Mid-Century Magic: A Romantic Retro-Disney-Inspired Wedding in Palm Springs

“A shared love of Disney has always been such a big part of our story,” say Julie + Greg of the absolutely ✨magical✨ inspiration at the heart of the planning process for their mid-century modern Palm Springs wedding. 

“Both of our families are multi-generational residents of Anaheim, CA and have deep ties to Disneyland,” bride Julie shares. “My grandfather attended opening day, met Walt Disney, and took me to Disneyland every year for Christmas. Greg grew up in Anaheim, spending weekends at the park with his family. As adults, I ended up working at Walt Disney World, and Greg at Disneyland.”

The couple collaborated with coordinators from Sierra James Events to keep their celebration at mid-century architectural gem and venue Desert White House running smoothly. And Julie just so happens to be an event designer and one of the creative minds behind Fruitvale Designs, which she runs with her sister, Katie. Together, they designed and planned the day from start to finish, with much of Julie’s vision coming to life through ambitious DIY projects she had long dreamed up

“We wanted our wedding to reflect that history and all of those meaningful Disney memories,” Julie says. “Early in the planning process, we realized we both loved the mid-century aesthetic—especially the fashion, architecture, and cocktails of the ’50s and ’60s. Which fit perfectly since so much of Disneyland’s original design motifs and architecture from its opening in 1955 have that same retro feel.”

“We decided to go with a Disneyland Hotel-inspired theme, which allowed us to bring that mid-century modern aesthetic to life at the Desert White House. Everything tied back to that vintage Disney look and feel we both love.”

This whole day was a love letter to the retro-chic energy of mid-century design with all the fairytale romance of an animated classic, and the BRILLIANT Mary Costa captured so many gorgeous moments.

Fruitvale Designs (aka Julie herself!) created these sunny, 1960’s-influenced wedding invites, and we are so into the color palette and pattern choices!

Julie leaned into the Old Hollywood glam vibes that are synonymous with Palm Springs and got ready in a show-stopping white feather trim bridal robe.

“I knew I didn’t want to wear white, especially since the venue was such a beautiful blank white canvas,” Julie remembers. “After trying on so many dresses, I finally found a gorgeous pink silk chiffon dress by Zuhair Murad.”

“The fabric was breathable and comfortable while making a bold, colorful statement.”

“Greg went with a traditional black tuxedo rented from Friar Tux,” says Julie. “We were surprised by how well it fit—it was exactly what he was looking for.”

A Fairytale First Look

The Sunny Ceremony

“My best friend’s dad, Joerg, helped make our incredible welcome sign in the style of the original Disneyland Hotel sign,” Julie says, “and it was exactly what we envisioned!”

We love the way that Thistle & Oak Floral Co. made the ceremony’s aisle arrangements feel so organic to the SoCal desert landscape while still adding so much warm-tone whimsy.

We’re HUGE fans of a blush bridal look like Julie’s. Check out our collection of the best pink wedding dresses if you are, too!

Our Musical Choices
Processional
"Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles (Acoustic Guitar)
Recessional
"Marry You" by Bruno Mars (Acoustic Guitar)
First Dance
"Perfect" by Ed Sheeran

Wedding Day Wheels

We can’t imagine Julie + Greg’s day without this dusty pink vintage 1957 Ford Thunderbird from Monroe Palm Springs. You just might even recognize this convertible cutie from this intimate Palm Springs wedding (another gorg pink wedding dress moment)!

A sunny Palm Springs wedding day absolutely calls for a pair of bridal sunglasses. And some stylish men’s sunglasses for the groom, as well!

Three cheers for Bibbidy Bobbidy Beauty who created Julie’s glamorous Old Hollywood bridal hairstyle and rosy wedding makeup look!

We can’t get over this gorgeous gown. The color! The billowy cape sleeves!

Check out this creative Montana Wedding to see another one of our fave examples of a bride absolutely rocking a pink wedding gown.

A Retro Poolside Reception

“From looking at old photos and we tried to match subtle but important design aspects of the Disneyland Hotel,” Julie says. “We purchased umbrellas, furniture, posters, vintage matchbooks, and magazines and other small details all with the hope of pointing to one cohesive theme.”

Cheers!

That’s The Spirit was on site pouring all sorts of magnificent mid-century inspired drinks for Julie + Greg’s guests to enjoy.

How cute are those customized mid-century drink stirrers!

Signature cocktails like Julie + Greg’s are such a great way to make your personality + personal taste an experiential part of the celebration for your guests.

Our Favorite Memory
One of the most memorable moments was asking our amazing bartender, Cam, to try lighting one of the drinks on fire. We’re both big tiki fans, so having a bartender who could create that high-touch, personalized experience for us and our guests made the day feel extra special.

An Intimate Dinner

Julie + Greg made use of the stunning Palm Springs scenery with a beautiful outdoor banquet setup from Signature Party Rentals.

Our Advice
From the bride: "Decide early on what you want to DIY. I had so many creative ideas, but I didn’t fully commit to a make-vs-buy plan. I ended up doing almost everything myself, which was such a wonderful experience, but realistically, it only worked because we kept our guest list to 14 people."

Those AMAZING pink fringe lamps? Those were a Julie DIY creation!

So were the menus + napkins. And she painted the charger plates + teacups as well!

Folklore decked out the tabletop with so many dreamy details. Those fluted champagne coupes! 😍

And guests dined on a delicious reception feast from James Madison Catering.

“Don’t be afraid to have a small wedding!” urges bride Julie. “We had planned to host a larger event the year after our wedding, but honestly, the intimacy and magic of our weekend in Palm Springs was so special that we might have just chosen this celebration alone if we had known how perfect it would be.”

A Glamorous Second Look

“We both had second outfits for the day,” Julie recalls.

“I changed into a white puff sleeve chiffon reception dress with a front slit purchased from David’s Bridal, and Greg switched into a white tuxedo jacket.”

TFW your gorgeous rose gold engagement ring perfectly matches your dusty pink vintage Thunderbird.

Something Sweet

Desert Villa Bakery’s minimalist two tier wedding cake was the perfect backdrop for those Disney-inspired mid-century metallic starburst decor details.

Congratulations, Julie + Greg, on your marvelous mid-century Palm Springs wedding! Wishing you both nothing but pure Disney-worthy magic!