Alexis + Dave were on the hunt for a place to gather their friends and party all night in the name of love! Alexis is a podcast producer, Dave is an illustrator, and the two are based in Los Angeles. The City of Angels is where their wedding venue search began, but they weren’t finding what they were looking for. So they took to the wilderness!
“When we found Hicksville Pines in Idyllwild, CA through friends who had gotten married there four years prior – it all QUICKLY fell into place,” Alexis + Dave say. Only two hours outside of LA, Hicksville Pines is a cute and kitschy retro-inspired lodge perfect for that all-night party Alexis + Dave had been dreaming of. It’s surrounded by nature (so they dodged any pesky city-enforced noise ordinances) and full of colorful, campy details. And there are plenty of eclectic theme rooms, chalets, and campers so guests could stay there on the property!
These two braved the planning process without a coordinator or event designer by employing some DIY elbow grease and lots of helpful friends. Their creativity and sense of humor was threaded through the whole celebration, and photographer Mandee Johnson was on site capturing all the fun and heartfelt festivities!
Alexis’s delicate beaded and embroidered wedding shoes are from Bella Belle.
Florist Birch and Bone embraced the colorful vibe of the venue by working in lots of pinks and oranges to Alexis’s bouquet.
Alexis had been to countless bridal salons and was beginning to lose faith in the idea that there was a “dream dress” out there for her. But the stars aligned when she discovered designer Claire Pettibone whose flagship store was only twenty minutes away from Alexis’s LA home!! Alexis met with Claire and together they created this dreamy silhouette by customizing the Moonlight Rose gown with a lace back and adding one of Claire’s mid-length lace-edged veils. We love all the delicate, ethereal touches like that sheer lace train!!
The First Look
The custom lace back detail on this dress!! SO worth it. Take a look at our fave lace wedding dresses if you’re into Alexis’s romantic gown.
The Ceremony
We love the vibrant teal touches in these ceremony florals!!
Bright Event Rentals embraced the “party in the woods” theme with this multicolor tablecloth look.
Lots of people were telling Alexis she should wear her hair up for the big day, but that just didn’t feel right. Alexis stuck to her down-do guns and totally loved it. It was right for the feel of the venue. “Claire Pettibone told me after I let her know that a lot of people were saying I should go hair UP even though I didn’t want to: “Forest girls don’t wear their hair up!‘” Alexis says. And her hair piece by Twigs & Honey added some forest magic to her beautiful loose waves by Cynthia Rose!
Check out our rundown of the Twigs & Honey 2023 collection!
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding Dave- "I think the part we were both most nervous about was the exchanging of vows, but looking back on it - I think that was my favorite part. Even with 300 eyes on us my memory is only of Alexis reading hers and then listening to mine."
Alexis- "I think my favorite part of the day was our first dance. Our dear friends Pam and Stephen sang an incredibly sweet tear-jerk acoustic version of The Zombies "This Will Be Our Year". No crazy choreographed dance moves. Just some gentle sways (and one spin that we practiced A LOT). It was perfect."
Alexis’s soft glam makeup look by Chloe Sens Beauty EFX looks amazing in color AND black-and-white.
Mazel Tov!!
Our Musical Choices Processional: "You’re So Cool" by Hans Zimmer (from the True Romance soundtrack)
Recessional: "Party Hard" by Andrew WK
First Dance: “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies (cover performed by friends)
Dave found the perfect groom fashion moment for a woodsy wedding in this deep brown suit from Indochino. Take a peek at our favorite unique suit ideas if you need some extra inspo!
What’a a wedding without a romantic heart-shaped hot tub?! ❤️
The Reception
Alexis + Dave bought sandwich boards to use as signage and let illustrator Dave go to town! Snag this one if you’ve got an artistic eye and this idea has you inspired!
So many thoughtful touches. Like these blankets! Great for guests to grab at an outdoor Fall wedding. Alexis + Dave really did think of every little detail…and for them there was a frontrunner 🌿 : “We also had a vintage cigarette dispenser full of joints – that was probably our favorite detail. The joints.”
Dave painted that heart chair at the top of this DIY seating signage, and Alexis added the fun and funky cakes!
No big deal. We’re not starstruck or anything. That’s just Emily Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani chilling at cocktail hour! 🤩
Details like these fun vases and mossy table number holders from Palo Verde Party Rentals played off of the venue’s quirky charm.
East Los Musubi is behind this delicious dinner menu!
“Cocktail wizards” La Cantina created Alexis + Dave’s signature cocktails.
How perfectly retro is this heart-shaped vegan wedding cake from Just What I Kneaded?!
Two cakes are ALWAYS better than one. This one brought the cuteness with these woodland creature cake toppers.
Our Advice To Those Planning Now Delegate. Give people things to do and jobs to take pride in and make their own. We worked our little butts off to make sure the dozens of mini-operations were going smoothly but with a fleet of trustworthy vendors and friends, it was all manageable. Also - the owner of Hicksville Pines ended up being a real-life superhero before, during, and after the wedding. Erica, if you're reading this - we're big fans.
Also, this won't work for everyone - but if you have the opportunity to go to a wedding while you're in the middle of planning your own - DO IT! We initially had a very specific idea for our wedding. Then after going to a friend’s wedding and seeing it through the lens of planning our own wedding, we ended up changing a lot. Initially we weren't going to do personal vows or a first dance - or even the horah! But then we realized people WANT to see those things (though they might say otherwise!) We're so glad we changed it and it was the perfect balance of both fun party and sweet sentimental get together.
So glad this all night party dream became a kitschy, woodsy, retro reality!! Congrats from GWS, Alexis + Dave!
photography: Mandee Johnson Photography // venue name: Hicksville Pines, Idyllwild, CA, United States // florals: Amelia Posada // wedding dress: Claire Pettibone // hairpiece: (Bridal Accessories) Twigs and Honey // bride's shoes: Bella Belle Shoes // hair stylist: Cynthia Rose // makeup artist: Chloe Sens Beauty EFX // groom attire: Indochino // catering: East Los Musubi // desserts: Just What I Kneaded; Alcove Cafe; Fleurs Et Sel; Apple Pan // tabletop rentals: Bright Event Rentals // specialty rentals: Palo Verde Party Rentals // cocktails: La Cantina
