Ali’s main goal for her June wedding to Mike was for it to feel modern and contemporary with a colourful edge. They chose the iconic Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs which obviously ticked all the colourful boxes! They didn’t need to add much in the need of extra decor at all, using the rainbow backdrop of the hotel in all their photos.
“We both knew we wanted a desert wedding, but didn’t want to ‘rough it’ out in the middle of no where”, Ali said. “Palm Springs has always been a special getaway for us since early in our relationship, and it has the look and feel of the desert vibe we wanted. Mike and I are also big fans of the tiki world. We knew we wanted to incorporate some of that into the wedding, but without having it be a ‘tiki themed’ wedding. As soon as I saw The Saguaro Palm Springs, I knew that’s where we’d be getting married one day!”
Ali’s dad, a minister, acted as officiant for their outdoor ceremony and Mike’s cousin and some of their friends accompanied them down the aisle playing guitar and violin. “I walked down the aisle to The Great Fairy Fountain theme from the Zelda video games, we’re big nerds I know! Our recessional was Mr. Sandman by The Chordettes which is part of an inside joke from early on in our relationship.”
After the ceremony, they drove out to the desert for some portraits with their dog, Snacks, and ended the night with a reception back at the hotel. “I really enjoyed the reception”, Ali remembered. “I liked being able to talk to all of our friends in one big room together. I also enjoyed the moments when our photographer and videographer would pull us away from the party to get some footage. It allowed us to re-centre ourselves and take a moment to remember the reason we were all there and dressed up in the first place!”
“Our advice to other couples would be to DEFINITELY include your pets on your day!” she concluded. “I was so happy that our 3rd member of the family was present on a day I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Yes, Snacks needed to constantly be watched and taken care of, but you’re in a room full of all your closest friends and family! That’s what they’re there for!”
