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Maximalist Palm Springs Wedding with Custom Lampshade Ceiling Installation

When our friends at Rikki and Mal came to us with a multi-day luxury wedding that needed custom furniture, draping, decor and one-of-a-kind custom ceiling installations—we were all in.

Emily & Matthew’s wedding needed to be bold, immersive, and completely unforgettable. The bride wanted the wedding design to be inspired by memories she had of her grandmother’s house: lampshades, velvet, leopard, lace trim, and maximalist tones.

Set against the retro-glam backdrop of Palm Springs, this wedding weekend had it all: a sun-soaked welcome party, an elegant cocktail hour, and not one but two fully transformed tented spaces for the reception and after-party.

Production: Behind the Build

Before the first guest arrived, our team spent months designing, building, customizing, and prepping nearly every detail of Emily & Matthew’s multi-day wedding experience. From hand-ruched velvet draping to a showstopping lampshade ceiling install, this wedding was one of the most ambitious we’ve taken on.

We crafted custom fabrications across all event spaces—from Palm Springs Wire Seating painted black with piped cushions, to oversized mahogany barbacks with shelving extensions, to five full ceiling bays of blue draping and over 200 feet of layered velvet wall treatments. But our most impressive endeavor was the creation of 138 large custom lampshades, all in different colors, fabrics, and textures.

Other fun things our team custom-built:

  • A 20’x20′ steel ceiling grid to suspend 138 custom lampshades in various shapes, colors, and sizes
  • 5-piece Mahogany Monaco Bar with mirrored paneling for both the cocktail hour and after party
  • A 32’x20′ fully wrapped dance floor, framed by champagne velvet booths with yellow custom covers
  • Fuzzy cheetah-print Carmel bars for the reception with coordinating ceramic cheetah table lamps
  • Velvet-fringed linens, monogrammed pillows, and bold blue stage accents
  • Two peak walls at 30’ high to create dramatic backdrops with overlapping sheer swags
  • A dramatic tunnel entry, flanked by 164 feet of champagne stretch velvet, revealing two hidden spaces inside one massive tent

Each space—from the welcome party to the two-in-one reception after party tent—required different design moods, materials, and logistics. Our team worked around the clock to ensure every lampshade, chandelier, and leopard-print lounge was placed exactly where it needed to be.

Welcome Party: Poolside Disco Meets Laid-Back Glam

Emily & Matthew’s weekend kicked off with a poolside party at the iconic Sands Hotel and Spa in Palm Springs. What started as a daytime splash turned into a stylish welcome soirée. We love when a space can double as two parties in one.

Our Palm Springs Collection helped the design shift effortlessly from day to night, featuring:

Add in 70+ accent pillows and you have a warm, bold space perfect for the first night of celebration.

Cocktail Hour: Retro Palm Springs Meets Couture

Following Emily & Matthew’s “I do’s” on the polo fields, guests made their way to an elevated cocktail hour setup—designed to feel effortlessly cool, but filled with detail.

What looked like a single massive tent behind the cocktail lounge was actually hiding something major. But first: cocktails.

The space featured a 1966 Cadillac, a rust velvet-fringed raw bar, dirty martinis, and a high-glam energy straight out of vintage Palm Springs.

Our team layered in luxe texture and rich color with:

  • A 5-piece Round Mahogany Monaco Bar with mirrored fronts
  • A matching Boston Barback painted high-gloss mahogany with plexiglass tier shelving
  • A custom rust velvet fringe tablecloth and monogrammed teal velvet pillows
  • A bold orange velvet escort card tablecloth designed to make a statement

Outside the tent, 164 feet of champagne velvet draping created a grand entrance tunnel, where guests were in for a major surprise inside!

Reception: Maximalist Magic Under 30-Foot Ceilings

When guests stepped through the velvet tunnel, they entered a fully custom tented reception space unlike anything they’d seen before. The bride wanted her wedding to feel totally unique—so that’s exactly what we built.

Before entering the reception, guests walked through the champagne-draped tent past the heirloom shelves under our Vienna Collection Amber Chandelier. Then, journeyed through the draped entrance into the reception.

The space was a visual feast layered with texture, color, and craftsmanship. And the pièce de résistance? A fully custom ceiling with 138 custom lampshades in every shape, fabric, and fringe—suspended from a steel 20’x20’ ceiling grid built specifically for this install.

We amped up the space with:

  • 200 feet of velvet wall treatments, including layered valances and sheer swags
  • Two 30-foot custom peak walls flanking the stage and entrance
  • Five full ceiling bays in blue to soften the space
  • Mahogany stage front
  • A 32’x20’ custom dance floor, fully wrapped with a printed decal
  • Carmel Bars with custom cheetah-print fronts and mahogany tops to match the mahogany barbacks
  • Ceramic Cheetah Table Lamps with custom hot pink shades
  • Champagne Velvet Booths with bold yellow custom covers
  • Tuscany Dining Tables and Oversized Savannah Gold Wall Mirrors
  • Vienna Amber Chandeliers with velvet ruching layered between the lampshades

This wasn’t just a reception—it was Act One of a two-part experience.

After Party: A Velvet Nightclub Hidden in the Desert

Past the draped divider, the after party revealed itself in full drama. Inspired by the (late) ballroom at The Jane Hotel in NYC, this tented space was completely reimagined as an underground club—moody, maximal, and packed with personality. Filled with a round bar centerpiece, a sea of disco balls, and mix-and-match lounge seating in leather, burgundy velvet, cheetah, zebra, and fringe upholstery.

The space was transformed using:

The lighting was sultry, the energy was electric, and every guest knew they weren’t in Palm Springs anymore—they were somewhere entirely different.

One Tent, Two Transformations

This wedding was about more than beauty—it was about surprise, mood, and transportive storytelling through space.

From the full velvet tunnel entrance to the two totally distinct environments inside the same tent, we created a wedding that shifted tone and energy in real-time. It was immersive. Bold. Maximal. Emotional.

And when Emily & Matthew saw the finished space for the first time? That’s the kind of moment that reminds us why we do what we do.

Need help turning a wedding into a ‘wow’ moment? Contact us today or have your planner reach out to us! We’d love to help create magic with you!

The Team

  • Planning & Design: Rikki & Mal (@rikkiandmal)
  • Custom Fabrications, Draping, Furniture, Bars, Linens & Decor: Revelry Event Designers (@revelryeventdesign)
  • Florist: Studio Mondine (@studiomondine)
  • Photographer: Erich McVey Photography (@erichmcvey)
  • Videographer: Roma Vera Films (@romavera_films)
  • Venue: Empire Polo Club Events (@empirepoloclubevents)
  • Music: West Coast Music Beverly Hills (@westcoastmusicbeverlyhills)
  • Sound: Design Sound (@design.sound)
  • Immersive Entertainment: Elan Artists (@elanartists)
  • DJ: Hank Korsan (@hankkorsan)
  • Caterer: Jennifer Naylor Catering & Special Events (@jennifernaylor)
  • Wedding Cake: Picnic Baked Goods (@picnicbakedgoods)
  • Stylist: Carrie Lauren (@carrielauren)
  • Makeup: Amy Clarke Makeup (@theamyclarke)
  • Hair: Megatron Is On (@megatronison)
  • Lighting: Peterson Event Lighting (@petersoneventlighting)
  • Rentals: Town & Country Event Rentals (@townandcountryeventrentals); Theoni Collection (@theonicollection); Found Rentals (@foundrental.co)
  • Tabletop: Casa de Perrin (@casadeperrin)
  • Linens: Nuage Designs Inc. (@nuagedesignsinc)
  • Printed Items: Cecile’s Paper Co. (@cecilespaperco)
  • Content Creator: The BTS Bride (@thebtsbride)

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