On the dance floor in Las Vegas, a stunning blonde caught JP’s eye. “All I could do was extend my arm out to dance,” the New Yorker recalls. “To my surprise, Andie put her drink down and joined me.” The pair hit it off and dated long distance for the first few years of their relationship, with Andie based in the Bay Area but frequently traveling to the Big Apple for work.
With two fur babies in tow, the couple relocated to the Los Angeles area, where JP proposed on Earth Day while they were out for a hike with their pug, Coco. “It was so authentic and perfect,” Andie shares. “Earth Day is my new favorite holiday.”
They planned a year-and-a-half engagement and selected the Sands Hotel & Spa in Indian Wells as their venue because of “the high likelihood for good weather and the novelty of being somewhere new,” Andie says. “Many of our guests were from out of state and had never been to Palm Springs.”
“Desert colors, textures, and patterns are really distinctive. They feel somewhat untamed and majestic. We tried to represent this in our florals and color schemes.”
Plus, there was the added perk of vacationing in the Coachella Valley while they worked out all the little details: classic black and white attire, with the wedding party in all black; exchanging vows privately before the ceremony; bubble guns for guests during the recessional; and synchronized swimmers performing to Frank Sinatra during dinner.
The wedding weekend ended with a lazy Sunday brunch for guests before Andie and JP zipped off to Cabo for a four-day mini-moon. “Our formal honeymoon is planned around our one-year anniversary in Colombia,” JP shares. His advice for couples tying the knot: “Enjoy the priceless intimate moments with your significant other, the quiet moments before the big party, [and] being together on the dance floor — try and hold onto every second.”
Planning and design by After the Engagement; florals by The Lavender Rose; music by DJ Matt Phipps; hair and makeup by Chelsea Nicole Makeup and Hair; rentals by Planks & Patina and Hostess Haven; signage by The Blushing Boxwood; cake by Over the Rainbow Desserts; synchronized swimming by Aqualillies; vintage car rental via James Dorris; dress by Danielle Frankel; custom suit by JB Clothiers; officiating by Jay Warren.