping for a couple of reasons, really. First, we wanted to do something inexpensive. The idea of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a wedding made us break out in hives. But, second, we still wanted to do something special and memorable and romantic.
A breezy ASOS dress was perfect for the laid-back occasion.
Ryan: After the ceremony, back at our hotel, I surprised Jaimie with an acoustic duo to play our song so we could have our first dance. The entire patio area of our suite was decorated, our dessert bar was set up, the fire was roaring… and the duo playing our song made an already perfect day even more perfect. Plus it made Jaimie cry, which is great ammunition for future poking fun.
Get a planner. Dear god, get a planner. It’s shocking how much time, effort, and work still goes into planning an “easy” elopement. I put “easy” in quotes because it’s far from easy. Especially if you’re planning a destination elopement. Having someone there on the ground for you is invaluable. In the Palm Springs area, we highly recommend our planners, Sarah and Drew at Piece of Cake Elopements!
Get a good photographer. And make sure they take lots and lots of pictures. Especially if you’re doing a no family, no friends, just-the-two-of-us elopement. For us, we found it easier for our friends and family to forgive us for not inviting them because we had a ton of great photos to distract them with.
photography: Samantha Arroyo // venue name: Ace Hotel, Palm Springs, California // event design: Piece of Cake Elopements // planning: Piece of Cake Elopements // florals: My Little Flower Shop, Palm Springs // wedding dress: ASOS // music: Jo Nagle and Michael Sherry of the band ‘Time and the Dragon'
I love her dress it looks so comfortable and chic.
-M
http://www.violetroots.com
A tale well told. I absolutely love all those pictures. The location is quite different and unique, just like her chic dress. Lovely post (y)
In love with the taped flowers on the wall. Stunning location and photography.