Christine and Alan met when they were 14 years old, and the two of them became high school sweethearts. They went their separate ways after graduation, only to reconnect a few years back and fall in love again! Doesn’t get sweeter than that! Christine is an illustrator/artist (check out her funky Etsy shop here!) and Alan is a musician. They wanted their wedding to be really small and intimate, but still in a breathtaking location that provided a ton of cool portrait backdrops. Enter: Sands Hotel and Spa in Indian Wells! This place is truly a photographer’s playground (especially one who loves the color pink as much as I do)! Christine and Alan went for a vintage glam meets tropical vibe, and I am here for it. They spent a bunch of time before the ceremony exploring the property so they could spend their actual wedding time with their family and friends – this is why first looks can be so lovely! Scroll down for a LOT more photos and fun facts! You can also see this gorgeous day featured here on Green Wedding Shoes!

Christine’s vintage dress from the 1950s cost $120.00 on Poshmark. Nope, I didn’t mistype that. Talk about winning the dress jackpot!!

Christine got ready in the Sands’ Spa – how stunning is this room?!

Time for the first look!

Ceremony time! This gorgeous door is in harsh direct light until the very end of the day, but Christine and Alan were more than willing to change their timeline to accommodate the lighting. Since they really cared about these photos, they scheduled their ceremony an hour before official sunset time and didn’t have to stand in bright sunlight to boot!

This pink cake, YES! True story – by the time the cake was out, it was really dark in the reception space, and I wanted this beauty shot in natural light. I found a cocktail table and super carefully carried this masterpiece outside to the bougainvillea wall…a little scary, but so worth it!!

Another fun fact! Christine loved her reception outfit (another vintage gown, of course!), but knew that they wouldn’t have a chance to take photos in it once the evening got going. So we actually did photos in this dress before their official first look! This was entirely her idea and I thought it was brilliant!

Now for this dinner space – The Pink Cabana is truly one of the coolest restaurants I’ve ever seen!

I departed after speeches and the two of them enjoyed a chill night with their closest family and friends – lovely! Congratulations Christine and Alan!!

Vendor Credits:
Photography: Mary Costa Photography
Venue name: Sands Hotel & Spa, Indian Wells, California, USA
Florals: Arrangements Floral + Party Design
Wedding dress: Vintage Cahill of Beverly Hills, Tailored by Miss Tashina
Hairpiece: BHLDN
Getting ready robes: Trashy Diva
Hair stylist: Dottie Vee of Heads Will Roll Salon
Makeup artist: Jennifer Corona
Music: DJ Baz
Venue coordination: Olivia Prescott Events
Bride: Christine of @scarlett_river
Featured on Green Wedding Shoes!