While many of us, the people of the north, dream of walking in the desert for dusty, sand-colored photos and an unconventional atmosphere, it is understandable that those who come from the southwest dream of greener pastures.
Las Vegas couple Sheena & Luis hoped just that growing up in the desert, the couple wanted a green oasis for their wedding day, far from casinos and neon lights. The Revere Golf Club with green hills and many empty rooms filled with greenery and floral decor served as an ideal wedding venue for your desert oasis.
But let’s be realistic, we’re probably all here primarily for one thing – the puppy! Sheena and Luis adopted their four-legged friend just a week before they got married and introduced him to their new big family. Included in her portraits at first glance, we are all just a puddle of emotions for this adorable wedding puppy.
The dress and the outfit
I kept the theme of neutral colors with our bridal party. I knew I wanted my bridesmaids to have mismatched dresses in different styles in different colors of gray and taupe. As for the groomsmen, their trousers were light gray, navy sapphire bow tie and brown leather trouser straps. I wanted them to match the groom’s suit, that he wore a dark sapphire suit with a dove gray tie and brown leather shoes.
As for the bride, the chosen Pink Clara wedding dress was a laced mermaid silhouette, with long sleeves without shoulders and a low back. Luis wore a dark sapphire three-piece suit and brown leather shoes. We wanted the groomsmen to accentuate the groom and make him shine even on his big day.
When I lived in Las Vegas, I wanted to have the opposite of the desert and a very green and outdoor wedding. At first I didn’t want to get married on a golf course, but when I saw that the Revere Golf Club had a promotion that they were all-inclusive, we decided to check it out. It was filled with lots of lush, green hills, with a wide view of the city of Las Vegas, but it didn’t feel like we were in this city full of casinos.
Puppy
We were able to celebrate our big day with our eight-week-old puppy, which we had a week before the wedding. We were able to take wedding photos with him and even took him to the dance floor, where he met his large extended family.
Flower
Since we wanted to focus mainly on lush greenery, we chose white majolica roses, white buttercups and white Eskimo roses to decorate the Italian greenery of the ruskus and the greenery of the sown eucalyptus plants.
Special traditions
At our ceremony, we performed the “Sail and lasso” ceremony. It’s very symbolic in Filipino and Hispanic culture and I thought it was a great way to include our family members who contributed to the marriage. My veil was put on Luis and me by his aunt and uncle, which represents “unity in our marriage “.”Then a string of rosaries of Luis’s close friends was placed around us, which represents our “eternal union “.”As part of the veil and lasso ceremony, another aunt and uncle presented Luis with an ornate box of thirteen gold coins, which I was able to hand over to myself. It’s called “arras” and it represents his willingness to support me. These objects will after become our own family heirs.
We also attended Communion, broke bread and drank plonk, during our ceremony, just to remember everything that God has done for us. Especially everything that has led to this day.
Favorite moments
As cliche as it may sound, but the whole day was our favorite. Although there were several disadvantages; since Luis was sick, that his voice was hoarse, or bad music was played, or even a light, windy day, it was nothing compared to the beauty of the day and the fun we had.
Our ceremony was led by our good friend and pastor Daniel Fernandez. He was able to translate half of our ceremony into Spanish, in reference to Luis’s family who speaks Spanish. It contained funny stories and memories during our ceremony, which made it convenient for us to be there before everyone else.
Louise’s mom booked a Mexican band, so seeing our two families together for the first time and dancing all night was one of the best parties. In addition, we danced so loudly that my wedding dress was even torn!
I loved that Susie & Will, our photographer, was able to capture the part where Luis was surprised and thrown into the air by his friends and family. We couldn’t stop laughing.
The decor of the reception
The venue was able to provide indoor or outdoor ceremonies and reception rooms. But because of the noise ordinance in Vegas, you can’t have live music after 22.00 and know my husband’s family, we would dance well after 22.00. So my dream of a ceremony and an outdoor reception was out the window.
However, I was able to express my dreams to one of our sellers, Weddings By Dzign, and they were able to bring the exterior inside. My vision of greenery, with acrylic panels, has come to life! They built a green hedge wall with a large S and L with a seating area with white furniture. There was green foliage hanging from the lights and flowers hanging over the ceilings to give the impression that we were outside. Our seller also suggested hanging white linen over it to add more height to the room. I wanted the emphasis to be on green, so I chose neutral colors, such as dove gray linen and white flowers.
Favor
We gave mini succulents in white buckets provided by the succulent spring. Attached is a handwritten label with the inscription “” Let love grow.”
Handmade details
Part of the acrylic signage was made by hand. I’m trying to do calligraphy, so I wanted to do projects instead of splurging on articles that I thought I could do myself. I bought clear acrylic frames and used white sharpie to add to the decor. A sign would say “Love is intoxicating,” which of course was near the bar. And other signs that said we should share our wedding hashtag. I also hand-wrote every label attached to our favors.
Advice For other couples
The advice we would give couples are certainly attentive to their budget and their guests! Focus less on fashionable and decorated weddings on Pinterest that far exceed your budget. The most important things that people will really remember about their wedding are food, music and drinks. So if you really want your guests to have a good time, splurge on these items, as these are the most important things that your guests will remember.
But on the whole, stick to what you both want! It is very easy to be influenced by the opinion of others, especially your parents. You mean well and you’re just as excited as the two of you, but be able to set boundaries between the parents and the planning process. It was one of the biggest stressors in our wedding planning process, trying to make everyone in our families happy, that we lost sight of the things we had imagined. Do not forget to breathe and that not everything always goes according to plan. It’s nothing compared to the best time you’ll spend with the one you’ll share the rest of your life with.