Palm Springs Wedding
Are you planning a Palm Springs wedding?
That is going to be absolutely magical. Palm Springs has so much to offer and is perfect for the couple who appreciates the desert, the mid century architecture, the funky pops of color and retro vibes.
Before we dive in with everything you need to know about planning a Palm Spring wedding...
I highly recommend downloading my WEDDING PLANNER PRINTABLE.
WEDDING PLANNER GUIDE
This printable includes everything you need to stay organized and stress free during the wedding planning process.
Palm Springs Photography Special
Because I love Palm Springs so much, I do offer a slight discount for my wedding photography services for Palm Springs weddings.
Make sure to reach out for more details! You can contact me HERE.
Who is Palm Springs for?
I think a wedding or elopement in Palm Springs is perfect for you if you love eclectic mid century furniture, desert vibes with lot's of sunshine, pops of bright colors. If you are looking to have a unique, hip, funky, and FUN wedding, I think Palm springs is a great choice.
Pros of a Palm Springs Wedding
The Eclectic Boutiques, AirBnb's, and Hotels:
Palm springs is known for their unique places to stay. There are so many options! Personally, I love their airbnbs and boutique hotels most! These would be a great choice for a Palm Springs elopement or intimate wedding. Their hotels are FANTASTIC as well, but they do tend to get insanely crowded.
When planning your special day, make sure to reach out to your Palm Springs wedding photographer or planner for suggestions on when would be the best time to book everything! Palm Springs does require everything to be booked quite a while in advance.
Weather:
I like that one can have a Palm Springs event during the Fall, Winter, or Springs months and get good weather. I wouldn't recommend a summer wedding as it can get well over 100 degrees. This type of weather just isn't fun for anyone! My personal favorite wedding months in Palm Spring are February - May or September - November.
The Bold Colors:
As a Palm Springs wedding photographer, I adore the bright and fun array of colors Palm Springs offers. I think it adds a unique flair to one's wedding day images. I also really love all of the colorful front doors, which can pretty much be found all over Palm Springs. There is actually a tour of this called "the door tour."
How to Plan a Palm Springs Wedding
Select Your Month
I recommend spring or fall for a Palm Springs elopement or wedding. Because these seasons are much more popular, these dates should be booked well in advance. I would say at least 15 months out.
The reason being is that Palm Springs has more extreme weather. In the summer, it's not just hot, but REALLY hot, to the point that it feels uncomfortable. During the winter, the cold there feels icy. This weather won't be ideal for your guests unless it's an all indoors wedding. But I don't recommend this since one of the best parts of having a Palm Springs wedding includes the gorgeous landscapes and mountain views.
Plan Your Guest List
Your guest list will have the biggest impact on your venue selection. If you're only expecting 20 guests, a venue with a 100 person minimum won't work. It's important to have a good idea of how many guests you're expecting before selecting your venue.
Select Your Dream Venue
Below I am I am including some of my personal favorite Palm Springs wedding venues.
Palm Springs Wedding Venues
Korakia Pensione:
This boutique hotel is perfect for a bohemian wedding. It's sexy and romantic. It has Spanish, Morrocan, and Mediterranean influences, making for a really visually interesting space.
If you are looking to have a more intimate event, I'd recommend their Orchard House as it's for 25 guests or less.
This location would also work for a Palm Springs elopement.
La Sirena
This is one of my personal favorite options. It's a historic boutique hotel in the heart of Palm Springs, walking distance from everything. It has the San Jacinto Mountains as a backdrop!
It has 18 villas and each one is SO beautiful and romantic. La Sirena has a luxurious and trendy, yet timeless vibe, making it a great Palm Springs wedding venue.
The Colony
The Colony is an amazing Palm Springs wedding venue because it offer panoramic views of the mountains and Indian Canyons. It also has a lot of winding passageways, botanical gardens, and a huge pool!
Frederick Loewe Estate, Palm Springs
This venue is on the larger side. It has a beautiful view of the San Jacinto mountains and is surrounded by palm trees and gardens.
The Ace Hotel & Swim Club
If you want to go somewhere with an instant "cool" factor, the Ace Club provides that.
It's minimalistic, relaxed, and dreamy. Also, their breakfast is DELICIOUS.
The O'Donnel House
Are you a fan of bougainvilleas? Then this is the Palm Springs wedding venue for you. It's nestled on the mountainside, has interesting tile floors, antique furniture, beautiful gardens, rock formations, and more.
I would go as far to say that this is probably the best wedding venue in Palm Springs. It really is that incredible.
The Parker, Palm Springs
Any Palm Springs wedding photographer will tell you that if you are looking for some funky photos and a great wedding day experience, this is a GREAT venue for that.
Just look at this entrance at the Parker.
Villa Royale
This is a luxurious boutique hotel that has a glamorous, Old Hollywood vibe! If you want a Palm Springs wedding with a vintage flair, this would make a great option!
Casa De Monte Vista
Another Palm Springs wedding venue with magnificent, bright pink bougainvilleas! This venue has a Spanish garden and dinner would be outside under the moonlight!
The Lautner
The Lautner is sleep and minimalistic. I particularly love this Palm Springs venue because they are flexible and offer a wide array of packages, including really amazing mico wedding packages. This is a great option for a Palm Springs elopement.
Modern Compound
This an airbnb that is perfect for a Palm Springs elopement or micro wedding!
Select Your Vendors
Personally, I think Palm Springs has some amazing food options. There are a lot of farm-fresh restaurants. This is a great thing to take advantage of! Other vendors to consider are a wedding planner, wedding photographer, florist, music, baker, and furniture rentals.
It's important to know in advance where you'd like to splurge. What is most important to you and your partner? With this knowledge, don't skimp on the vendors you feel you'd like prioritized to make your day extra special.
Things to Keep In Mind
- Noise Ordinances + After Party Plan
Most of Palm Springs wedding venues have a curfew of 10 pm. this is enforced by the city. If you'd like to continue your celebration past 10 pm, make sure to have a plan of where to do so!
Keep in mind that private estates outside of the downtown Palm Springs area are more lenient with their noise ordinances.
Keep in mind that private estates outside of the downtown Palm Springs area are more lenient with their noise ordinances.
2. Extra charges
When it comes to your venue, make sure to get everything in writing. Sometimes certain things cost more - like lighting, pool heating, etc. It's not a good feeling to believe those things are included, only to find out later that they aren't and will cost you more. So make sure to ask plenty of questions and get a clear idea of everything included with your Palm Springs wedding venue in advance.
3. Consider the style of your venue
If you're going to for more of sophisticated, relaxed vibe, a venue like "La Sirena" would be great.
If you're going for a more retro, hip vibe, go for something like "The Colony."
4. Mind Your Guest Count
When selecting a a venue, keep in mind your guest count will affect which venue you'll go with. Some venues only allow larger events since they have guest count minimums of 150+. Others are perfect for a Palm Springs elopement as they have much lower minimums. I'd also suggest looking into cute airbnb's for a Palm Springs intimate wedding or elopement.
Booking Palm Springs Wedding Vendors
Make sure to book your vendors well in advance. The venue and photographer are usually the first to get booked around 8 - 15 months in advance.
The great thing about Palm Springs is that since it isn't too far away from Los Angeles, Orange County, or San Diego, you have a really wide variety of vendors to choose from.
Also, most vendors I know ADORE Palm Springs and will sometimes forgo travel feels to be able to work a wedding there. I honestly don't know of any photographer that doesn't get super giddy when they have an event there coming up!
How to Get There
- Fly directly in
There is an airport in the heart of Palm Springs, making this popular wedding destination super easy to access!
2. Fly into Los Angeles or San Diego and drive
If you're looking for inexpensive flights, you can always fly into LAX (Los Angeles Airport) and drive. It's about a 2.5 hour drive from LAX. Leave plenty of time for notorious Los Angeles traffic.
Palm Springs Wedding Activities
It's always a good idea to have some guest activities plan, especially if your guests are arriving in Palm Springs a few days before the actual wedding day.
- See Elvis Presley's Old Home
Yes, that's right, you can see where the music King use to reside from 1966 - 1967. This is a great option if you have some music fans as wedding guests.
2. Go on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
I HIGHLY recommend this for your wedding guests.
This is the largest rotating tramway IN THE WORLD. It's 10 minutes long and takes you 2.5 miles over Chino Canyon, providing you with breathtaking sights.
At the top, it will be around 30 degrees lower and there are 2 restaurants and 50+ miles of walking trails.
3. Walk down Palm Canyon Drive
This is the heart of Palm Springs. Here you'll find art galleries, restaurants, night life, coffee shops, antique stores, and more.
4. Cabazon Dinosaurs
These dinosaurs are iconic attractions that are over 150 feet long. You can climb up them and exit through their mouths. They also have a dinosaur gift shop, which I think this is a great attraction for wedding guests with children!
5. Moorten Botanical Garden
This botanical garden is perfect for plant lovers. It has a wide variety of desert plants to appreciate!
Rehearsal Dinner Restaurants
Spencer's Restaurant
This restaurant is PERFECT for a rehearsal dinner because it has some beautiful mountain views, the food is delicious, and it offers a nice outdoor ambiance with plenty of mist coolers.
2. Las Casuelas Nuevas
This place offers delicious Mexican cuisine and a beautiful ambiance.
3. Eight4Nine
The interior of this restaurant is very retro Palm Springs, making it a fun choice for your wedding rehearsal dinner!
Alright, so that covers it! If you have any questions, contact me here.
Again, I'd be so honored to be your Palm Springs wedding photographer!
Until next time,
Elyana
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