Shelby and Matt's black tie wedding at the stylish Indian Wells Golf Resort was part of a glamorous-yet-laid-back wedding designed to help their 100 guests—many of whom travelled to sunny California for the event—relax and celebrate together. 

After realising their dream venue had last minute availability, the pair had just 3 months to plan their wedding but looking through the beautiful imagery below you would never know! The pair, along with the help of the brides's talented best friends and their fantastic suppliers created a dream day featuring lots of elegant old Hollywood glamour and opulent party vibes! Bright Tropical blooms and lush foliage and a monochrome and pink palette added tons of romance and countless carefully curated bespoke details made this a vintage glam wedding feel cohesive and immersive.

Photographer and videographer Chris J. Evans documented the entire day full of love, laughter, and grace. Let’s take a look at this glamorous black tie wedding celebration now, shall we?

So, first things first, let's get to know our fabulous couple a little better. Bride Shelby is from Cincinnati in Ohio, and Matt is from Los Gatos in California. The pair matched on Bumble after moving to San Francisco where they are now currently based.

The proposal happened on a surprise date night in Palm Springs! The bride fills us in, "Matt loves planning surprise dates, so I didn’t think anything of it when he asked me to be ready at 5 pm on a Thursday afternoon. After a 30 minute drive, we were at the Aerial Tram in Palm Springs. We rode the tram to the top of the mountain, and once we reached the top we went for a hike. Next thing I knew he was down on one knee! After I said yes, he pulled out a bottle of champagne from his backpack and we toasted overlooking Palm Springs, which has been such a special place for our relationship."

The couple held both their ceremony and reception celebrations at Indian Wells Golf Resort in Indian Wells, California surrounded by panoramic mountain views, towering palm trees, and a colorful flowering landscape. When asked what made it the one, Shelby says, "We knew it was the one when we found out they had a last minute opening for 2023. The only problem was that it was 12 weeks away! Indian Wells Golf Resort is stunning, and special to us given how much time we’ve spent in Indian Wells. Given this we decided to seize the opportunity, and quickly planned our wedding in less than 3 months! It was meant to be!"

Matt and Shelby exchanged vows privately before the wedding ceremony, which they tell us was an "incredibly special and intimate moment."

The couple look back on their wedding ceremony fondly. Shelby and Matt's parents stood by them under the Chuppah while the rabbi blessed them, while the Ketubah Signing only had a few attendees which the couple tell us "was very special." Shelby’s mom worked with an artist to create a custom Ketubah that they can display as a work of art in their home.

For their ceremony music, the pair chose a string trio that played instrumental versions of more modern music (versus traditional ceremony music). Matt and the wedding party walked down the aisle to “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green. Shelby walked down the aisle to “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis. They walked out to “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness.”

For their black tie wedding, Shelby asked her bridesmaids to choose their own glam black bridesmaids dress and shoes which they felt comfortable in and well, we think they absolutely nailed the brief!

For her wedding day look, Shelby wowed in a stunning Vera Wang wedding gown. She completed her look with embellished bridal heels from Badgley Mischka, a diamond tennis bracelet, and a full-length veil by Carolina Herrera which she removed post ceremony. She also added tulle sleeves to her dress post ceremony.

During the cocktail reception the bride and groom had custom cocktails for their guests - a Mattini (an espresso martini) and Shelby Temple (a dirty Shirley)!

Shelby’s two best friends Elise & Kaitlin designed the table settings and flower direction based on their knowledge of the couple. Elegant, fun, and - knowing Shelby - it had to have a touch of pink! Their florist Vasso Bello understood the vision, and brought it to life in a way that completely exceeded their expectations. Elise also created a sweet custom logo for the couple consisting of two monkeys with the couple’s initials that was used on the menus and ceremony programs.

Summing up the overall vibe for their day in a couple of words – Shelby and Matt say it was, "elegant and whimsical".

When asked what were the priorities from the very beginning, Shelby and Matt tell us, "We wanted the gathering to be intimate, so kept the guest list tight. We also wanted the reception to be a super fun party, so emphasized the band. Our goal was to have every single person on the dance floor! Our band nailed it." They add, "Photographs are one of the few tangible things that you take with you from your wedding day. Given this it was important to us to work with a great photographer who could capture the day, and we are so grateful to have worked with Chris Evans."

At the reception the couple opted for a Champagne tower, a trend we love!

The couple took to the floor as newlyweds to “ILY” by Surf Mesa.

At one point in the evening the band called Shelby up to the stage to sing her favorite song, Party in the U.S.A. by Miley Cyrus. This was completely unplanned and unexpected, but the couple tell us it was one of the most fun moments of the evening. Matt and best friend Elise joined her as well, and the three of them belted the tune and danced for their guests!

Shelby and Matt served In & Out as tier late-night snack, so that all of their guests could get a taste of California’s finest while they were visiting!

The couple have this advice for other couple currently planning their day, "Planning-wise, our advice would be to stay true to who you are as a couple. There are so many decisions to make when planning a wedding… choose the things that feel authentic to you as a couple. Ignore “popular” wedding trends. Avoid using Pinterest, Instagram, or TikTok for inspiration. Respectfully disregard your family’s requests. The planning process is way more fun when you focus less on making the day “perfect” and instead have it be a reflection of who you are as a couple!"

They add, "For the reception, the best piece of advice we were given was to stay together the whole time. Try not to separate, because once you lose each other it is hard to meet back up (everyone wants to talk to you!). So stay together so you can have the full experience together."

After the celebrations, the couple jetted off on honeymoon to Maui which they would highly recommend.

Congratulations Shelby & Matt! A very special thank you to the couple and to Chris J. Evans for sharing this gorgeous black tie wedding with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more amazing photos from their special day to check out in the gallery below!

Thinking of tying the knot abroad? We have so many Destination Real Weddings for you to check out!