Yahoo Lifestyle All the Details of Broadway Star Carrie St. Louis' 'Old Spanish California' Wedding to Robert Franco (Exclusive)
"We have a very outgoing group of family and friends so we wanted to have a big party full of music and margaritas!" the bride tells PEOPLE
Broadway actress Carrie St. Louis married Robert Franco on Feb. 15 in Indian Wells, California
The wedding had an "incredible" cantor at the ceremony, a 10-piece Mariachi band during cocktail hour, and an eight-piece band at the reception
"Everyone was absolutely amazing!" St. Louis gushes to PEOPLE. "I also had flip flops and ear plugs for the guests, so everyone was comfortable and could dance all night!"
Broadway star Carrie St. Louis recently had a new role — bride!
The actress — who is best known for her performances as Glinda in Wicked, Sherrie in Rock of Ages and Lauren in Kinky Boots — married Robert Franco on Saturday, Feb. 15, in a ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, followed by a reception at Indian Wells Golf Resort in California.
"We can't talk about it without getting choked up," St. Louis tells PEOPLE of her wedding. "It really was the perfect day. We will be replaying it in our minds for the rest of our lives."
The couple were joined by 150 guests, including the bride's Titanique costar Constantine Rousoul, Kinky Boots costar Callum Francis, Back to the Future: The Musical star Liana Hunt, Kimberly Akimbo star Emily Koch and Tammy Faye star Mark Evans.
The night before the wedding was an "intimate" rehearsal dinner in St. Louis' parents' backyard with the couple's immediate families and wedding party in attendance. There, St. Louis and Franco read aloud "personal" handwritten vows.
Their "very special" Catholic ceremony the following day was officiated by Father Allen, a close family friend who baptized Franco when he was a baby, and officiated his siblings' weddings. The bride and groom chose to exchange traditional vows, and had Natalie Duran as their "incredible" cantor.
"Robert is Mexican and speaks Spanish in the home, and I minored in Spanish in college, so we did half of our readings in Spanish, and half in English," St. Louis notes.
Afterward, everyone was chauffeured to the "Mariachi and Margaritas" cocktail hour on golf carts.
"We have a very outgoing group of family and friends so we wanted to have a big party full of music and margaritas!" St. Louis says. "...The vibes were so high!! Mariachi was playing, we were on the golf course, margaritas in hand, with all of our favorite people. And it was 75 [degrees] and sunny. Absolute magic."
As if the 10-piece Mariachi Los Criollos de Guadalajara band wasn't enough, an eight-piece band from Jordan Music Entertainment was waiting inside the "old Spanish California" reception.
"Everyone was absolutely amazing!" St. Louis gushes. "I also had flip flops and ear plugs for the guests, so everyone was comfortable and could dance all night!"
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The newlyweds, who met on the dating app Hinge, had their first dance to "Your Smiling Face" by James Taylor.
"We're always laughing, which just makes everything better," St. Louis says of her relationship with her husband. "And we both have an attitude of gratitude — we point out and appreciate the little things, and we keep gratitude at the center of our relationship and in our lives."
The bride then danced with her father as "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond played. For his mother-son dance, Franco chose "Lady Laura" by Roberto Carlos.
St. Louis twirled around in a lace gown by Israeli designer Dana Harel. Her long hair was styled by Alejandra Castaneda, makeup applied by Randall Intrabartola and nails done by Taku Okamura. Sparkling on her lefthand ring finger was her new East-West eternity band from The Clear Cut.
"I love Carrie's infectious laughter and her charm. Plus, she's pretty cute," says Franco, who works in mergers and acquisitions at Deloitte
For his part, Franco looked classy in a J.Crew suit. He wore a traditional gold wedding band from Lauren B Jewelry, where he also bought St. Louis' engagement ring. He popped the question back on Dec. 1, 2023, and surprised St. Louis afterward with an engagement party attended by all of their friends and family.
"Robert knows how to ground me and he makes me feel at peace," St. Louis says. "I admire his ambition, his drive, and his heart. Plus, he's very handsome and cracks me up on the daily."
When they weren't dancing, giving "meaningful" speeches, or taking fun photos in a photo booth from Classic Photo Booths, guests indulged in a plated dinner of arugula salad, bourbon braised short rib, citrus salmon and vegetarian risotto atop tablescapes with light green and peach decorations. They then savored slices of carrot cake baked by DannyCakes in Palm Springs.
The "perfect weekend" concluded on Sunday, Feb. 16, with a brunch at Desert Willow Golf Resort.
Additional Credits:
Florals: Maria Yepez
Wedding Planner: Laurie Lund, The Events Department @theeventsdepartment
Decor Rentals: Bright Event Rentals @brighteventrentals
Catering: Indian Wells Golf Resort @iwgr
Read the original article on People
