Tell us a little about yourselves!
Kexin is currently a PhD student at Stanford doing research in the intersection of machine learning and biology. Kristy is a Data Scientist at a health tech start-up focusing on delivering accessible mental health care.
We are both originally from China and came to the states for study and work, now living in the Bay area. We both love art, music, and healthcare.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We decided to get married at Joshua Tree because we have always wanted a unique, desert destination wedding with our closest friends and family. When we found Le Chacuel, we were both so drawn to the minimalist design style and neutral colour palette in addition to the breath-taking view. It has a really fantastic combination of access to nature, as well as holding intimate gatherings - all in one place.
How many guests did you have?
18.
What was your budget?
$70,000 (inclusive of outfits).
Tell us about your outfits.
Ceremony:
My Vera Wang Sarah wedding dress is a unique gown: it has a dramatic black bow in the back, and has a embroidery of the word 'Love' on the side. It paired really nicely with the Vivienne Westwood pearl necklace and both really showcased my personality – a combination of all sorts of things: soft, romantic, unique and independent.
Kexin’s suit wass pretty classic with its dark gray color, but also has a fun twist to it with a subtle green tint, which matches the overall colour palette of the wedding.
After party:
I’ve always had a passion for white shirts. When I saw the Jacquemus La Chemise Lupo shirt and La Jupe Crema Skirt with all the knot details and the asymmetric design, I just fell in love immediately. The knots look like flowers blooming on the white canvas to me - and my Chinese name actually means blossoms. So I thought this is the one! I paired it with the Alexander Wang Jessie crystal scrunchie heels to add some dramatic sparkles since the outfit is for after parties and dancing. The earrings are from a small Chinese brand. They are supposed to symbolize pine tree leaves but I thought they also look like fireworks (which was the theme of the wedding).
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
For us, it’s really important for us to make sure this day was candid and authentic and spoke to who we are as a couple. We also really hoped our guests can all have fun with us. We didn’t want to necessarily conform to any rules. We had our friend to MC and officiate, we picked our own songs for the entire day and Kexin did a bit of DJ'ing and we picked Sake over wine or cocktails. We also designed a bunch of games so all of our guests could take part in making our day even more special. For the guest welcome area, we collected some words and phrases and asked our guests to assemble them into a love poem.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
The wedding theme was 'fireworks and smoke'. It came from a sentence that we really liked: 'Love is both the fireworks that spark beautifully, and the smoke that lasts long after'. So, we tried to incorporate these elements in the stationary, floral and cake designs.
Any tips for couples getting married?
The only tip is that the couple should avoid doing anything on their wedding day! Delegate things to your bridal parties or vendors because it’s so hard to have the time and mental capacity yourselves to deal with anything on the big day. You want to be fully soaked into all the joy and excitement. Another tip is just to pick the vendors that you truly like, and give them the utmost trust on the wedding day. It will all work out!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
All our vendors are truly amazing! Our day was a little more chaotic than we thought it would be because of the unexpected change in weather due sudden rain and really strong winds. However, our vendors were all really flexible and helped us make the day a one-of-a-kind experience! Especially our photographer Sincerely Sini, videographer Films by Madeleine, and florists Pond Floral Studio – their work was the most affected by the weather but they were all able to work above and beyond for our big day and everything turned out to be so perfect!
Photographer : Sincerely Sini @sincerelysini | Videographer : Films by Madeleine @filmsbymadeleine | Ceremony + Reception Location : Le Chacuel @lechacuel | Planner : Lovely Time Weddings + Events @lovelytimeweddings | Hire : Folklore Event Rentals @adorefolklore | Flora : Pond Floral Studio @pond.floralstudio | HMUA : Lynn L Makeup @lynnlmakeup | Catering + Beverages : Private Chef V @privatechefv | Cake : Teehan Cake Design @teehancakedesign | Kristy's Dress : Vera Wang @verawanggang | Kexin's Suit : Suit Supply @suitsupply | Engagement Ring : James Allen @jamesallenrings | Groom's Wedding Ring : Graff (Signature) @graff | Bride's Wedding Ring : Dior (Bois de Rose) @dior | Groom's Shoes : Common Projects @commonprojects | Bride's Shoes : Dior @dior | Earrings : Lemaire @lemaire_official | Necklace : Vivienne Westwood @viviennewestwood | Second Dress : Jacquemus @jacquemus