Staged in Hicksville, a “trailer palace” nestled deep in the desert scrub near Joshua Tree, miles from the nearest paved road, we brought to life a scene straight out of Americana. Designed to evoke a “post-apocalyptic” desert setting (think Mercury, Nevada bomb test site), the environment was styled with a retro-glam aesthetic in hyper-color, creating a striking juxtaposition of nostalgia and dystopian allure.

As the scratchy old radio played Loretta Lynn on repeat, the set unfolded a dreamy, oversaturated world. The bride, wrapped in the idealism of her perfect day, perfect husband, and perfect fantasy, posed in exaggerated domestic bliss. But beneath the saccharine sweetness—accentuated by cloying props and vibrant hues—lay a dissonant reality. Time had shattered around her. The world was a Mad Max-inspired wasteland, and she was the last to hold on to the remnants of a forgotten life. Trapped in a role she felt compelled to play, her perfect world slowly unravels, and by the end of our story, she casts off the chains of the past. She faces the future with a defiant realization—it’s too late, but she’s free.

Location: Hicksville Trailer Palace
Photography: Beautiful Day Photography