From Neighbors to Newlyweds: One Love Story with Two Weddings
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For two years, Kristin and Doug lived just one floor apart in the same Manhattan building. They were practically strangers. “I even slept in the room directly above his,” Kristin recalls, their lives literally stacked on top of each other without ever intersecting.
And then, five years later, their paths finally crossed on a Tinder date that would become Kristin’s second from the app. And her last. An almost-missed connection that inspired a wedding that was just as unexpected and wonderful.
So naturally, one celebration wasn’t enough. The couple got married twice in a single week. First, an elopement in New York where they fell in love, and then a multi-day party in Palm Springs with 140 friends and family at Korakia Pensione. Kristin, who runs her own boutique event planning firm, Gathered in Style, admits she “had a lot of thoughts” about exactly how her own wedding should go. And she delivered.
Act One: The New York Minute
Their first ceremony in New York was intentionally pared down, micro-wedding style. “We kept it unproduced—simple, meaningful, and full of joy,” Kristin says. With just parents and a few of their closest friends there, the day started with a relaxed gathering in their apartment. Champagne, caviar and cake. Then the group just walked down to the pier for an intimate recital of vows against the city skyline.
Act Two: A Palm Springs Dream
Now, the party. Days later, the couple flew west for a larger celebration in Palm Springs. They chose Korakia Pensione for its dreamy, retreat-like setting. “We wanted the weekend to feel like an immersive destination experience,” Kristin explains. Guests took over the entire Moroccan and Mediterranean-inspired resort for a multi-day affair filled with sun-drenched courtyards and relaxed mingling.
An Un-Wedding Reception
Instead of a formal, stuffy dinner, the couple chose action stations. The goal was to encourage guests to move, mingle and savor the food together. Speeches were kept short so the energy was channeled right into conversation, music and dancing under that desert sky.
The A-Team
For Kristin, two things were completely non-negotiable: the florals and the photography. She brought in her longtime dream collaborators, New York photographer Lev Kuperman and florist Tasha Muresan of Bloom Bloom Studio, to capture the weekend with the exact aesthetic she had envisioned.
“Having deep trust in your vendors is key,” she says, “and this weekend was no exception.” With creative details from Prim & Pixie, catering by F10, and DJ sets by Dart Collective (plus a live painter at the afterparty), the celebration blended East Coast intention with a distinctly California sense of ease.
“This style of wedding isn’t for everyone,” Kristin reflects. “But for us, it was perfect—and it might be for you too.”
Vendors
Catering: F10
Decor: Prim & Pixie
DJ: Dart Collective
Florals: Bloom Bloom Studio
Photography: Lev Kuperman
Onsite Coordination: One Darling Day
Planning & Design: Gathered in Style (the bride’s own firm)
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