This Fun + Funky House Party Wedding in Palm Springs Filled A Mid-Century Estate With Love

Way back in 1956, famous Broadway composer Frederick Lowe (you might know him from Brigadoon, Camelot, or My Fair Lady) built a breathtaking midcentury home on 3 acres of land in the heart of sunny Palm Springs, California. Known today as The Frederick Loewe Estate, this architectural gem is full of Old Hollywood history and surrounded by lush gardens.

Brides Julie + Stephanie fell instantly in love with the 20th Century magic of The Frederick Loewe Estate. “As soon as we walked on the grounds we knew it was the place we would get married,” says Julie. And Palm Springs was already a special spot for this Los Angeles based couple because it’s where they got engaged!! So they collaborated with planner Stacey Jones and brought about a beautiful house party of a wedding full of love! And photographer Dana Gaydon of Modern Joy Weddings was there snapping photos of every fun and funky element of this heartfelt day! 

Pre-Wedding Photoshoot

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Julie + Stephanie made the most of their time at this stunning venue by doing an engagement shoot the day before the wedding!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

We’ve got butterflies for Julie’s gold metallic dress!! Check out this LoveShackFancy look for a similar shine!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Stephanie wore the Twisted Tailor Barros Suit from ASOS for the shoot, and we’re loving the black and white floral flocking. Also, how great are Julie’s Christian Louboutin heels?!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Outfit change!!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Stephanie’s sleeves!! So clever to rock the Bosekemper Blazer dress as a jacket.

The Wedding Day

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Julie was the EPITOME of Old Hollywood glamour in this long, feathery getting ready robe!

The wedding party looked nothing but cool in their matching black satin wedding party robes and heart-shaped sunglasses on this sunny Palm Springs day.

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Julie’s stunning off-the-shoulder satin wedding gown from Loho Bridal cut an elegant vintage-inspired silhouette.

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

We’re loving Julie’s pearly white wedding day manicure! Take a look at some our fave wedding nail ideas if these have you feeling inspired!

The First Look

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

A sweet, intimate moment for these brides with their wedding party cheering them on through the floor-to-ceiling windows!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs
Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Stephanie created her amazing jumpsuit by having the skirt of the Jenny by Jenny Yoo Elinor Deep V-Neck Lace & Illusion Wedding Gown from BHLDN altered into pants!!

The shoe game is SO STRONG with these two.

Julie wore the ornate and pearlescent Rose in Bloom Heels from Freya Rose. Throughout the weekend’s festivities Julie rocked somewhere around THIRTEEN pairs of amazing shoes.

Stephanie customized her High Top Chuck Taylors with glitter and embroidery for the big day!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs
Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Look at this classy crew!! We are HUGE fans of a wedding party in all black! Take a look at our roundup of the best black bridesmaid dresses in every style.

The Ceremony

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

What a dreamy desert oasis!!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

The warm, colorful florals for the day were designed by Luna Design Studios including this gorgeous chuppah full of dangling blossoms.

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

How fun is the vintage font on this seating signage? So perfect for this venue.

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs
Our Musical Choices

Processional: "The Story" by Brandi Carlile (instrumental version)

Recessional: "Dancing Queen" by ABBA (instrumental version)

First Dance: "What Dreams Are Made Of" by Hilary Duff (from The Lizzie McGuire Movie) into "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None the Richer

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs
Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

THEY DO!!! (Also, do not miss the delicate pearl details on Julie’s veil!!)

You’ve GOTTA get into bridal sunglasses when you shine as bright as these two!!

The Reception

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Julie + Stephanie kept things simple and retro-inspired with their reception decor from Signature Party Rentals in order to highlight the genius midcentury design elements of the venue.

We can’t even count the different varieties of warm-toned blooms in this rich, textured arrangement!!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs
Our Advice To Those Planning Now

From Julie: "I won't tell you not to stress out, because that's ridiculous. I did find though, that nothing was really that bad until two weeks before the actual wedding. Prior to that, I'd get frustrated by slow responses from vendors, but they all have weddings every weekend and really don't get into the true details until those two weeks before. I think it would have really helped if I'd known that, so I could set better expectations about the communication, and to mentally prepare for those two weeks as they really were way more stressful and chaotic than I'd imagined. We were so lucky to find Stacy Jones, our incredible wedding planner, who knows everything and everyone in Palm Springs. She truly saved our mental and emotional states, and handled that weekend so we could just enjoy our time together. Couldn't have done it without her!"

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

A total poolside paradise.

Inspired by these chic and colorful wedding guest fits? Go check out some more semi-formal wedding guest outfit ideas!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

This is Billie, and we are obsessed with her custom ensemble!! A friend of the brides made this elegant full train number. We love when couples find a way for their beloved pet to steal the show!! Check out some of our favorite examples 🐾 !

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Julie + Stephanie wowed their guests with a first dance choreographed by their friend Ryan at Cold Feet Dance!

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

Aside from the actual ceremony, we'd have to say the dancing was incredible. We had a real millennial vibe going with the music, a lot of late 90s - mid aughts songs, and everyone just leaned into it. We really wanted the day to feel like a fun house-party with everyone we love, and it truly did. It was the perfect day!

Retro House-party Vibes in Palm Springs

Stephanie revisited her black and champagne floral suit from ASOS, and Julie had the incredible L’artiste Jumpsuit by Zhivago altered by Folklore Dress Studio so that the sleeves could come off for dancing!

Spin the Dial caught some unbelievably romantic footage! Check out the video!

Julie + Stephanie, your super-rad mid-century wedding was sunny Palm Springs perfection! So happy for you both!! Congrats from GWS!

photography: Modern Joy Weddings // venue name: Frederich Loewe Estate, Palm Springs, CA, USA // planning: Stacey Jones // florals: Luna Design Studios // hair stylist: Fusion Hair // videography: Spin the Dial // catering: Harvest Kitchen // furniture rentals: Signature Party Rentals // linen rentals: Signature Party Rentals // lighting: Lumineering Industries // first dance choreography: Cold Feet Dance

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