Vibrant Palm Springs Wedding at Villa Royale

May 09, 2024

Vibrant Palm Springs Wedding at Villa Royale - Jake & Callie

If there was a scale to measure how cool a wedding is, Jake & Callie's wedding was off the chart, no doubt. From hosting a pool party with a full movie showing the night before to holding their reception at a surf club, this shindig was giving all the So Cal vibes. And the pops of colors - so many bright, vibrant colors - made this day that much more high-spirited and fun. But not only were the details special - there were so many aspects of this day, dance and couple that were special to me

Jake & Callie practice their dance in the hall before entering the reception

When we first started lessons Jake and Callie told me they wanted a slow dance to Banks' song "Need to Breathe". They were doing great with the choreography but about three lessons in they came to me with a proposition. They realized that the waltz didn't really feel like "them" and they wanted to kick it up a notch with something more upbeat. Beyonce had just dropped her single (I think that same day?) to "Texas Hold 'Em" so they suggested we make a mix with that, cutting their first song short and stitching them together. They were hesitant to share this idea with me because they thought I might be frustrated by the suggestion but it was the complete opposite. I was ecstatic because this concept fit their personalities so well and made their dance so much more authentically them. (Plus, I love a good excuse to listen to some more Beyonce😉). So we did just that. Their dance transitioned from a slow Viennese waltz to a hoedown, complete with impressive lifts and dips in each section. At the end of their Beyonce section instead of cutting the music they kept it rolling and invited all of their friends and family to join them on the dance floor. People flooded the scene and a killer dance party unfolded. Besides practicing their brains out and nailing every super challenging lift and dip with such precision and force, I'm most proud of these two for listening to their guts and taking a risk with their dance. Dance lessons are a process and sometimes pivoting can create the greatest outcome, which was true in this case.

So enjoy the pictures below from their beautiful day and dance. I usually only post dance pictures on this blog but their wedding details were so stunning that I had to throw a few more shots in there just in case any of you brides and grooms out there are looking for inspiration. Also had to include a picture of Callie with her sister Cassidy (who I worked with on her first dance a few years back. Check out my blog post "But Darling, Save The Last Dance For Me" and you'll see pictures from her dance with now husband Nathaniel) and her mom (who made her amazing wedding dress!) Be like Jake & Callie and DO YOU and you won't be disappointed with your day or party. I will miss these two something fierce!