A Family-Focused Destination Wedding in Palm Springs

A Black-and-White Stationery Suite

Katie O'Brien helped with the design of the invitations, which were completely white and printed by Swell Press on thick paper with a blind letterpress method and black edging. The black envelopes featured spot calligraphy and clean typography in gold foil. The various pieces were tied together with black velvet ribbon.

Welcome to the Desert

Matte black boxes with white interiors boasted the couple's monogram in high gloss on the lids. Tucked inside was a note to each of the guests, hangover kits, Palm Springs-inspired chocolate bars by Compartes, custom Oreo truffles in marbled green and white, the bride's favorite bar soap, boxed water, and some Pinot Noir.

Their First Look

"Hands down, my most memorable moment from the day was our first look," Magellan says. "I saw Lyndsey come through the garden doorway and immediately tear up. What she didn't tell me ahead of time was that our four-year-old son would be holding her hand, in his little tuxedo. It made me have to grab my knees to stay somewhat upright! Seeing them walking towards me, was breathtaking. I definitely cried tears of joy and will never forget it."

Classic with a Twist

Lyndsey fell in love with a Pronovias wedding dress with long sleeves and delicate lace. "I think I tried on a total of 10 dresses. Not many for an indecisive bride," Lyndsey explains, adding that everyone in her group was shocked when she found the dress at the first place on the first day of shopping. That salon? The White Dress, where Lyndsey's mom and sister also found their own bridal gowns.

Magellan wore a tuxedo from The Black Tux. The jacket was a navy wool number with a black silk shawl collar. The bride and groom loved how it felt modern and fashion forward, while still being classic. He rounded out his ensemble with an Armani bow tie, Hugo Boss shirt, and a pair of cufflinks in the shape of Chef's knives that his dad gave him that day.

Her Ivory Bouquet

"Keith J. Laverty made my vision truly come to life," Lyndsey says of the day's floral designs. Her bouquet was made from mostly gardenias as a nod to her late grandmother (it was her favorite flower), and stephanotis.

Green Velvet Shoes

Lyndsey chose a pair of emerald green velvet YSL heels to wear until it was time to dance.

Chic Bridesmaids

Lyndsey's bridesmaids wore black Katie May dresses and were a mix of her sister (the matron-of-honor), Magellan's sisters, and friends.

Gifts for the Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids' dresses were hung on clear Etsy hangers. Kathryn Sanchez of DeLight Graphics calligraphed each woman's name on her gift.

Sharp-Dressed Guys

Magellan's two brothers-in-law served as best men, and Lyndsey's brother and brother-in-law, the groom's nephew, plus a few close friends, acted as groomsmen. Like the groom, they wore tuxedos from The Black Tux.

The Youngest Attendant

The couple's son, Taft, not only joined in on the first look, but also walked down the aisle with the matron of honor (his aunt) and stayed at the altar long enough to help fluff Lyndsey's dress.

Simple Programs

Katie O'Brien designed the programs, which were printed on long pieces of vellum and connected with brass grommets at the top.

A Ceremony on the Lawn

The ceremony took place on the hotel's croquet lawn. One of the things that was really important to Lyndsey was that the ceremony be lit by candlelight, so it began just after sunset. Clear chairs with white cushions were flanked by white pillar candles and arrangements of larkspur, hybrid delphinium, stock, lemon leaf, boxwood, myrtle, lisianthus, and roses by Keith J. Laverty.

The Processional

The groom and groomsmen entered to "All of the Lights" by Kanye West, the bridesmaids and ring bearers followed to Sam Smith's "Latch," and then the bride and her father walked down the aisle to CeeLo Green's "No One's Gonna Love You."

The Kiss

Lyndsey's uncle officiated the ceremony and her best friend read Robert Fulghum's "From Beginning to End." The couple exchanged vows inspired by traditional poetry and messages of love from the weddings of their friends and family. After sealing the deal with a kiss, the newlyweds recessed to "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars. "It was perfectly cued to drop in at the chorus at our first kiss. We wanted it to be clear the party was starting."

Lyrics and Drinks

Cocktail hour took place on the lawn by the ballroom, where guests were greeted with tray-passed Champagne and the sounds of a string quartet. Black napkins were stamped in gold foil with lyrics by some of the couple's favorite artists, including CeeLo Green, Frank Ocean, and Donny Hathaway.

"From concert date nights to newly-released albums as birthday gifts, music was (and still remains) a common bond between Magellan and I," Lyndsey explains. "While for some couples a playlist may be an afterthought, we chose songs for each poignant moment of our celebration. When my mother's favorite song played at cocktail hour it was a loving nod from us even across the room. My late grandmother was remembered in spirit as her favorite tune echoed in the air."

A Hanging Seating Chart

Lyndsey's mother designed the seating chart, which was made of panels of translucent and transparent lucite. The Bleu Dahlia cut each sheet to the specs in the sketch, and the end result was quite a focal point at cocktail hour.

A Black and White Reception

After cocktail hour, everyone moved to the ballroom for the reception. Tables were set with black velvet linens from La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals and the chairs were clear, like at the ceremony. A mix of high and low arrangements of white blooms and branches filled the room.

The Place Settings

Black napkins were rolled and finished off with golden napkin rings and placed beside side gray patterned plates and brushed gold flatware from Theoni Collection. Waterford crystal stemware sparkled under the lights and from the glow cast off the black taper candles.

The menus were printed on pieces of acrylic and doubled as place cards as guests' names were calligraphed on the top of each. Dinner began with an heirloom tomato salad with burrata, basil, and wild arugula, and continued with pan-seared sea bass and steak au poivre with a red wine reduction. Lobster macaroni and cheese and root vegetables accompanied the meal.

A Modern Lounge

The couple wanted their lounge areas to feel like a modern New York City loft.

A Family Affair

Lyndsey worked with her sister and mother on the planning and design of the wedding. "One of the things my mom, sister, and I did about two months out from our wedding was to sit down and pretend we were the guests and walk through, mentally, every step of the day," Lyndsey says. "From the second guests arrived until they parted ways at the end of the evening, we tried to make every moment special. It made the evening a win. Guests kept saying to us, 'wow, thank you so much for letting us be a part of this night,' and I think that was because they felt the love we poured into every detail for them. And we did it so they could feel us saying exactly that to them, 'thank you so much for being not only a part of our day, but a part of our lives, now go have the best time ever.'"

Ready for Dancing

As an extension of the marble foyer at the hotel, and to flow with the rest of the wedding's design, Edge Design and Décor laid a marble-patterned dance floor and made a custom booth for the DJ to complement the vintage mirror paneling in the room. Draping tied back with silk tassels framed the doors, and to inject a little fun and nod to the dance party they knew would ensue, a neon sign from one of the couple's favorite Kanye West songs was hung on a boxwood panel.

"The very first vendor we booked was our DJ. He understood the importance of a packed dance floor," Lyndsey says. "All night long, I looked around and saw the people I love the most in the world dancing their hearts out and having the best time. It makes me cry just thinking about it. What more could you ask for?"

Their First Dance

The newlyweds chose another CeeLo Green for their first dance: "Old Fashioned."

Special Song Selections

Magellan and his mother shared a tender moment as they danced to her favorite song, "Here and Now" by Luther Vandross. Lyndsey and her father danced to Otis Redding's "That's How Strong My Love Is" which was a nod to Magellan's family, as Otis is a relative.

A Gold and Ivory Cake

The hotel's pastry chef created the mixed berry cake with lemon curd filling and vanilla buttercream frosting. It featured an asymmetrical gold design cascading down the front and a custom laser-cut topper in gold.

Sweet Endings

That wasn't the only dessert on hand though. Mini dulce de leche cheesecakes, bite-size brownies, blueberry pie bars, and pudding were displayed on a gold set of shelves.

A Second Dress

Lyndsey changed into the white version of her bridesmaids' dress, by Katie May, for dancing and late night fun. The duo also swapped their footwear—with black suede Adidas for her and Nike "Cortez" sneakers for him.

Sources

Photography, Katherine Ann Rose

Location and Catering, Parker Palm Springs

Event planning and design, The Lynden Lane Company; Karson Butler Events

Flowers, Keith J. Laverty

Videography, Aaron Novak Films

Stationery and Calligraphy, Katie O'Brien Design

Printing, Swell Press

Music, Angelica Strings; DJ Ian Gotler of RedShoe

Rentals, Edge Design and Décor; Found Rentals; La Tavola Fine Linen Rental; Theoni Collection

Bride's gown, Pronovias from The White Dress

Bride's shoes, YSL

Hair, Molly Shriver

Makeup, Brittany Bolton

Bridesmaids' dresses and bride's reception dress, Katie May

Menswear, The Black Tux

Groom's accessories, Armani bow tie; Hugo Boss shirt

Ring bearer's attire, Ralph Lauren

Lighting and Draping, Amber Event Production

Seating chart and cake topper, The Bleu Dahlia

Acrylic Production, Riot Color

Photobooth, Foxtales