Words can’t even begin to describe this past weekend; I think the best way I could hope to describe it was a Bohemian dream wedding, a magical culmination of visions. It was nothing short of everything Alexis and Justin ever dreamed it could be, and Randy + I are so blessed to have been invited to partake in their Sparrows Lodge wedding in Palm Springs.
Both Alexis and Justin work in law enforcement through the state parks, and met each other at the academy back in 2009. Justin’s mom, Anne, and his best man, Patrick, spoke of how excited he was just to take Alexis out on a date. During her toast, Alexis’ best friend (and matron of honor), Mikayla, spoke of how she knew that Justin would be something special to Alexis from that very first date. That was about 4 years ago, and ever since then the two of them have been at each other’s side for all the love and adventure that life has to give. They love to travel and go camping, and these were two very important factors of their wedding decor and design. We loved Alexis’s unique black diamond (by Alexis Russell Jewelry), as well as Justin’s custom redwood-and-silver wedding band (by Jewelry by Johan) – especially the engraving inside of two hands holding a heart, flanked with infinity knots. Justin’s tie was even tied into an infinity knot!
We headed over to nearby Moorten’s Botanical Gardens to do some private portraits – which was so picturesque. We loved all the cacti and various desert greenery there. When we returned back to Sparrows Lodge, Joey and the rest of the team from Artisan Events just blew us away with the Bohemian design of the reception space at Sparrows Lodge, complete with bistro lighting, gold votives, pink napkins and eucalyptus centerpieces and garland. And – believe it or not, this was actually the first time we ever got to shoot a naked cake, fabulously created by Exquisite Desserts (everyone raved about how delicious it was, too!). Alexis and her girlfriends worked tirelessly to create the love bird garland, the votives, the signs and Alexis’s Poppy (her dad) even handcrafted their cake stand. This was truly a work of heart!
We are so excited to see what their next adventure is going to be! Here are a few favorites from their wedding – enjoy! xoxo
vendor love
venue // Sparrows Lodge, Palm Springs
coordination + floral // Artisan Events
dj // Music Media Entertainment
officiant // Jackie Beck
cake // Exquisite Desserts
catering // Carousel Catering
rentals // Signature Party Rentals
rehearsal dinner catering // The Taco Bar
hair // Julie Herzog
makeup // Julie Koeth
invitations // The Paper Pinwheel
bridal gown // The White Flower, San Diego
groom’s suit // Indochino
bridal ring // Alexis Russell Jewelry
groom’s ring // Jewelry by Johan
additional portrait location // Moorten’s Botanical Garden
Are you looking for a wedding photographer in Palm Springs?
Hey there, I am Ashley Durham, a western Arizona wedding photographer specializing in unposed, authentic and romantic intimate weddings that capture the love, fun and realness of couples and wedding days.
I am happy to serve couples from Lake Havasu, Bullhead City, Prescott, Kingman, Skull Valley all the way to Palm Springs, Southern California and anywhere I can drive or fly. Are you ready to have an incredible time together for your wedding?? DM me!!
