A Transcendent Burning Man-Inspired Wedding in Death Valley, California

How cute is this: Rachael + Jordy’s workplace romance began when Jordy was assigned a desk that faced right into Rachael’s cubicle a few rows over. From there their office love story blossomed into something out-of-this-world and led to this epic, holistic, festival-inspired wedding that has left us completely speechless.

Fans of Burning Man will recognize a familiar transcendent desert gathering vibe in Rachael + Jordy’s Big Day. The couple took over Cherry Clouds Oasis in Death Valley, and, with the help of ‘Cause We Can Events, let all sorts of practices + traditions inform their moving ceremony under the Nevada desert sun.

The couple was innitialy inspired by the Mongolian steppe tribes and their practice of coming together to elect a new Khan or to celebrate a victory. These gatherings, or “kurultai” – which translates literally as “intergatheration” – acted as a framework as Rachael + Jordy built their own romantic rituals from scratch.

The groom was carried in on a sedan chair. The two said “I Do” high atop a precarious platform. And guests all stood, circling the newlyweds, for the entire ceremony.

“Our guests were from different periods of our lives with varied shared experiences,” says the couple, “and the image of these distinct groups of people assembling with the combined purpose of witnessing our union in a remote corner of the Mojave desert needed a more encompassing description than just a wedding.” 

Rachael + Jordy’s day truly was more than just a wedding, and these photographs from Daniel Bergin tell the story so beautifully. 

So grab your funkiest Burning Man-worthy fit and follow us into the Mojave!

“Because guests would be moving and participating throughout the ceremony, we asked everyone to arrive on Friday night so ALL could rehearse,” recall Rachael + Jordy, who put their friends + fam up in these adorable glamping tents from Anywhere Outpost. “We wanted to create as unified an experience as possible for everyone to share.”

Gathering For The Ceremony

“I hadn’t initially planned on wearing a white dress but a visit to a bridal shop with a girlfriend resulted in the purchase of a Watters ball gown and stole,” Rachael says. “In addition to providing drama, the volume was crucial to not be swallowed up by the expansive sky.”

When attending a Burning Man-inspired wedding you must have a fabulous sparkly cropped jacket on hand to complete your disco cowboy outlaw look.

Desert “I Do’s”

“While we were in our first year of dating, we visited The Peranakan Museum in Singapore, and one of the exhibits was of a traditional Peranakan wedding wherein the groom is carried to the bride,” remembers Rachael. “Jordy being brought down to me has been the foundational element of the ceremony ever since then.”

Rachael and her friend Amy constructed the sedan chair that Jordy carried Jordy in Amy’s father-in-law’s workshop three weeks before the wedding, and it was adorned with keepsakes from dear friends.

“Guests participated by decorating the sedan chair without management or instructions from the bride and groom,” Rachael + Jordy say.

Our Favorite Memory
Rachael: How strong Jordy’s hands felt squeezing mine when he heard my vows. Our sound engineer dubbed sound clips I’ve taken throughout our years of travel over my pre-recorded vows. We were already legally married so didn’t need an officiant, and I wanted to be able to touch him and kiss him throughout instead of fumbling with paper notes or worrying about crying through my memorized lines.

Jordy: The women centered around the simple, raised altar. The men walked a ways out to the sedan chair. As we walked, I asked for advice. The drums started beating. It felt like we were going to war. The men picked the chair up on their shoulders. I held a parasol against the beating sun, which blocked it as well as the women and the altar. We turned course. Suddenly, though still a few hundred feet away, suddenly there she was: floating, all of our guests beneath, just the two of us floating above the desert on a private plane of existence. She looked impossibly tall, a 10 foot bolt of lightning, surrounded by a humongous white halo fabric, and a train that fell off the altar and extended forever. The drums beat on as I tried to take her in, like a queen of hearts bathed in white silk. Our loved ones surrounded her, but they were barely visible, hundreds or maybe thousands of feet beneath her, blocked by a dress that extended to the edges of my vision in every direction. She towered above everything, yet incredibly beautiful, so delicate, her shoulders, neck, and face, the face I fell in love with, separate and distinct from this impossible display of bodily strength. Battles are won for women like this. I was literally shocked by how striking she appeared: “holy shit,” I said involuntarily. It didn’t feel real, it felt beyond real. The drums beat on as we finally approached the altar.

“We wanted it to look like we were floating,” say the newlyweds of their towering ceremony platform. “We also wanted it to be somewhat unstable and precarious looking to symbolize the delicate nature of marital relationships. It was built by our friend, Seth.”

“We wanted the celebration to be deeply experiential and inclusive. To accomplish this, I started by completely deconstructing the ceremony.”

“We knew that Jordy was going to be brought in on a sedan chair and that the people in our lives are more comfortable in motion than seated, so would keep everyone on their feet.”

Our Advice
There are NO RULES. The decision to get rid of chairs was a turning point in realizing we had complete agency to customize the experience for us and our guests. If there is an element that isn’t serving you, no matter how minor or major, get rid of it or change it.  

“Growing up in the 90s, the wedding photos at friends’ houses always displayed the groom in white,” the couple shares. “We chose Hall Madden in San Francisco to make Jordy’s floral ivory custom tux.”

“Rachael’s parents’ favorite band is the Wicked Tinkers and their dream had long been for them to play at her wedding,” say Rachael + Jordy of their meaningful music choice. “The bagpipes and drums worked perfectly for the ceremony because they’re instruments that are designed to be mobile and carry sound long distances unamplified.”

A Sunset Moment Alone

By Makall created a brilliant high pony bridal updo and an effortlessly beautiful wedding makeup look to complement Rachael’s dramatic drop waist strapless gown.

Love the idea of a wedding planned with Burning Man in mind? Check out a few of our fave festival-inspired weddings: this “Western Adventure Chic” wedding and this free-spirited Joshua Tree wedding in particular.

An Otherworldly Celebration

By Dzign and RSVP Party Rentals outfitted the luminous, colorful reception with its rented furniture + decor.

Love that “This Must Be The Place” neon sign! A perfect example of wedding decorations worth the spend because that will for sure have a place in your home decor post-celebration.

Guests enjoyed drinks from DBF BARS LV and dinner from Rambler under the twinkly desert stars.

Our Musical Choices
Processional
Improvised by the Wicked Tinkers
Recessional
 Improvised by the Wicked Tinkers
First Dance
Try Jah Love by Third World performed by Pink Talking Fish

“I was obsessed with Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet as a teen, and it came to me in a dream to play “Angel” by Gavin Friday during the fireworks,” Rachael says of this jaw-dropping reception moment. “We hauled out numerous pieces created by our friends for Burning Man. The red wings are by Seth Johnson, a sculptor who works primarily in metal.”

“Pink Talking Fish is an accomplished Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish cover band,” Rachael + Jordy say “We were able to tailor the setlist with our desired songs and the band was incredibly collaborative in making sure the evening was a genuinely raucous good time.”

Bicicletas Por La Paz also took the stage, and Sierra Audio Solutions kept all things audio running smoothly.

We are beyond WOW-ed by your moving + meaningful desert wedding, Rachael + Jordy! Congratulations to you both!!