Lavish Great Gatsby Wedding

Jennifer and Michael’s October wedding at the Riviera Resort and Spa in Palm Springs was a lavish and glamorous affair that would even impress Gatsby! They created a chic, Old Hollywood vibe through a beautiful palate of rich colors like gold, green, cream and black accented by peacock feathers. The bridesmaids each chose their own vintage dress in a shade of silver, gold or peach with a handmade matching head wrap or feathered headpiece. The groomsmen wore classic gray suits with a white shirt, black bowtie, black suspenders and a pocket watch. The ceremony was truly a stunner – the aisle was lined with white ostrich feathers and white rose petals, and the gazebo under which they exchanged vows featured an array of hanging feathers, accented by pedestals holding gorgeous arrangements of red roses, green cymbidium and hydrangeas.

The place cards were incredibly creative: since Gatsby was known for driving expensive cars, Jennifer and Michael wanted guests to arrive in style, so they gave them a set of keys (displayed on a handmade valet board) to direct them to their tables. The reception was like walking into Gatsby’s mansion; a speakeasy with shelving around the bar to hold vintage decanters and bottles and a cozy cigar lounge with high back chairs and seating with dim lit lamps were the perfect places for guests to unwind. Peacock feathers and glowing vintage signs with the words “LOVE” and “BAR” were accents that added pops of bright color throughout the room. The decadent dessert table and cake added even more to the glamorous feel. Lastly, they created an upscale photo booth with an old vintage car parked inside the reception room. Jenny Bright Photography captured their extraordinary celebration!

A lavish and glitzy Great Gatsby wedding in Palm Springs, CA

A lavish Great Gatsby-inspired wedding celebration with a vintage travel motif | Jenny Bright Photography: http://jennybright.com

Michael and I are a very non-traditional couple and never envisioned planning our wedding based on a color scheme – because after all, that is where everyone tells you to start, right? We weren’t inspired by “the red and beige rustic look” or “under the sea green and blue” themes. Although, there was one main detail we were sure of for our wedding – we wanted to throw the biggest and most fabulous party anyone had ever seen!

Well, we’ve heard of some amazing parties thrown throughout the decades, but nothing nearly as outrageous and over the top as those thrown by Gatsby! There is something so utterly timeless and elegant about the 1920s era. The glam, the fashion, the music and the sparkle were all elements we envisioned for our wedding – and so, we brought it to life!

While planning everything from the bridal shower to the big day, we wanted to keep a running theme of “luxury vintage travel” present. For that reason, we took some really creative engagement photos at the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. The photos were used for our save the date magnets (a hint to our guests about the wedding theme), bridal shower invitations (a plane ticket to begin your vintage travel) and wedding invitations (a vintage travel brochure with the pertinent wedding information listed in the center panel and the side pockets stuffed with fun information about things to see in Palm Springs, the wedding weekend events, Instagram hashtag and RSVP cards). It was a really fun way to engage our guests in the wedding and they were all so excited to receive such unique invitations! – Jennifer

A lavish Great Gatsby-inspired wedding celebration with a vintage travel motif | Jenny Bright Photography: http://jennybright.com