A DESERT AVALON HOTEL PALM SPRINGS WEDDING
Megan and C.J. wanted their wedding at Avalon Hotel Palm Springs to feel like a vacation for everyone, and in December, Palm Springs is 75 degrees. Pair that with the old celebrities-in-the-60s-taking-a-vacation-from-L.A.-for-the-weekend vibe of The Avalon Hotel and Bungalows, and you get a storybook wedding. You also get one of the best dance parties I’ve ever been to, hand to heart.
Megan and C.J. are both comedians and met in Chicago during an open mic. They were friends for eight years before they started dating and eventually ended up in Los Angeles. With the fresh Reggie Miller mural in downtown Indianapolis as the backdrop (Reggie is kinda their thing and their biggest common love), C.J. popped the question while visiting Megan’s family for Thanksgiving. When they arrived back at her parents’ house to celebrate, she was also greeted by his family. C.J. had flown them out so they could all meet and celebrate together!
Picture-perfect Avalon Hotel & Bungalows
Megan’s ring is a cushion-cut diamond in rose gold. Her mom was a great help to C.J. by sending him LOTS of photos of different rings after they went ring shopping. I think we can all agree he nailed it!
We did a first look, and I was obviously so happy to see C.J. look so handsome, but his hair was fucked up. I could see that from the back. We got to have a funny, sweet moment with each other, and then we fixed his hair. - Megan
I thought I was going to want something A-line, simple, and flowy. But at the appointments, everyone kept saying, “You’ve got a hot bod, don’t hide it in some A-line. You got it; let’s do it.” When I tried on the Vera Wang, I just loved the feel of it. It was trumpet-style and form-fitting, with a beautiful bodice. I loved it so much. - Megan
I was born in the late 1980s, and the three things I really loved growing up were The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Michael Jordan, and Saturday Night Live. One of my favorite things in Fresh Prince is when he goes to prep school. Everyone had to wear blazers normally, but Will wore his inside out with a red floral print. Floral blazers have been coming back in the last few years, so I asked around and found a place in West Hollywood, Balani Custom, who could do it. - C.J.
Megan and C.J. chose to keep the decor simple at their Avalon Hotel Palm Springs Wedding by using giant rosebush planters that blended seamlessly with the existing decor. They framed the ceremony with an iconic Palm Springs cabana and two palm trees as the backdrop. Megan told her ladies, “Anything pink.” while the groomsmen wore classic navy suits with floral ties, and C.J.’s footwear included Nike LeBron 4 All-Star Edition and Jordan 6 Pinnacle Gold.
Processional
“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey
Bridal Processional
“In My Life” by The Beatles
Our friend, Kara Klenk, officiated. She’s a comedian, her husband’s a comedian, and they’re our good friends. A lot of our guests were comedians. It felt like a comedy show and a celebration of our love and friendships with all these people in Chicago, New York, and L.A. - C.J.
C.J. and I have both hosted live Twitter shows — I hosted one for the NFL, and he hosted one for the NBA.
One of Kara’s opening lines was, “Most people aren’t lucky enough to know one Twitter show host, and we know two. - Megan
We wrote our own vows, and they were really kind of like stand-up bits. - C.J.
I thought C.J. was the better writer out of the two of us, so I was like, “He needs to be the headliner. He needs to go second, and I’ll open the show. Mine actually ended up being a lot more sincere with jokes in there. Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in her documentary about her husband, “Falling in love with you is the single greatest thing I’ve ever done. That just resonated with me. I feel like I’ve lived a really cool and exciting life, but none of that compared to finding C.J. and him being my partner. I started at that point and built it out from there. Then C.J. went full funny, blasted with moments of sweetness. But his were definitely funnier than mine. - Megan
I wrote the traditional vows, then added a twist on them. For instance, “I will always do my best to protect you, even if that means getting murdered first. I accidentally faced the crowd for my vows, and someone said, “Face Megan. Your vows are to her.” - C.J.
Recessional
“Marry You” by Bruno Mars
The “Two-Day Rental” was a nod to C.J.'s previous job at Blockbuster and “The Fun Slut,” in memory of Megan's life before C.J. The wedding colors were shades of pink with metallics with pops of bright orange. The roses were Juliet, Pink Floyd, and Free Spirit. Dinner was in a beautiful garden with long tables and twinkly lights. BK Events and Vaso Bello brought in the romantic vibe with low centerpieces of candles and flowers.
WE’RE IN LOVE WITH THIS PINK FUR WRAP BY MAXIMILIAN THAT MEGAN DONNED DURING COCKTAIL HOUR. SHE ALSO MADE THE SWITCH TO BLUE NIKE AIRFORCE 1s. COMFY + STUNNING.
First Dance
“Rainbow” by Kacey Musgraves
We debated a live band or DJ because I was like, Can a live band play ‘Sicko Mode’ by Travis Scott? That was my argument. But we found AMFM, and it was really important to us that they could play Bruno Mars. They crushed it. They were all Filippino, and I’m Filippino too, and we love Bruno Mars. - C.J.
The band, AMFM, was so fucking good. They played “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey — it was a week and a half before Christmas — and the place acted like the Beatles came out. Everyone lost their minds. - Megan
Cake Cutting
“I Got You Babe” by Sonny and Cher
We did the cake-cutting, and, to this day, I’m still getting yelled at. I threw cake at her face because I thought that was the tradition. I guess it wasn’t. - C.J.
Final Song
“Home” by - Phillip Phillips
Late-night food came out —C.J. and I were dancing so much that we didn’t even see it.
Then, there was a giant hot tub — like a hot tub the size of a pool. - Megan
I definitely jumped in with all my clothes on. I was just running around in my boxers. - C.J.
I tried to get in the hot tub in Spanx, which my kind friends would not let me do. - Megan
AVALON HOTEL PALM SPRINGS WEDDING CREDITS
Photographer: Mandee Johnson Photography • Wedding Planner & Designer: BK Events • Venue, Catering and Bar: Avalon Hotel & Bungalows Palm Springs • Cake & Desserts: Exquisite Desserts • Florist: Vaso Bello • Hair: Hello Darling • Makeup: Phoebe Ogan • Bride’s Dress: Vera Wang • Bride’s Ceremony Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell • Bride Reception Shoes: Blue Nike Air Force 1s • Bride’s Earrings: Megan's Late Great Aunt Jane's • Bride’s Cuff: Megan's Late Grandmother • Bride’s Reception Fur Wrap: Maximilian • Groom’s Tux: Balani Custom • Grooms Footwear: Nike LeBron 4 All-Star Edition and Jordan 6 Pinnacle Gold • Engagement Ring Jeweler: Diamonds Forever • Wedding Band Jeweler: XIV Karats, Beverly Hills * Officiant: Kara Klenk • Ceremony Musicians: Downbeat LA Quartet and Tommy McNamara • Live Event Painter: Laura Swytak • Reception Band: AMFM • Furniture rentals: Bright Event Rentals • Linen Rentals: La Tavola & BBJ • Lighting and Sound: Zephyr Brown • Photo Booth: Desert Luna
