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The Style Club founder Hilary Novelle Hahn and Drew Simon met through mutual friends at a bar in West Hollywood in July 2018. A year and a week later, on August 3rd, 2019, the couple got engaged in Hawaii. They admit the planning process was challenging, as they had to keep moving their wedding date because of the pandemic and even had a baby in between! “We wanted to make sure we provided a really safe environment for our guests,” Hilary says. Luckily, they had planner Cathy O’Connell from COJ Events by their side to keep up with the changes and help them pull off their September 25, 2021 wedding with an all-pink color scheme.
The couple invited 115 guests to join them at The Sands Hotel in Palm Springs, California for their big day. “We wanted to pick a venue that had everything in one place,” Hilary says. They went with a pink tropical disco theme in honor of their four-month-old daughter, Gia, who stole the show as the couple’s flower girl on the wedding day. Hilary and Drew kicked off the weekend with a lively rehearsal dinner complete with In-N-Out Burger and held an outdoor ceremony and a poolside reception the next day. “We really aren’t the most traditional so we wanted the day to feel more like a fun event than a traditional wedding,” the bride says.
See all the details ahead from their wedding held on September 21, 2021, as planned by COJ Events and captured by photographer Marlies Hartmann of M. Hart Photography.
Hilary and Drew’s rehearsal dinner set their pink tropical disco wedding weekend underway, and they made sure to dress head to toe in their best hot pink attire. Guests gathered at The Sands Hotel in Palm Springs to join the couple for signature cocktails, rosé, and an In-N-Out Burger food truck.
Hilary wore a strapless tulle Vera Wang gown with a mermaid silhouette. “I tried on literally every dress, every designer,” Hilary says. “I loved so many but nothing felt like the ‘one’ until I put on Vera.” She accessorized her gown with a Vera Wang veil, her mother-in-law’s borrowed stud earrings, and her late grandmother’s ring. Her beauty vision for the day was fresh-faced and natural. “Ballet and dance has always been a big part of my life, so I wanted a classic ballerina bun,” Hilary says. She finished her beauty with Chloé perfume as her wedding day fragrance. To accessorize her walk down the aisle, Hilary carried a bouquet featuring a mix of white, ivory, and blush roses and orchids with dried grasses from Luna Design Studio.
Drew wore a navy Isaia suit with black lapels and a black bow tie paired with his grandfather’s watch. A white rose boutonniere embellished with dried pink grasses served as the finishing touch to his wedding day look.
The couple’s four-month-old daughter, Gia, was their flower girl. She wore an all-tulle dress as a way to match her mom. She also wore a flower bow in her hair to complete her look.
The couple’s ceremony took place outside, where the pink walls of The Sands Hotel served as a colorful backdrop. Black chairs were set up for Hilary and Drew’s 115 guests on either side of the aisle. The altar was framed by two tall pillar displays embellished with dried florals and faux pink monstera leaves. “We had an epic altar,” Hilary remembers.
As a string quartet set the tone for the ceremony, Drew walked down the aisle with his parents. Guests watched on and fanned themselves with custom pink paper fans. Drew watched on as Hilary made her way down the aisle with her father and Gia, while the quartet played the theme song from the movie Up.
We always say ‘adventure is out there’ because that’s a line from our favorite movie Up.
Hilary and Drew held Gia with them as they exchanged personal vows in front of their guests. “We always say ‘adventure is out there’ because that’s a line from our favorite movie Up and also a quote we had in our dating profiles,” Hilary says. “We never met online but we later found out that we both had that quote.”
The couple’s escort card display was repurposed from their rehearsal dinner. The pink arched display that served as a photo backdrop the night before was decorated with disco balls and dried florals to show guests their table numbers for dinner.
Hilary and Drew stepped away with their photographer Marlies Hartmann to take some pictures throughout The Sands Hotel in their wedding attire while guests moved into the reception space.
The couple’s dinner reception took place poolside, where one long table was topped with white linens and paired with ghost chairs. Rattan lamps and string lights were hung overhead and embellished with dried grasses and florals. The centerpieces consisted of mixed dry floral with roses in various shades of pink. The place settings were kept simple with white plates, white menus, and pink knotted napkins.
Hilary and Drew shared their first dance to Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy”. Then, the couple’s DJ played “Stand By Me” for a shared father-daughter and mother-son dance.
Guests enjoyed burgers, fries, and tacos for dinner—all of the couple’s favorite things. They were also served Gia’s Spicy Margarita as the couple’s signature cocktail; named after the couple’s daughter and Hilary’s late grandmother.
In addition to a photo booth, the couple provided ping pong and corn hole for entertainment. Plus, they hired their favorite DJ from New York City, DJ Reach to entertain all night. “We wanted it to feel like a fun night out in the city where we fell in love,” Hilary says.
One of the couple’s favorite memories from the whole wedding day? “We all jumped in the pool late-night and because everything was all there, it was just one big party that went on all night long,” Hilary says.