Tropical Glam Wedding in Palm Springs

If you’re a longtime follower of the blog, you know we have a weak spot for Palm Springs weddings. If this is your first visit, let this wedding from Studio Castillero and CCL Weddings & Events be an introduction to the amazingness that is Palm Springs! Barbara and Akiva’s wedding was in no short supply of gorgeous fashion, jaw-dropping scenery, and thoughtful details like antique broach escort cards that make our hearts sing.

From the bride, Barbara: Akiva and I were living in Michigan in the middle of the polar vortex when we were planning our wedding and we were freezing. As a result, we knew we wanted to be somewhere warm, and we’d been to Palm Springs before and enjoyed it. I wanted the style to be vintage and romantic and I wanted it to feel relaxed/comfortable. Since Akiva is Jewish and his religious background is very important to him, we wanted to weave parts of his heritage into the ceremony as well.

My wedding planner asked me if there was a theme early in the process and I honestly didn’t realize weddings had themes, so my friends and I joked that the theme would be “goth precious moments,” like scary wide-eyed dolls — clearly this did not happen. Our color scheme was teal/greenish blue/turquoise and tan, but we didn’t always stick to it. I really love antique jewelry so I decided to find antique brooches at thrift stores in all the places that I’ve lived in my life–California, Iowa, Michigan, and New York–and attach them to the escort cards as party favors. My mom and some of her friends ended up helping me collect the brooches, and when I had collected enough, I tried to match the brooches with each guest’s personality.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? My number one piece of advice is make sure you are absolutely present on your wedding day. Be selfish; don’t let people ask you questions about where things are supposed to go or who is charge of what — delegate any last minute duties to close friends or family members who will be happy to help. You are done planning your wedding, so all you need to do is focus on the fact you are getting married to someone you love and enjoy everything. Other advice is make sure you focus on things that mean a lot to you and put your money there. I really wanted healthy, delicious, local food because I’m a dietitian and I wanted to provide food that fit all my guests’ dietary restrictions and tasted amazing. Of all my amazing vendors, I really want to give a shout out to Dash and a Handful — my caterer who was so supportive of my food ideas and really produced absolutely delicious food.

See Also

An Epic Dance Party in Napa, California

Wedding Music:
I played the cello when I was growing up and it’s my favorite instrument, so I wanted a cellist to play music when we walked down the aisle. Our wedding planner recommended a cellist who really did a lovely job.
Bridal Party Processional: “Yumeji’s Theme” from the film In the Mood For Love
Bride’s Processional: “First Day of My Life,” Bright Eyes
First Dance: “Strangers,” The Kinks

Wedding Location: Palm Springs, CA / Photographer: Studio Castillero / Wedding Coordinator: CCL Weddings & Events / Florist: Three Bunch Palms Productions / Venue: Korakia Pensione / Wedding Dress: BHLDN / Wedding Shoes: Givenchy / Hair and Makeup: Salon 119 / Groom’s Shirt: Kenneth Cole / Groom’s Pants: All Saints / Groom’s Tie: Hickoree’s / Groom’s Shoes: Fiorentini + Baker / Caterer: Dash and Handful Catering / Wedding Cake: Exquisite Desserts / Cellist: Yoshika Masuda / Rentals: Planks & Patina and Signature Rentals / After Party: Wang’s in the Desert