Jessica and Joseph’s Classic Las Vegas Elopement at Red Rock Canyon

WHAT WORDS WOULD YOU USE TO DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING?

THE PROPOSAL:

The proposal was done in typical “Joe fashion”. We are in Punta Cana and it was very obvious that Joe was super nervous. All through dinner Joe would stop and look around and then rub his hands down his pants as if they were sweating. Dinner concluded and still no ring… We leave dinner and it’s pouring rain, so we run to this covered bar and wait the rain out for 15-20mins. Finally, Joe wants to go walk around. I, myself, had a feeling it was going down. So I begin scouring for photo worthy areas for “Instagram Pics”… We end up near the beach and there is a bathroom right there. Joe uses the bathroom (he was in there for a while, I could tell how nervous he was). Mind you, I had been texting my girlfriend letting her know the play by play haha. Joe comes out of the bathroom and takes my photos and then as I begin to walk away, I hear Joe say, “Jessa…”

I turn around and there he is looking scared, nervous, all of the feelings and then he says, ” I am so nervous.” Joe then walks over to me and confesses his love and gets down on a knee to propose… in typical Joe fashion hahaha. I just love that man. Not to mention…. the proposal was not only near the beach and the bathroom with no one around, but there was the cutest little raccoon in the bush watching us.

THE VISION:

When discussing the vision for our wedding, Joe and I had a lot of ideas and proposals; however, we knew it had to be a desert wedding. Something about the energy that radiates from desert areas is indescribable. The vision could best be described as Ethereal Desert.

THE PLANNING PROCESS:

Once the planning process commenced, we went back and forth on really only the guest count, honestly. I wanted 10-15 guests max. Joe wanted his whole family and friends… 70+ guests max. So we compromised at 50 guests max. I took the rest of the details over and would ask for Joe’s input from time to time. See, the thing about Joe is that he truly loves what I love and understands that I have a vision and it will all make sense once it is done! (:

YOUR OUTFITS AND ACCESSORIES

Dress shopping was one of my FAVORITE parts! I tried 4 dresses on and knew when I tried the 2nd dress on that it was the one! I was going for a naked, one with nature, grounding vibe. I wanted a very sheer dress, but not too sheer, just enough sparkle to make you say “wow”. When it came to picking out Joe’s suit, I knew it had to be a linen fabric in a cream khaki color. Then I thought, why not go with a bolo-tie instead of a traditional tie to really pull together the desert vibe? It was everything I imagined and more. I truly feel like the vision came to life!

WHAT DID YOU DO FOR YOUR POST CEREMONY DINNER/ RECEPTION?

Once the ceremony concluded, we had all of our guests taken over to The Shangri-La Room at the top of Mandalay Bay where we had the best food, open bar, and terrific DJ! It truly wrapped up the evening perfectly.

MEMORABLE MOMENTS

N/A… I have tooo many

ADVICE FOR OTHER COUPLES

If I could give advice to other couples, it would be: Every single couple needs a “Talking Stick”. Joe and I started with an invisible one and then moved to the tv remote and now we have an actual microphone haha. On a serious note, it is a must. You take turns speaking during heated or difficult discussions. You NEVER speak over your partner when you do NOT have the talking stick. You hear their side out and then you may speak when it is your turn. You are NOT allowed to raise your voice in any manner and you MAY take as much time as needed to process what your partner has said before you speak. There is always a compromise, whether it is 50/50 or 5/95. Finally, think before you speak. Words hurt and you cannot take them back. Don’t say something to put your partner down because you are hurt in the moment. It’s okay to take a little time apart and come back to a conversation. Your partner is supposed to be your better half, treat them like it.