Family Ties
Darcy Gibbings & JJ Pangan
Borrego Springs, California
May 10, 2008
Photography by John Lauren Photography
WORKING IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY is but one of many commonalities shared by newlyweds Darcy and JJ Pangan. It took Darcy only three months to figure out the significance of such a match, even though she didn’t want a serious relationship when they met at a retailer convention in San Diego.
“I remember telling my mom, ‘I really hope this guy doesn’t like me; I’m not looking for a relationship,’ ” says Darcy.
Three months later, she told JJ she wanted him to be her boyfriend, and he didn’t hesitate to confirm his shared feelings.
The couple, both sales representatives for clothing companies, was engaged shortly after, on Darcy’s birthday, and married three months later on May 10, 2008 at a friend’s house in Borrego Springs. Darcy’s family often spent getaways in the desert, and it is there that they got to know JJ. It provided a sentimental location and a dramatic backdrop for their wedding day.
The secluded venue was precisely what the couple wanted. Lights are sparse, so the night sky becomes sprinkled with stars.
“You feel like you’re lost and then, all of a sudden, there’s this little town,” Darcy says.
The couple originally wanted a destination wedding, but with a guest list of 280, they found the desert to be the perfect compromise. Close family stayed at a nearby house, which they rented for the occasion.
“In the Filipino culture, families are huge,” says JJ. “Parties are usually all about family and food, so there was a lot of both. I’ve grown to love her family and they’ve grown to love ours.”
Darcy altered her mother’s wedding dress to give it a modern edge, and she had her mother’s bouquet replicated. Her dad, a financial planner with a passion for planning parties and vacations, served as a secondary wedding coordinator. He brought his stylistic ideas to fruition—selecting vendors, stringing lights and making his famous margaritas.
Click here to see Darcy and JJ's favorites!
“It was our wedding, but his party,” says Darcy. “Everything had to be approved by him. I didn’t mind at all; I thought it was great that he was so into it.”
With a tawny expanse as their backdrop and an aweinspiring sunset blanketing the landscape, the couple was married by JJ’s junior high pastor. The stunning simplicity set the stage for a celebration where friends and family could be at ease—some dressed in suits and dresses and others in flip-flops and shorts.
Unconventional cuisine goes well with a nontraditional setting. The couple’s menu consisted of corn dogs, sliders, fish tacos, corn bread and curly fries.
“We just wanted it to be really fun and light-hearted, where people felt like they could do whatever,” Darcy says.
Now easing comfortably into married life, the newlyweds, who share a love for God and each other’s peccadilloes, are learning the ropes of living together. He loves that she constantly conjures new nicknames for him and she enjoys squishing his face, which he inadvertently contorts.
“She just has a lot of magnetic personality,” says JJ. “She is someone that you can be real with and she won’t judge you and she accepts you for who you are.”
Bar: Event Beverage Solutions. Cake: Cupcakes Squared. Caterer: Crown Point Catering. Ceremony and reception location: Private Home, Borrego Springs. Coordinator: Rachel Peniche, Plan It San Diego. Decor/Furniture: Classic Party Rentals. Entertainment: The Heroes. Flowers: Judith Rolfe. Gown: Mother of the Bride’s dress altered to fit. Groom’s attire: mybarong.com and Old Navy. Invitations: India Ink Papers. Officiant: Evan Wickham. Photographer: John Lauren Photography.
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