Kelly and Andy chose Pioneertown, specifically the Desert Soundstage, as their October wedding venue. They and their 144 guests travelled out to the desert to eat, drink and be married! The couple wanted the day to feel cosy, unique, interactive.

They are both artists – Andy works in props for film and TV and Kelly is a photographer who also paints. They approached the wedding like a big art project. “My inspiration was heavily taken from the aesthetic of the Madonna Inn”, Kelly said. “I love vintage, and I really wanted to have a warm and cosy wedding. Even though we didn’t tell anybody, the wedding theme was based around the idea ‘everything and the kitsch-in-pink’. For us this meant a maximalist styled wedding saturated in colour and kitschy flair. Our theme was also flavoured by the location which added a rustic western edge.”

Andy created a ‘Tunnel of Love’ that told their story and ended with an instant photo setup. Kelly built a photo booth and they collected vintage ceramic animal vases for the tables. Two large tarot banners framed the stage, hand painted with the Two of Cups and Ten of Cups.

They made changes where they wanted to. Kelly walked down the aisle with her dad but did not want to be handed over, so she handed him back to her mum. They ended the ceremony as ‘partners for life’ rather than ‘husband and wife’. They also skipped the bouquet toss and did a T-shirt toss instead.

“Traditions are kinda weird… like why does the father of the bride hand his daughter to the groom?” Kelly said. “Isn’t treating the bride like property, I don’t know, kinda archaic? I think it’s worth questioning traditions because ultimately those out-dated rituals influence the meaning of your ceremony!”

A live band played for the ceremony and cocktail hour and friends handled the DJ sets after that with a playlist that moved from disco to an EDM remix of Circle of Life. The night ended with everyone singing along to All I Want for Christmas Is You. “Our friends circled around us and it just felt really magical” Kelly said.

They even brought in a tattoo artist, who created a custom flash sheet. Over 20 guests got tattoos during the day – for many of them it was their first tattoo!

They saved money where they could. Flowers were DIY’d with family two days before the wedding. “The wedding industry has a tendency to emphasise that this is your ‘one perfect day’ and that’s too much pressure to live up to”, Kelly concluded. “My main advice is to know yourself. Lean into your personality and what will make it feel truly like you and your partner.”