Le Haut Desert Aerie Wedding by Sun and Sparrow Photography

How we love weddings that depict love as flamboyant and sparkling.. Love that can be felt through photographs that become their owners' heirloom and the best keepsake.. Just by looking at these gorgeous photographs masterfully captured by Sun and Sparrow, we feel the heat of the sun, the breeze playing with the bride's stunning and ethereal dress, her curly hair stroking her bare shoulders and the beauty of love these two beloved partners who are getting ready to share for eternity.

Succulents placed next to white candles perfectly match the wedding's aesthetics. Pink walls, rocks, deserted ceremony spot decorated with tree branches create a very intimate atmosphere and coziness each couple want on their special day. Attention to details is the key element of this wedding that combines many aspects that just simply touch our hearts. Those special moments of tenderness this couple shares are filled with sincere joy and closeness, which makes us want to look at these photographs for hours. 

The moment of excitement the groom shares with us in those photographs, the bride's gentle ways of holding him as they embrace their day filled with laughter, warmth coming from the guests and the tables decorated with vintage findings, and the great style this couple picked to make their ceremony resemble a love story growing like a beautiful flower making its way to the sun in the desert lands of wild West. Love that is strong, love that is brave, love that will always last..

About their wedding: Our wedding was a DIY affair! We collected vintage glass and brass bottles for months before the wedding to use as the centerpieces. We also grew our own succulents. For the place cards- I used my wood burning tool to carve guests names into bark. I handmade my jewelry and belt for the day of as well. I'm half persian and I knew I wanted some persian elements included in our wedding so we had a persian buffet that was a huge hit. I also did a mother-daughter dance to traditional persian music. This was one of the highlight of my night. I've never seen my mom happier and it was so great to see all our friends join in on the persian dancing! Our first dance was my favorite moment. We danced our hearts out to Ben Kweller's "Run." We jumped around and just let loose. Of course I messed up my perfect hairdo in the process, but it was totally worth it. We didn't have a distinct theme- we just wanted the event to feel like ours. In the end the event looked a lot like our apartment- rustic-bohemianish. I wanted my bridesmaids to be comfortable and feel good in what they were wearing so I just asked that they pick dresses in a soft pink colorway. Most the girls got their dresses from Forever 21! Our officiant, Reverend Will Coon, suggested we have a Bowl of Blessings at the ceremony. This was another highlight of the event. We had a bowl of gemstones at the entrance of the ceremony- guests were asked to take one upon entering. During the ceremony, Rev Coon asked each guest to hold on to the stone and channel their wishes and blessings for us into it. After the ceremony guests placed the stone in a glass jar that now sits on our coffee table in our apartment. It's the best keepsake we could ask for.

Advice for couples: If you are taking the DIY route like us, delegate as much as possible. Have the bridal party and friends and family help you with little tasks on the day-of. Also, hire a wedding coordinator is possible- I wish we did this :) The day goes by so fast so try to stay present and soak in each moment. It's challenging to spend time with all the guests during the reception, but we had a bar night after the rehearsal dinner where we were able to connect one-on-one with some of our closest friends and family. I highly recommend doing this, especially if you are having a larger wedding. Also, do everything you can to make sure your maid of honor, bridesmaids mother, etc feel loved and appreciated. My maid of honor worked so hard to make sure my bridal shower, bachelorette and anything wedding related was wonderful so I gave her little gifts throughout the wedding-planning process to make sure she knew how much I appreciated her. A spray tan here, a manicure there- those things go a long way!


The proposal: It was Easter Sunday 2012 on our 4th year anniversary. I had traveled to Ghana, West Africa, where Sheva was stationed for a month, working with local jewelry artisans. On one of our free moments, in the afternoon heat of Africa, we took a romantic horseback ride along the coast. In one moment, I realized that it was time. With my heart pounding in my chest, I jumped off my horse and reached into my pocket, then got down on one knee… Above me sat Sheva on her horse named “lucky.” ”Will you Marry me… And make me the happiest man on Earth?” She immediately yelled “Yes!!! Yes!!!” enthusiastically!! I was so excited, everything but her faded away. Right after she screamed a large wave came crashing down on me while still on one knee! I was drenched from head to toe. Luckily, I held onto the ring with all my might! When I got to my feet, I put it on her finger smiling with tears welling up my eyes, and I could see them in hers… It was our kind of fairy tale moment!!!

Vendors:Photographer: Sun and Sparrow // Venue: Le Haut Desert Aerie; Pioneertown, CA // Hair stylist: Kima of Le Haut Desert Aerie // Make-up: - Bonnie Benefield of Chanel Makeup // Invitations: Paperless Post // Wedding Cake: La Espiga Bakery // Vegan Deserts:  PlantsParty // Music: DJ Dan Goldstein