From Lockdown Love to Desert Vows: Catherine & David's Wedding at The Colony Palms Hotel
- Author: Natali Grace Levine
- Wedding date: 02/04/2024
- City: Los Angeles
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Love Story
A swipe on Bumble in late 2019 started it all. Catherine and David dated casually between the end of 2019 and early 2020, but everything changed when Melbourne went into lockdown. "We really got to know each other well during the lockdowns of 2020 by phone and video calls in Melbourne, Australia," they shared. Melbourne had the highest lockdowns of any city in the world between 2020-2021, and somehow those video calls and long phone conversations built something real.
By September 2023, when travel was finally possible again, David was ready. "David and Catherine took a 2 week trip to the US in September 2023 when the world was finally opened up and we were free to travel after the extensive lockdowns and restrictions of Covid-19," they recalled. At sunset in the Cholla Cactus Garden at Joshua Tree National Park, David pulled out a custom-made platinum and black diamond ring from Melbourne jeweller Rhys Turner. "It was incredibly romantic and Catherine was speechless (for once) and answered YES!"
About Your Wedding
Seven months of planning went into making April 2nd perfect, with David taking on wedding planner duties himself. Their vision? "We just wanted the day to represent us, what we love and be with those that we love."
"We were inspired by our love of California and Palm Springs!" they said, and you can see it in every choice they made—from the futuristic Invisible House ceremony to dinner at the elegant Colony Palms Hotel.
David works in Tech and Telecom internationally (over 25 years now), while Catherine's spent 20 years in Fashion and Sports Apparel. Between renovating their family home, hunting for new restaurants, and David's comic book YouTube channel, they're always creating something together. "We both enjoy finding new restaurants, drinking wine at sunset and spending time with our wonderful children and our smallest child - our Toy Cavoodle!"
When we asked about the moment they'd remember most, they didn't hesitate: "The key moment of our wedding was being able to tell each other how we felt, in front of our friends and family at Sunset, at the Invisible house."
Morning Details
David designed the wedding invitations himself and had them printed back in Australia. For the rings, they went back to Rhys Turner, the jeweller who'd made Catherine's engagement ring. "We went to see our Jeweller @rhys.jewellry and we custom-designed our own rings to match Catherine's engagement ring," they explained. "We were inspired by Rhys existing designs and put our own stamp on them, whilst ensuring we were in keeping with the design elements and talent from Rhys."
Catherine wore her mother's diamond earrings—her father's gift to her mum on her 60th birthday—and a bracelet from her aunt that had belonged to her grandmother. Family history woven right into the day.
Bride Getting Ready
Finding the dress was almost too easy. "My wedding dress was designed by Kyha Studios, which is a leading Bridal shop based in Australia," Catherine said. "I chose my wedding dress at my first appointment and it was the 3rd dress I tried on and I knew it was the one! I cancelled the rest of my appointments at Bridal shops that day."
She got ready at one end of the Invisible House while David dressed at the opposite end—they wouldn't see each other until the ceremony. Nancy Andrade did hair and makeup, and Catherine slipped into sparkly Jimmy Choo heels that caught the California sun beautifully.
The bouquet from Palo Verde Party Rentals was gorgeous, though Catherine admits she "forgot it in the fridge until after the ceremony!" Everything for the florals was selected over email from Australia. "They nailed the brief," the couple said.
Groom Getting Ready
David got ready in his Paul Smith tuxedo at the other end of the house, surrounded by close friends and family. His best man Paul had the honor of being ring bearer—a personal touch that made the intimate ceremony even more special.
Ceremony
Sunset was approaching when guests gathered for the ceremony. Catherine walked down the aisle to "Luxuria (ov) - Tinlicker Remix" by deadmau5 and Tinlicker—a perfect soundtrack for a couple who does things their own way.
When David saw Catherine for the first time, "I was blown away at how stunning my future wife looked," he said. Catherine's perspective? "One of the best moments of my life! I started crying, felt really happy and thought my future husband looked absolutely gorgeous (and I was going to be a lucky wife married to him)."
Marie from Let's Get Married by Marie officiated, but the ceremony itself was pure Catherine and David. "Catherine was meant to say her vows first...but was overcome with tears (and laughter), so David went first and then Catherine could finally get the words out!" What made it special? "Laughing, crying and talking during the ceremony - just being ourselves."
David had their vows framed afterward. They hang at the entrance to their home now.
Photoshoot After The Ceremony
Sarah, the photographer, knew exactly how to work with the light and location. "Sarah was wonderful at knowing the best shots for the photos post-ceremony based on the light and the venue!" they praised. "We had photos mostly outside the Invisible House, using the natural light and elements of nature against the mirrored house."
Wedding Venue & Decor
Cream, lavender, and pink kept things soft and romantic. "Very neutral," they described it, letting the Invisible House itself do the talking.
"David and Catherine chose the venue - truly a unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we knew was for us."
Reception
Dinner at the Colony Palms Hotel kept the intimate vibe going. Instead of a first dance, they did something more them: "We didn't do a first dance - we shared a playlist of our favourite music compiled on Spotify with our guests and listened to this during the evening."
No wedding cake either. Just good food, good wine, and their 18 favorite people in the world. "Our day was pretty seamless! We had a few issues due to being in the desert and not having phone reception when vendors were arriving and a few funny things we won't mention that happened (our little secrets!)" they laughed. "Overall - the best day together of our lives, captured by our wonderful photographer Sarah, and all the incredible vendors who added to the perfect moment for us."
Wedding Team
- Photography Sarah Rittenour
- Venues @colonypalmshotel @theinvisiblehouse
- Florals @paloverdeparties
- Officiant @letsgetmarriedbymarie
- MUAH @nancyaartistry
- Dress @kyhabride
- Suit @paulsmithdesign
- Rings @ryhs.jewellery
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