Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
Katelyn had picked out a ring and hatched a plan to surprise Sara with a proposal on their vacation in Hawaii, but Sara figured it out beforehand and encouraged Katelyn to also pick out a ring for herself. They mutually proposed to each other at sunrise on their first morning in Kauai and started planning their wedding a few months later. They quickly realized that things tend to book up quickly and set a date for the following fall, which was a little over a year away.
The brides (who live in Long Beach, California) decided to tie the knot in another cool location: Palm Springs. They go there regularly for weekend getaways and love the vibe. With the destination decided, it was time to start building their dream team.
For their first decision—even before a specific venue was confirmed—Katelyn and Sara reached out to photographer Hannah Costello. They had seen her pop up on many of the Palm Springs weddings they had been stalking on Instagram and wedding blogs.
“We were drawn to her fresh aesthetic and ability to capture the most whimsical, precise and characteristic moments of her clients. She was so helpful in guiding us through the Palm Springs venue scene too.” —Sara, bride
After booking Hannah, the couple began exploring venues for their 100-person wedding—playing around with renting out a hotel or private estate for the weekend to accommodate a welcome dinner, wedding, and day-after pool party. Ultimately they decided they were looking for a location that had some of the staples (like chairs, a kitchen, and bathrooms) and that allowed flexibility on which vendors they worked with. After some research they discovered The O’Donnell House at The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn, set up a tour, and were sold.
“We fell in love with its charm and ability to showcase sweeping vistas of Palm Springs. The ceremony space made us really fall in love as it was a lush bougainvillea tropical garden.” —Katelyn, bride
With a date and location secured, the brides looked for help with planning and design. They booked Events Department (a preferred planning partner through their venue) to handle all of the logistics, and then brought on One Darling Day to help with the design and bring their vision to life.
“After chatting with Claudia from One Darling Day we clicked immediately and loved that she included design consulting, vendor suggestions, and day-of support.” —Katelyn, bride
When selecting someone to do florals, the brides knew they wanted a minimal approach so as not to overpower the natural beauty of the setting (plus with minimal bridal parties, they didn’t need tons of bouquets). After searching for someone to fit the bill, they found Los Angeles-based WildFlora with a minimum that worked for their plans, one that would travel south for the occasion—and whose office was close enough to their home, which made everything pre-wedding that much easier.
Next up, food and drink. The couple knew they wanted family-style service and soon decided on tacos to keep the evening festive, yet laid-back. They had narrowed it down to three caterers, but after driving down to San Diego for their tasting with MIHO Catering Co., they were so in love with the food and customer service—the search was over. Barçon Cocktail Co. was the perfect pairing to ensure the drinks flowed just as smoothly.
Hair and makeup were next. These were key vendors, particularly with two brides wanting to look and feel their best day of. Their friend Cristina Sanchez of Wanderlust Hair Studio, who has been doing their hair for years gifted her services for the wedding, and then Hannah recommended makeup artist Mel Daniel, who wowed the couple during their trials.
Then DJ Chris Paul (a local talent suggested by the planner) was brought on to provide the soundtrack for the evening.
Videography was not initially part of the plan, however, after so many of the couple’s married friends recommended capturing their I-Dos in real time they explored a few options. Once they saw The Quail and The Dove’s portfolio (and that they had worked at the venue), they had no doubts.
Then it was time to fill in the details, so Katelyn and Sara began their rental selection process. They had so much fun choosing the various pieces from Bright Event Rentals, Hostess Haven, and BBJ La Tavola Specialty Linen, taking the lead from Claudia to choose impactful items (both big and small) to create their upscale California style event—with tones of pink, blue, soft yellow and vibrant tropical greens—just as Claudia designed. The style echoed the brides’ Spanish-style home, terracotta tile-lined backyard, and love of bougainvillea.
For the finishing touches to the celebration, Yellow & Lace calligraphed a few pieces, like the bar menu. And in lieu of traditional wedding cake, Krispy Kreme donuts were chosen for dessert—with a trio of flavors for guests to choose from.
