Just when we thought we couldn’t love a Joshua Tree wedding more, Monica + Rob’s s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g 29 Palms Inn celebration hit our inbox and we were so smitten. Their intimate celebration was filled with plenty of meaningful touches and they each lent their own creative talents to the day, as well. Rob designed all of the printed materials himself and Monica designed + crafted her own succulent bouquet and the table arrangements. From Monica’s perfect Free People wedding dress to the desert-inspired color palette, to the sweet, sweet vibe of the day, we’re loving it all, and are so glad that Mike Cassimatis was there to capture everything so perfectly!
When asked about the inspiration for their day, M + R say, This question is easy! Nature. It’s a huge part of what brought us together, and most of our free time and weekends are dedicated to it. The entire wedding revolved around nature, from the animal-themed invitations to the beautiful desert setting of our wedding weekend.
This killer invite suite Rob designed (printed by Elysia Mann + Paper Chase Press) really must have set the perfect tone for the wedding weekend!
We just can’t get enough of Monica’s gorge Free People dress!
M + R’s two dress-wearing pups are so amazingly cute and must have been a really fun part of their celebration! If you missed our post yesterday, all about incorporating your dog into your wedding, you can read that here!
Monica: The most memorable moment was watching Rob choke back sobs as he cried his way through the amazing vows he wrote. Rob is so wonderfully sentimental and cried for about six months leading up to the wedding and straight through the ceremony. I bet he's crying now. Haha. It was very emotional though, everyone was crying! We wrote "vows" to one another, but neither of us really "vowed" anything as much as we talked about how hard our lives were before we became friends and later lovers, what we've learned from each other during the past few years together, and what we love about each other and envision for our future. It's still weird and yet not weird at all to me that we both did it that way. I guess we each decided to say what we needed the other one to hear, and it was much more meaningful to us than googling "wedding vows" (which I totally did before deciding to write what I felt in my heart). There's some advice! Write that down!
Rob: It's very hard to pin down one specific moment. The entire event was a blur of pastel colors, smiles, tears, and cacti. However, I think the moment I remember the most was mid way through reading my vows trying my damndest to hold back tears. I was a mess, crying my way through it and trying to finish each sentence as our friends sat silently waiting for me to finish. About half way through, I finally looked up to the crowd and said "Wow! I really am Emo!" Thankfully the eruption of laughter powered me through the rest of my vows and I didn't have to cry nearly as hard until Monica started reading hers.
Processional: Rolling Thunder – The Adobe Collective
Recessional: I've Just Seen a Face (Beatles Cover) – The Adobe Collective
First Dance: In Spite of Ourselves – John Prine and Iris DeMent
I bet everyone says this, but keep it simple. Don't get too caught up in details. It's too easy to stress over little stuff, even if you're a cool laid-back girl who normally would not worry about something as silly as the candles matching the invitations. Remember that when everything is said and done, it's the moments you will remember, not the things you bought or rented. Like how your very pregnant Maid of Honor and future husband had an impromptu push up contest a couple hours before the wedding (I have no idea why that happened), your brother's hilarious speech which he wasn't prepared to give and was more like watching stand-up comedy, or your weird improvisational dancing because you didn't realize exactly how long your first dance song is and you had to fill the time. I honestly don't recall what the silverware looked like and I couldn't care less.
photography: Mike Cassimatis // venue name: 29 Palms Inn // event design: Bride & groom // planning: Bride & groom // florals: Bride // wedding dress: Free People // bride's shoes: Free People // bridesmaid dresses: Free People // hair stylist: Hair by friend Jami Dale, makeup by the bride // makeup artist: Hair by friend Jami Dale, makeup by the bride // groom attire: J.Crew // catering: 29 Palms Inn // cake: Auntie Em's Kitchen // music: The Adobe Collective // officiant: Charlie Ohmsted // paper goods: Designed by the groom, silk screen printing by Elysia Mann, insert cards printed by Paper Chase Press
Wow! These wedding photos are breathtaking. The photos of them in the rocks are stunning.
Wow! Great photos! Loved the bouquet of succulents!
Loving the emotion & the gorgeous details !