A Palm Springs wedding at the Frank Sinatra Estate with a bride in a beaded Jenny Packham gown

Today’s wedding ticks every cool and stylish box there is, juxtaposing wonderful mid-century modernist architecture with contemporary, minimalist elements, for a day spent at the former home of Frank Sinatra, no less.

This is the wedding of Jillian, a marketing professional, and Joe, who is a physician. They were married on the 20 October 2018 at the Twin Palms Frank Sinatra Estate in Palm Springs, California, followed by an after-party at cocktail lounge, Seymour’s.

Film by Plaid Collar Films

“Is it possible for a wedding video to elicit more tears of joy than the actual wedding itself? Chris and Kim of Plaid Collar Films are truly masters of their craft, who managed to capture the entirety of our wedding day from the first kiss to the last dance – all without missing even the smallest of nuanced details that we agonised over planning. Our guests may not have noticed everything, but Chris and Kim certainly did. They were video ninjas – there for all those details, but also caught all the unexpected candid moments, like half our guests ending up in Frank Sinatra’s pool.”

“Full disclosure: We didn’t always plan on hiring a videographer to capture our day. As much as we wanted one, as we researched possible options we found that many didn’t capture the unconventional style reflective of our day, and the few that did were prohibitively expensive. Enter Plaid Collar Films. Chris and Kim took the time to get to know us in order to deliver a film that exceeded every expectation of what we wanted our film to be. They are simply that phenomenal.”

Photography by Nicole Ashley

“An unconventional venue was always at the top of our wish list. Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate checked all of our boxes of an intimate space that would feel like we were throwing an epic house party for our closest family and friends.”

“When you set foot into Frank’s, it’s a really magical experience, and everything about it set the tone for the sophisticated and classic, yet modern and laid back wedding we envisioned. Seeing the look on people’s faces when we tell them we got married at Frank Sinatra’s home will never get old! It was truly a once in a lifetime experience for us and our guests.”

Jillian and Joe worked with planner Amber Hubbard, of The Love Riot, and event designer Jesi Haack Design to bring their incredible wedding vision to full, vibrant life.

“Jesi juxtaposed the Sinatra Estate’s mid-century, old Hollywood aesthetic with contemporary design elements like geometrics and clean, modern lines that didn’t take away from the Estate itself. Twin Palms is an iconic landmark, and we really wanted it to shine.”

Jillian got ready in style, wearing a romper from Homebodii, and was groomed to perfection, with glamorous, vintage inspired make-up and hair by Behind the Blush. She wore a satin edged cathedral length veil by Sara Gabriel, and kept her jewellery minimal.

“I opted for simple diamond stud earrings and a blue topaz ring belonging to my mom, which was my something old, borrowed, and blue.”

Jillian’s exquisite gown was the dramatic ‘Dallas’ design by Jenny Packham, covered in cascading sequins and crystals over the lightest tulle, and discovered at Toronto boutique, White.

“I tried on well over 100 dresses before finding The One. Despite being a complete departure from the style I had originally imagined for my wedding gown, the moment I tried on this Jenny Packham dress, I knew its old Hollywood feel would be the perfect fit for our day and our venue.”

On her feet, Jillian wore gorgeous blush ‘Hangisi’ pumps by Manolo Blahnik, and her wedding day fragrance was Dolce & Gabbana – L’Emperatrice.

Joe wore a phenomenal dark purple custom-made tuxedo from Atelier by Ensemble Style in Calgary, Alberta, with velvet loafers by Givenchy, a silk bow tie from Fort Belvedere, and gold and onyx stud cufflinks by Ox & Bull Trading Co.

“Jillian was intent on keeping her dress a surprise until our first look, so it only seemed fair to keep my custom tuxedo top secret. My designer helped me put together the perfect look, and keep it under wraps long enough for Jillian to enjoy the mutual surprise!”

Jillian’s bright and colourful bouquet of tropical blooms and foliage (including protea flowers and gorgeous monstera and palm leaves) was by the couple’s event designer, Jesi Haack.

Loved ones gathered in the Californian sunshine for a ceremony held in the Estate’s gardens, conducted by Jillian’s father, who became an ordained minister just for the occasion. Jillian was accompanied down the aisle by her mother, and chose Toto’s epic song, Africa, as her entrance music.

“Having my dad officiate our ceremony will always be such a cherished memory. It was incredibly personal, and there wasn’t a dry eye as he shared stories from my childhood and memories of the early days of my relationship with Joe. Seeing him tear up as Joe and I exchanged our handwritten vows was such an emotional moment I’ll never forget.”

The couple exchanged rings, with Joe’s chosen at Cartier, and Jillian’s from Canadian jeweller, Marlow Design. They also exchanged specially written vows with one another, which they have been kind enough to share.

“Joe, I have never been more sure of any decision as I am about spending my life with you. Over the past five years I have never had to face life’s challenges without your love and support. Even on days I have struggled, and when the future felt uncertain, not once did I have to navigate these obstacles alone.”

“Your love has always been unconditional, and even in the moments when my attitude could only be described as impossible, you’ve held me tighter, guiding me gently back on course. Even as my memories fade and the moments of my younger life seem far behind me, I promise never to forget this day and the vows we made to each other. With endless love, and the promise of a wonderful life together. I love you.”

“Jillian, the special thing about us is that our love has never wavered. You are just as easy to love when we’re sharing champagne in Paris as when we are arguing over which Uber driver to watch for. Neither one of us are perfect people, but together we come pretty close as a couple. I love that I can just be myself around you, and I feel accepted and valued for who I am. We make an amazing team.”

“I loved that our wedding day was unapologetically us. I walked down the aisle to Africa by Toto (my favourite song), and we sabred a bottle of our favorite champagne as we were pronounced husband and wife!”

There were cocktails around the piano shaped pool by Cali Craft Cocktails, and guests were guided to their dining seats with a cool table plan by Jesi Haack Design.

Capturing that moment of sweet surprise, and all of the other incredible details of the day was photographer Nicole Ashley.

“Nicole was one of the very first vendors we booked when we began planning our wedding. Her eye for creating romantic, creative images and her laid back personality was the perfect fit for the timeless yet modern vision we had in mind for our wedding photography. She is not just a photographer, she is an artist.”

Sleek white tables were decorated with gold geometric designs, black and gold glassware and tealights, gold cutlery, pink edged napkins and vases of tropical flowers and leaves.

Tasty, vibrant food – tacos by Soho Taco and sushi by Sushi Private Cater was enjoyed as the sun went down, and were followed by a glorious table laden with desserts by Sweet + Saucy.

“Instead of a traditional cake, we opted for a dessert table featuring macarons with a custom monogram, and marbled cake bars and chocolate covered strawberries with edible 24 carat gold leaf.”

With music from Dart Collective, the evening celebrations began poolside, with Jillian and Joe’s first dance to Finlay Quaye’s Dice.

“Once the party was underway, half our guests jumped into Frank’s piano-shaped pool (many fully clothed, whilst others stripped down to their underwear) and we ended the night on the dance floor in our bathing suits and towels singing, you guessed it, Africa. (I had another song requested to close out the night, but when 80 people are chanting “A-FRI-CA” at the DJ, you give the people what they want!)”

“Joe – The whole day was just perfect! From start to finish, it was everything I could have ever imagined. Having time to relax and enjoy the Estate from the morning onwards with our close friends will always be an unforgettable memory.”

“It set the tone for such a laid back and relaxed celebration. Even when the nerves did make an appearance (and I temporarily forgot how to tie a bow tie) all was quickly diffused seeing Jillian before the ceremony.”

The day after their wedding, Jillian and Joe had one more photoshoot with their photographer, Nicole Ashley. They headed to Joshua Tree National Park, where they made the most of the spectacular desert setting.

“This turned out to be one of the best investments of our wedding, as we absolutely cherish our Joshua Tree photos.”

“Of course I’m biased and think our wedding was the best day ever, but beyond the singular moments that made the day so wonderful, there was also a palpable energy and momentum that built from the ceremony, through cocktails and our first dance, to the impromptu pool party, that culminated in a obnoxiously loud (and soggy), group dance to our processional track, Africa.”

“It was the perfect crescendo to cap off a spectacular day. If I could do it all again, I would only change two things: more bow tie practice and more towels!”

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“Hire a planner you trust, especially if, like us, you are planning a destination wedding from afar. Many of our vendors were booked sight unseen without a walk through, visit, or tasting, so we relied heavily on our planner’s recommendations and experience. Having her as our ambassador in the months leading up to our wedding eliminated much of the stress and anxiety of long distance planning, and allowed us to be truly present for every minute of our wedding day.”

“Don’t be afraid to break from tradition. We decided to forego many wedding traditions (speeches, cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc.) in order to maximize the time we had to socialize with everyone who travelled to be celebrate with us in Palm Springs. We also opted for a next-day photography session in Joshua Tree National Park, allowing us to capture a different look and feel in our photos and chase that glorious desert sunset without the pressure of needing to head back to the party (and I had an excuse to wear my amazing dress for a second time!)”

Wow, thank you Jillian and Joe, you certainly did it your way. That’s life, and I sure did get a kick out of you. You went from Strangers in the Night to funny valentines, followed by Love and Marriage, and I’m sure that 2018 was a very good year, but The Best Is Yet To Come.

Sorry. I’m finished with the Frank Sinatra puns now, so all that remains is for me to thank photographer Nicole Ashley and videographers Plaid Collar Films for their awesome work.

Until next time,

Love,

Laura