Just over four years ago, Jade Hackney and her friends were at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas for a pajama-themed party weekend. Steve Astephen was also there, purple silk PJ’s and all, and the two hit it off instantly. On Christmas Eve, 2003, just before they were about to head out to celebrate with Jade’s family, Steve surprised her with an engagement ring hidden in one of her gifts. Jade had always told Steve she felt getting engaged at Christmas time was cliché, so to him, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to catch her off guard. “He got me. I had no idea it was coming!” admits Jade, sheepishly.

After considering a number of locales, Jade and Steve decided it would be fitting to host the wedding where they first laid eyes on one another: Vegas. And while they had no plans to wed in a little white chapel on the strip, they did ask their guests to wear white for the big event, which took place back at the Hard Rock. Jade and Steve “went nuts with Vegas bling-bling” and designed the décor for their over-the-top Sin City affair around the four playing-card suits: spades, diamonds, clubs and hearts. They sent out invitations in the form of six cards in a box and deemed the color scheme red and white with touches of black. They transformed the ballroom into a hip, club-like atmosphere for the reception, but they did maintain a classic aesthetic for the poolside ceremony. An aisle lined in red rose petals matched the unexpected detailing of Jade’s princess gown and her dramatic bouquet.

After a tender ceremony that not only united Jade and Steve but marked the formation of a new family—a “full house”—with his two children, Ty and Shay, the couple switched gears and entered the reception to an energetic hip-hop song by Kanye West. It set the mood for the rest of the night, a non-stop party whose revelers had little desire to slow things down. (Except for some touching moments, like when Jade’s friend sang a song written expressly for the couple, and when the bride’s father serenaded them with John Mayer’s “Daughters.”) But then it was quickly back to the dancing, karaoke singing and toasting with friends in the mini-lounge in the corner of the ballroom set with white couches, lanterns and an appropriately groovy shag rug.

The square tables, named for such sayings as “High Rollers” and “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas,” were decorated with tall arrangements of curly willows, white flowers and hanging candles. Guests mingled from one dinner station to another, sipping signature red “heartinis” and miniature hot-pink cans of Sofia sparkling wine through red and white straws. Instead of serving a traditional wedding cake for dessert, the bride and groom opted for red velvet cupcakes covered with either cream cheese frosting or white fondant and sprinkled with red hearts and dots. They also served all-red treats from a candy bar, its table boasting a set of dice made from white and black carnations.

Jade and Steve gave each of their 180 guests favor bags with custom playing cards, red dice, Blackjack brand gum and monogrammed matches to enjoy throughout the weekend. The bride and groom requested, however, that in lieu of wedding gifts, their guests make a donation to one of two charities close to their hearts.

Even if the official theme of the wedding, “Lucky in Love,” had not been splashed across the dance floor, it would have been clear to everyone that Jade and Steve were two of a kind. They enjoyed a honeymoon right after the wedding in Santa Barbara and two months later, visited Costa Rica for a second romantic getaway. But it was the trip they took back to Vegas this year to celebrate Valentine’s Day that left the strongest impression of their good fortune: matching “Lucky in Love” tattoos for the bride and groom.