The Dutch DJ, who collaborated with John Legend on 'Summer Nights', marries model Annika Backes at the futuristic Amangiri resort, in the middle of the Utah desert, with 80 guests in attendance.
- Sep 24, 2019
AceShowbiz - DJ Tiesto had an exceptionally hot romantic day with Annika Backes last weekend. The 50-year-old artist married his model girlfriend, who is 29 years old younger than him, on Saturday, September 21 in an unconventional place.
The Dutch DJ and the 21-year-old model tied the knot at the luxurious Amangiri resort, in the middle of the Utah desert, which they had visited four years prior and fallen in love with. The couple indeed opted for a remote place and decided with Los Angeles for a wedding venue.
"A city that we both love a lot is Las Vegas, so we started looking at venues there, but we soon decided we wanted it to take place somewhere remote," Annika tells Vogue. "We explored the option of throwing a party in the desert outside of Las Vegas. But when we got into that more, we knew it was going to be too complicated to pull off. That's when we thought of Amangiri."
She explains their love for the place, "We love the silence and the scenery that makes you feel like you are on another planet." She adds, "The contrast of the architecture with the desert is a perfect balance. It looks like you are in a James Bond movie, and that's some of the aesthetic we were going for. We wanted it to be glamorous, romantic, and sexy, while still being natural and intimate."
The couple rented the entire resort for the weekend for their 80 guests. The ceremony took place on Amangiri's patio with the desert landscape in the background. The bride walked down the aisle beneath a series of mirrored arches that reflected the desert. The pair swapped vows underneath a decorated arch.
Annika was beautiful in a Berta dress for the nuptials and changed into an Oscar de la Renta gown for the reception. "Originally, I wanted to wear the Oscar during the ceremony and the Berta for the after-party," she shares. "But after going back a few times for tailoring, I switched it around. The sparkle of the Berta in contrast with the backdrop of the natural desert during our ceremony felt like exactly the aesthetic we were going for. In the Oscar, you feel and look like you are floating because of the delicate fabric, A-line shape, and slight translucency, which was perfect for the after-party."
The groom wore a Tom Ford suit, which he had a rare chance to use due to the nature of his job. The DJ, whose real name is Tijs Michiel Verwest, expresses his feelings after saying "I do", "I felt overwhelmed with emotions because we have been in love for so long and thinking about this day forever, and then it was finally here. It was more beautiful and more special than I could have ever imagined. To see everyone I love there and then to see the love of your life walking down the aisle, it is the best feeling in the world."
Sharing photos from his beautiful wedding, Tiesto simply captioned them, "Love of my life 21-09-2019."
DJ Coleman, who was responsible for the music, surprised the bride by playing an original song that Tiesto had written and produced for her. "One of my favorite parts of the evening was hearing the song Tijs made for me," Annika says. "It's called 'A Million Years', and I was completely surprised-it was so much fun to dance together for the first time [to this song], and everyone loved it!"
Tiesto and Annika met at Catch restaurant in New York City back in February 2015. The music producer proposed to her in 2018 over the Thanksgiving holiday.
