REAL {PALM SPRINGS} CELEBRATION – KAY & STEPHEN
| Happy Wednesday Guys…a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of working with Amber and Emily of Amber Karson Events…well, I have to share with you that I had the best time with these beautiful and talented ladies…they are the sweetest and their style and attention to detail is impeccable…Amber and Emily sent over a chic Vegas wedding to share with us today…the beautiful images were captured by Love Life Studios…..Let’s check it out….Enjoy!
From Amber and Emily….’We love that Stephen and Kay stayed true to themselves and planned a celebration that was a reflection of them. As Bride Kay states: ‘Just like Frank Sinatra, we did it our way!’ After getting engaged in snowy Iowa (where they reside) last winter, they quickly decided they wanted a warm-weather location for their celebration. The non-traditional couple decided to have a intimate ceremony in Las Vegas in May (officiated by Elvis!), followed by a larger cocktail party reception in Palm Springs on September 17, 2011. We infused touches of their personality throughout the event. After learning the couple have seen over 30 concerts together, the concert ticket invitations seemed like a perfect fit. We created record tags to adorn the favor boxes to further showcase the couple’s love for music. They embraced some traditions and skipped others. For example, Kay wore a short, pink dress in Vegas for the ceremony but a white long dress here in Palm Springs. She loved the idea of a corsage in lieu of a bouquet and Studio Fiore rocked it out adding hand painted balsa wood flowers to the design.’ |
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| Kay shares a little info with us…..
Best Part of The Day? ‘The best part of the day, really, was seeing that our guests were having as good a time as we were! Everyone could not stop talking about how much they were enjoying themselves, and it really showed. Seeing our family members and friends mesh so well together and have a fun time was exactly what we were aiming for.’
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Why Vegas for your ceremony? ‘We took a spontaneous trip to Vegas as friends, and while there, found we were destined to be much more. We had a blast doing touristy things like taking in a magic show and visiting the Stratosphere, and learned how much we enjoyed being in each other’s company and had in common. So when we got engaged, we knew that Vegas was the perfect setting for our wedding! We stayed true to the theme, having an Elvis-led ceremony, and really had so much fun! My mother, who balked at the idea beforehand, came to stand beside me and later admitted that she never thought it could be so funny yet simultaneously touching; and that’s really exactly how it was. Just like Frank Sinatra, we did it our way!’ |
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Why Palm Springs? ‘We were hosting a smaller group for our reception, and really wanted to find a unique space that would allow guests to mingle, eat, and gather however they wanted. After researching multiple venues all over southern California, we were lucky enough to find a beautiful bar/lounge that we could affordably rent out in Palm Springs, which is a convenient driving distance from Los Angeles (where most of our guests are located). Palm Springs was beautiful, the venue was gorgeous, and our guests appreciated their lovely weekend getaway. It turned out perfectly!’
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What was the most memorable moment about your wedding day? ‘I don’t think I could possibly differentiate one moment from the others, for every moment was wonderful and special. We did receive a lot of compliments on our music, though, and those were truly triumphant moments for us because we saved money forgoing a DJ and putting together a playlist ourselves. We share a great love of all kinds of music, and have seen over 30 concerts together. We took a tremendous amount of time putting together a 6-hour playlist with songs that we not only love ourselves, but thought would make good background music and that guests would recognize and/or enjoy. We organized the playlist according to flow and cadence, and made sure to put the more upbeat dance songs toward the latter half of the evening. It was a truly collaborative effort, and seeing our guests respond so positively to it really made our night, especially since we were uneasy about how guests might initially receive the lack of a DJ! We are still proud of ourselves and how we used various ways, like the music, to tailor the night to our passions.’
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Any advice for others planning a wedding? My advice for others planning a wedding is to keep an open mind, and not underestimate that of which you and your groom are capable. Just because you don’t have Kim Kardashian’s wedding budget does not mean you can’t host an amazing event! AND I would suggest that anyone planning a wedding use a wedding planner. Amber Karson Events helped us maximize our budget, prioritizing elements that were most important to us. |
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| Amber and Emily…thank you both so much for sharing your lovely work with us and it was such a pleasure meeting you both and I look forward to working with you in the future….and to Kay & Stephen…we wish you a lifetime filled with love and happiness….xoxo
Style Team: Planner: Amber Karson Events Photographer: Love Life Studios Venue: Sidebar, Riviera Palm Springs Floral Designer: Studio Fiore Sound & AV: Swank Audio Visual Dress Designer: Aidan Mattox purchased at Saks Fifth Avenuet: Over The Rainbow Dessert: Over The Rainbow Hair: Brien O’Brien Salon Shoes: Jimmy Choo Jewelry: Earrings by Nadri purchased at Nordstrom, Hairpin by Bethany Lorelle (via Etsy), Bracelet passed down from Grandmother Groom’s Attire: Suit by Theory, Tie by Burberry Invitation: RaeHeartsDesgin (via Etsy) Guestbook: Ello There (via Etsy)
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