Nice Day for a Desert Wedding
Phil and Kelly Holcomb got married their own way: in the middle of the desert with fellow offroad friends and family.
A top desert/offroad racer back in the ‘90s, Cougar Buttes OHV near Lucerne Valley, California has always been one of Phil Holcomb’s favorite places. So much so that he decided to have his wedding there. Even though Phil’s still not sure how he talked his bride-to-be Kelly Scott into having the ceremony in the middle of the desert (perhaps the fact that Kelly loves offroad and races a side-by-side in the Powder Puff class) she was all for it and plans were set in motion. A dance floor was built, a DJ hired, grass laid down, lights strung up, and a double set of doors were built for the bride to walk through at the beginning of the aisle to start their new lives together.
With the extra wood a seesaw was built just for fun in the designated game area that also included a giant Jenga set, horseshoes, and cornhole. “And of course, we built a bar and named it ‘Gingers’ because the wife is a natural redhead,” said Phil. “We also put tiki torches behind rocks all over the hills for the glow.” All the makings for a special day in the desert.
With the DJ rocking and multiple BBQs going, over 100 pounds of tri-tip, 30 pounds of chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs were cooked for those in attendance and each place setting had marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers for their own s’mores. Motocross legend, and offroad racer, Ricky Johnson was set to officiate at the ceremony but at the last minute had to announce at the Red Bull Straight Rhythm event so he was unable to attend.
“Since my whole family rides, we all rode in—even my daughter in her dress,” explained Phil. “We have a ton of pictures and everyone commented on how amazing it all turned out. A group of 200 offroad people in the middle of the desert having a good time.”
Sounds like our kind of wedding. Congratulations Phil and Kelly for doing things your way.
Photos courtesy of wedding guests and Sugar Snaps Photography.
(Click on any image to see its full-frame enlarged version.)
