When the Orange County-based graphic design duo Mark Caneso and Tiffany Gosden decided to the tie the knot, their innovative minds immediately went to work. “We enjoyed the idea of creating something new and special for us—as well as our guests,” says Mark of their decision to forgo hiring an event designer. “We knew the creative solutions would emerge bybeing totally immersed in the process.” The result was a cool and completely unique graphically driven reception at the Movie Colony Hotel in Palm Springs on September 10, 2011, featuring bold pops of yellow that left their guests astounded.
And yes, the Canesos created and implemented it all—from the invites to the cupcake boxes and everything in between. They even stepped outside their computer comfort zone to design centerpieces using large blocks of wood to house succulents. “We sanded, bored planting holes and finished each block with a thin piece of galvanized metal to help with visual consistency.”
One of the most unique touches was their decision to bring the swimming pool into the celebration as a graphic—and interactive—focal point. The words “Love is...” floated in the water, which they cut out of foam blocks, hand painted and assembled on the day of the wedding. “Since love is different for everyone, we wanted to find out what love is from our guests,” explains the couple. They created a station with paper and pencils, so guests could deliver relationship advice and their take on love, and then tuck the notes in waterproof plastic balls and toss in the water. “By the end of the night, we had a pool full of advice from friends and family.”
