From the moment they first stayed at the Madonna Inn, which is a California landmark famous for its eccentric rooms and technicolor kitsch, Jennifer and Kyle they could picture their wedding there.

“We both love the Madonna Inn and it is now a personal couple goal for us to eventually stay in every room!” Jennifer told us. “I knew I did not feel comfortable wearing a white dress (I don’t own any white clothes) but I also didn’t want to wear pink as I thought I’d blend into the venue too much. I decided something contrasting and unusual would be better and went with gold!”

The wedding unfolded over two days. The official ceremony happened first, on the beach in Dana Point, where the bride’s parents live, as they weren’t able to travel for the wedding. Two days later, they hosted what was essentially a vow renewal at Madonna Inn. Their friend Eric officiated both ceremonies. Jennifer walked herself down the aisle. She and Kyle had written their own vows and cried reading them…both times!

For the reception, they skipped the standard playlist as well as traditions like the bouquet and garter toss. “It was a rock ‘n’ roll dance party,” Jennifer said. Their friend Marshall handled the DJing, and musician James Intveld performed live. “He doesn’t have a wedding band, but he’s the voice of Johnny Depp’s character in Cry-Baby, and he’s an American treasure!” The couple are dancers, so music was a big priority, and a big part of the budget, along with the food.

The rest of the planning was done together, without a wedding planner. The venue didn’t need any extra decor but Kyle designed the invitations, using a scan of the hotel’s wild carpet as the background, and Jennifer hand-applied rhinestones to each one. Their wedding favours were custom-printed magnets and record-shaped drink coasters featuring a cartoon drawing of them riding Kyle’s vintage scooter. Friends helped with simple things like table setup and accepting flower deliveries. It kept everything low-key and personal.

Looking back, they wouldn’t change anything, except maybe staying at the hotel longer! “It all goes by so fast!” the bride concluded. “It is so important to be present and really enjoy every minute because the day you have spent all of this time and energy thinking about will feel like it is over so quickly when it actually happens.”

“We’re both going to get tattoos of Madonna Inn goblets to commemorate our wedding! That place will always hold the most special place in our hearts now.”