Glamorous + Rainy Bohemian Wedding at Palm Springs’ O’Donnell House

Erin Lepperd
August 20, 2018
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog

Dreaming of sunny skies without a stitch of rain on your wedding day? You are not alone! But this Palm Springs wedding is here to prove that sprinkles can be downright glamorous (and make for really sweet photo ops… just saying). Layered with that signature bougainvillea of O’Donell House, gold accents, and a few peacock chairs too, Ether & Smith’s images showcase a stunning affair that ends with dancing under a sea of raindrops.

From the Bride… Aaron and I met in Austin in grad school. He was quiet and thoughtful and I was a loud social butterfly. We eventually became close friends bonding over a mutual love of fashion, Tex-Mex happy hours and British period dramas. There was a lot of sheepish flirting and finally some liquid courage lead Aaron to confess his feelings. Not too long after that, we began dating. And then even quicker still, fell in love.

After graduation, he moved to San Fransisco and I moved to New York for separate jobs. Being apart made us realize we never wanted to do it again. Four years later we went to a floating lantern festival in the desert, and as fireworks went off and the lanterns floated into the sky he got on one knee and popped the question. I was delighted. He reminded me politely that I didn’t actually say yes. So then I finally gave him his, “yes!”

We decided to get married in Palm Springs because it had become a favorite escape for us and it seemed the perfect place to bring all our family and friends together. Palm Trees, beautiful mountains and blue pools everywhere you look, it’s hard to beat. We wanted a scenic garden vibe and the O’Donnell house had the perfect combination of lush bougainvillea and an awe-inspiring view of the whole city.

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We kept the color scheme relatively neutral with some copper and blush to let the greenery and deep pink flowers at the venue do most of the work. Overall we wanted a bohemian, romantic feel. We played up the natural garden vibe, by incorporating lush garlands and flowers throughout the venue. We couldn’t have been happier with the result, and although it rained on the day, we were so delighted with the overall feeling amidst our closest friends and family that we *barely* noticed.

The ceremony was everything we could have asked for. We had a close friend officiate and everything felt personal and custom to who we are as as couple. Hearing each others personal vows was so special. We laughed the entire time.

Another highlight was seeing our wonderful friends and family embrace our weather problems and just dance their hearts out in the rain. The whole wedding should be a reflection of you as a couple as much as possible and not who you think you should be, or what others think you should do. We cut certain “traditions,” added things we liked, cut things we didn’t and, despite the rain, it turned out perfectly.

My advice to other couples is to realize that something will go wrong at your wedding, and that it is beyond your control. No amount of spreadsheet checklists could stop the clouds opening and raining down on notoriously sunny Palm Springs. You just have to laugh and realize that the unplanned moments will become the most memorable. Also, enjoy and focus on all the good things while you’re in it.