Planning a destination wedding from afar can be a complicated operation. It takes a clear vision and plenty of trust in your venue and wedding planner. In fact Ashley and Kamal hadn’t even visited their wedding venue before the day they got married. They ditched anything traditional that they didn’t like, and pulled inspiration from the dark and rich autumnal colours of the season, pairing that with the traditional glitz and glamour of vintage Las Vegas.

With a small, intimate ceremony at the Park MGM, they filled it full of all the things they loved, including a ring-warming ceremony. Ashley explained, “Our rings were passed through the attendees for them to put their blessings, prayers, warm thoughts and well wishes into (whatever speaks to them) before coming back to us for the ring exchange.” Although the guest list was small, the couple ensured friends and family around the world could witness their vows, livestreaming the event to watch from home.

Ashley chose a Morilee Madeline Gardner dress, with a Noon on the Moon veil for the ceremony, and Crown and Glory star birdcage veil for the reception, along with a fluffy feather BHLDN bolero. They chose to take photos before the ceremony, as well as the next day, donning their wedding attire once more for some epic photos in the Nevada desert. Ashley’s footwear choice was a little unconventional, as she told us, “I arrived in Las Vegas several days earlier and had walked around so much I didn’t anticipate how much my feet would hurt by the time the wedding day came around. I was wearing slippers all day and when it came time to walk down the aisle I thought why not keep them on?!”

The couple were determined to create a day that was personal to them. Ashley explained, “The best thing was making it a day that we both knew we would actually enjoy instead of going along with the traditions that we knew we didn’t care about. At the end of the day so many people said the wedding was ‘so us’.” And although they couldn’t see their venue or taste any of their menu or cake prior to the day due to Covid restrictions, the couple enjoyed the surprises. Ashley told us, “We tried the cake for the first time at the wedding. It was the best cake we’ve ever had – a complete surprise how good it was!”

Ashley and Kamal had a day that reflected them and their relationship, and Ashley highly recommends this as the best way to plan, “Ditch any traditions that don’t speak to who you are as a couple. People, especially parents, have strong ideas of what you should do for your wedding day but at the end of the day it’s a celebration of you and your love so it should reflect that!”