Elegant Greenery-Filled Desert Wedding (With A Puppy!)

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While many of us Northern folk may dream of running to the desert for dusty, sand-colored photos & bohemian vibes, it’s understandable that those hailing from the Southwest dream of greener pastures.

Las Vegas couple Sheena & Luis hoped for exactly that – growing up in the desert, the couple wanted a green haven for their wedding day far from the casinos & neon lights. Revere Golf Club, boasting lush green hills & plenty of blank space to fill with greenery & floral decor, served as the perfect wedding venue for their desert oasis.

But let’s get real, we’re probably all here first & foremost for one thing – the puppy! Sheena & Luis adopted their furry friend just one week before they tied the knot and got to introduce him to his new big family, how cute is that? Included in their first look portraits, we’re all just a puddle of emotions for this adorable wedding pup.

Our Love Story

I was working at a store called Champion when I first saw Luis. He was with someone at the time, and I was with someone as well. We talked here and there and got to know each other in a friendly manner. It wasn’t until I decided to quit retail and focus on nursing school was when our group of coworkers would go out outside of work. Over the years, Luis became single and so did I. We started hanging out, getting dinner, watching movies minus the coworkers, and the rest is history.

A few weeks before he proposed, we were in his living room where he taught me how to slow dance. I have really bad rhythm, so he taught me how to listen and feel the beat of the music. A few weeks later — my cousin was visiting and when it was time to drop her off to the airport, she hugged me goodbye and said, “your future is looking very bright!” I had no idea what she was saying.

When I got home, Luis called me and asked me if I wanted to go out to dinner. I agreed and he told me to change into something nice and let him know when I was ready. I called him and he told me to meet him outside in my parent’s backyard. The backyard was decorated with rose petals all over the floor and candles lit up. Music was playing in the background, he reached his hand out, and asked me to dance with him. We slow danced as if there was no more ground below us, smiling giddily as ever. The world around us seemed to no longer exist. I can’t even remember the words that were exchanged. All I remember was Luis getting down on one knee and asking me to be his forever.

The Dress & Attire

I maintained the neutral color theme with our bridal party. I knew I wanted my bridesmaids to have mismatched, various style dresses, in different colors of gray and taupe. As for the groomsmen, their pants were a light gray, navy blue bowties, and brown leather suspenders. I wanted them to match the groom’s suit, which he wore a dark navy suit with a dove gray tie and brown leather dress shoes.

As for the bride, the Rosa Clara wedding dress chosen was a laced, mermaid-silhouette, with off-the-shoulder long sleeves, and a low back. Luis wore a dark, navy blue three-piece suit and brown leather dress shoes. We wanted the groomsmen to accent the groom and let him shine on his big day as well.

The Venue

Living in Las Vegas, I wanted the opposite of the desert and have a very green and outdoor wedding. I initially did not want to get married on a golf course, but when I saw that the Revere Golf Club was having a promotion that they were all-inclusive, we decided to check it out. It was filled with many lush and green hills, with a vast outlook on the city of Las Vegas, but did not make it seem like we were in this casino-filled city.

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The Puppy

We were able to celebrate our big day with our eight week old puppy that we had gotten a week before the wedding. We were able to take some wedding pictures with him and even brought him out to the dance floor where he met his big and extended family.

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The Flowers

Since we wanted to focus mainly on lush greens, we chose white majolica spray roses, white ranunculus, and white eskimo rose to adorn around the Italian ruskus greenery and seeded eucalyptus greenery.

Special Traditions

During our ceremony, we did the “veil and lasso” ceremony. It is very symbolic in the Filipino and Hispanic cultures and thought it was a great way to include our family members who contributed towards the wedding. My veil was placed over Luis and I by his aunt and uncle, which represents the “oneness in our marriage.” Then a cord of rosary beads was placed around us by Luis’ close family friends which represents our “everlasting union.” Also part of the veil and lasso ceremony, another of Luis’ aunt and uncle handed Luis an ornate box filled with thirteen gold coins, to hand to me. This is called “arras” and it represents his willingness to support me. These items later become our own family heirlooms.

We also partook in communion, breaking bread and drinking wine, during our ceremony just as a reminder all of what God has done for us. Especially everything that led up to that day.

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Favorite Moments

As cliche as this may sound, but the whole entire day was our favorite. Although there were multiple drawbacks; such as Luis being sick that his voice was hoarse, or wrong music being played, or also a light windy day, it was nothing compared to how beautiful the day was and how much fun we had.

Our ceremony was officiated by our good friend and pastor, Daniel Fernandez. He was able to translate half of our ceremony in Spanish, with respect to Luis’ family that are Spanish speaking. He included funny stories and memories during our ceremony which made us feel comfortable being up there in front of everyone.

Luis’ mom booked a Mexican band, so seeing both our families coming together for the first time and danced the whole night was one of the best parts. Also, we danced so hard that my wedding dress even ripped!

I loved that Susie & Will, our photographer, was able to capture the part where Luis was caught off-guard and thrown high in the air by friends and family. We couldn’t stop laughing.

The Reception Decor

The venue was able to provide inside or outside ceremony and reception areas. But because of the noise ordinance in Vegas, you can’t have live music past 10 pm outside and knowing my husband’s family, we’d be dancing way past 10 pm. So my dream of an outdoor ceremony and reception was out the window.

However, I was able to express my dreams to one of our vendors, Weddings By Dzign, and they were able to bring the outdoors inside. My vision of A LOT of greenery, with acrylic signage all came to life! They built a green hedge wall with a large S and L with a white furniture seating area. There was green foliage hanging from the light fixtures and bistro hanging above the ceilings to make it seem like we were outside. Our vendor also suggested white linen to be hanging from above to add height to the room. I wanted the main focus to be on greenery so I chose neutral colors, like dove gray linen and white flowers.

The Favors

We gave mini succulent plants in white pails, provided by The Succulent Source. Attached was a tag, handwritten saying, “Let Love Grow.”

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Handmade Details

Some of the acrylic signage was hand made. I try to do some calligraphy, so I wanted to do some projects instead of splurging on items that I thought I could do by myself. I bought some acrylic clear frames and used white Sharpie to contribute to the decor. One sign would say “Love is intoxicating,” which of course was by the bar area. And other signs that said to share our wedding hashtag. I also hand wrote each tag that was attached to our favors.

Advice to Other Couples

The advice we would give to couples is definitely mindful of your budget and your guests! Focus less on the trendy, Pinterest-decorated weddings that are way out of your budget. The main things that people are going to really remember about your wedding are the food, the music, and the drinks. So if you really want your guests to have a good time, splurge on those items because those are the main things that your guests will remember.

But all in all, stick to what you both want! It is very easy to be swayed by the opinion of others, especially your parents. They mean well and they’re just as excited as you both, but be able to set boundaries between parents and the planning process. That was one of the biggest stressors in our wedding planning process was trying to make everyone in our families happy, that we would lose sight of the things we had envisioned on. Remember to breathe and that everything doesn’t always go as planned. It is nothing compared to the best time you’re going to have with the one you’re going to share the rest of your life with.