A Fun-Filled, All-Day Wedding in Palm Springs, California

The hardest part of wedding planning for Christopher Slye and Jeremy Woolf? Packing and shipping 90 full-size plastic yard flamingos as save the dates to their guests. “It was totally worth it,” Jeremy says of the undertaking, which just set the tone for their four-day celebration in Palm Springs, California. It did, of course, include some more flamingos in the form of pool floats as well synchronized swimmers, cheeky notes on a message board, and plenty of mezcal.  

The couple invited 115 friends and family to stay at Alcazar Palm Springs, a boutique property where they held their reception as well as pre- and post-wedding gatherings like a pool party and “robes and rosè” piano sing-a-long. They pulled the best of Palm Springs lifestyle together with their personal tastes: keeping a subtle Moroccan theme to the decor, highlighting the sustainable design, and relaxing into a laid-back mood for everything. “We avoided tradition throughout the weekend,” Jeremy says. “We wanted everyone to have fun. The focus was on the guests’ experience and Palm Springs just as much as it was on us as a couple.” 

To pull it all off, Jeremy and Christopher collaborated with Courtney Tibbets of After the Engagement. “One of the first decisions we made was to choose a professional wedding planner that we could hand things over to and not worry about our vision coming to life,” Jeremy says. “It was hands-down the best decision we made.” That said, Jeremy did tackle a DIY project, hand monogramming leather luggage tags that doubled as place cards.

Read on for all the details on Christopher and Jeremy’s wedding, planned by Courtney Tibbets of After the Engagement and photographed by Ryan Horban.  

The couple and their wedding party headed out into the desert for photos by the famous windmills before the ceremony, which took place at Casa de Monte Vista. Both men wore suits from SuitSupply, and Jeremy added a sentimental touch: cufflinks from his late father.

After their original plans for a desert ceremony were foiled thanks to a risky storm, the pair moved the event to a Spanish tailored home surrounded by gardens.

“The ceremony was held in the morning with the rising sun glinting off the mountains which created a magical setting,” Jeremy says of exchanging vows at 9 a.m. “We chose a morning ceremony to celebrate our favorite time of day. It is a special and spiritual time for us, when we like to enjoy nature and quiet conversation.” Despite both loathing public speaking, they wrote their own vows and shared them in front of their guests. “We are very glad we did,” Jeremy says. The couple also nodded to their heritages with a knot tying ceremony and a riff on the seven blessings of Judaism.

The pair’s string quartet played Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You” as they walked up the aisle. Following the ceremony, guests were treated to brunch with plenty of mimosas before an afternoon pool party.

For the evening reception, the couple changed into more casual—and playful—suits paired with short-sleeve button-down shirts.  

The reception took place around the pool at Alcazar. Bistro lights added ambiance for the alfresco affair, which included Moroccan tailored lounge areas, reclaimed wood tables, brass flatware, and hanging floral garlands. The couple sourced metal card catalogs from an architectural salvage shop as centerpiece vessels and made sure the flowers reflected Palm Springs: The arrangements included lots of bougainvillea.

The grooms combined their last names into one, SlyeWoolf, which stood out on their message boards, menus, and in a giant neon sign at the reception. Sticking to their subtle theme of message boards, the couple built a table seating chart wall out of 10x10 boards and plumbing pipes.

Cocktail hour took place in the courtyard with a signature drink called the “Naked & Famous,” a blend of mezcal, Aperol, yellow Chartreuse, lime, and seltzer. “This concoction could make you revel in unexpected ways,” Jeremy says. The food was just as thoughtful, kicking off the menu with overflowing tables of cheese and charcuterie before a meal of beef Wellington and lobster rolls. 

Each place setting included a leather luggage tag, their special DIY project. “It involved stamping the leather one letter at a time with each guest’s name, staining, sealing, and polishing them all,” Jeremy says.

The grooms made their grand entrance to Aretha Franklin’s “Freeway of Love.”  

As a surprise to their guests, including their parents, a synchronized swimming group, the Aqualillies, performed after dinner. “They danced to Beyoncé as the sun was setting,” Jeremy says. “Our friends and family are still talking about how terrific they were.”

The pair’s DJ, plus surprise bongo and horn accompaniments, kept guests on their feet right down to the last song: a remix of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.” The other memorable moment? Jumping into the pool, outfits and all! “The tickle of friends who followed suit was the icing on the cake,” Jeremy says. 

Sharing advice for couples planning, Jeremey says, “Take little moments to be like, ‘I’m present, I’m enjoying this, this is so amazing, I can’t wait for what’s to come. It helped keep us grounded and present, and to enjoy both the anticipation, the moments themselves, and the time after.”