1. Real Weddings

A Modern, Colorful Wedding at Colony 29 in Palm Springs, California

Sparks flew when Katie LeClerc (29 and an actor on ABC Family’s "Switched at Birth") and Brian Habecost (31 and a producer) met on a movie set. “We in

Sparks flew when Katie LeClerc (29 and an actor on ABC Family’s "Switched at Birth") and Brian Habecost (31 and a producer) met on a movie set. “We instantly hit it off,” Katie says. “We dated for three and a half years before Brian proposed.” The creative couple married in front of 150 guests in the fall at Colony 29 in Palm Springs, California, the day before their five-year anniversary. “That way we keep the same dates,” Katie says. Against the gorgeous natural backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains, Katie and Brian paired bold graphic patterns with bright yellow, coral, pink and ice blue tones, which reflected the event's lively, playful mood. In keeping with the upbeat vibe, the bridal party danced down the aisle before and after the couple exchanged vows. The newlyweds’ love of bike rides and Cards Against Humanity were woven into their invitations, ceremony, reception and place settings. “The party, fun-time atmosphere was the absolute best,” Katie says. The couple kept guests fully entertained when they opened the dance floor with a choreographed routine set to a mash-up of Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson jams. Instead of cutting a cake, Katie and Brian ended the evening with a bountiful dessert table, which satisfied Katie's wide-ranging love of sweets. —Carolyn Meers

Northern California-based Peanut Press Creative and Amber Moon designs helped craft the colorful invitations, programs, and signage for Katie and Brian's wedding.
"I wore an insanely beautiful gown by Gustavo Callao," says Katie, who also paired her strapless dress with a sparkling silver belt and a veil. After the ceremony, she changed into a cocktail-length white dress better suited to dancing.
Bridesmaid bouquets were made with pink and yellow garden roses, peonies and leafy greenery.
Katie's loosely gathered bouquet was a colorful medley of pink garden roses, peonies, orchids and leafy greenery.
Katie's bouquet of pink and yellow garden roses, peonies, and leafy greenery withstood the intense Palm Springs heat.
"I wanted the bridesmaids to have dresses they could wear again, so we let them pick out their own within the palette," Katie says. "They wore flip flop shoes to keep things fun and casual."
Brian wore a navy suit from Zara while his groomsmen wore grey slacks with suspenders. Bowties in pink and yellow matched the event's bright color palette.
With the rocky foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains behind them, Katie and Brian stood before a white wooden panel backdrop painted with pink sharrows (often seen on streets to mark bike lane). Here, they symbolized the couple's shared road together.
While exchanging vows, Katie and Brian (who are avid bikers) stood before potted cactus topped with rose blossoms, and a white wood panel backdrop painted with pink sharrows, often seen on streets to mark the bike lane.
Avid bikers, Katie and Brian included a white panel backdrop decorated with pink sharrow symbols—frequently seen in bike lanes—in their ceremony.
Katie and Brian wed in the fall at Colony 29 in Palm Springs, California, among the scenic foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, which provided a stunning natural backdrop that contrasted beautifully with green succulents and cacti.
After the ceremony, guests could kick back with a cocktail on white couches and chairs decorated with bright pink, yellow and ice blue throw pillows (all of which matched the event's vibrant palette).
Under a white canopy the couple matched long, light wood tables with bright, contemporary-style chairs. Above, a chandelier was bedecked with greenery.
Katie and Brian wove a favorite pastime (riding bikes) and a favorite game (Cards Against Humanity) into their escort cards.
Cards Against Humanity-themed escort cards were placed in pink gravel frame boxes at the reception. At the reception, each guest picked up a Cards Against Humanity card with their name on it and located their table accordingly. "In case they needed help, table numbers were included on each card and on the plates," Katie says.
Yellow, orange and white flowers topped each table, and place settings were delightfully midcentury modern, perfect for the Palm Springs setting. Each setting included a woven white charger, gold flatware and graphically patterned glassware.
Pink-potted cacti went with the floral table runner and vibrant pink and yellow plate settings, all of which maintained a distinctive retro Palm Springs style.
Tables boasted retro, woven white chargers, colorful glassware, pink garden roses, and a crisp white table runner topped with actual fruit.
An actual beach cruiser was hung on the backdrop for the dessert table, which read "I'm into something good" and offered nearly a dozen different sweets, including cookie bars and cupcakes.
Katie and Brian served their guests a variety of desserts instead of wedding cake, though they still cut this three-tier confection, which was decorated with blossoming flowers that matched those on the dining tables' runners.
Perfect for a hot night in the desert, bright ice pops were offered on an ice-like quartz platter by RabLabs.
Katie and Brian kept guests fully entertained with a choreographed dance routine set to a mash-up of Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson jams.