The Parker Palm Springs is high on the list of places I find myself day dreaming about on dreary New England days. I’ve had the pleasure of getting aquainted with this stunning space through the pages of SMP, and even though I’ve never been – I’m pretty obsessed. It has style for miles, and the couples it attracts? The most stylish in the land. Top all that off with design from ARTISAN Events and images from Candice Benjamin Photography, and ladies and gents – we have a feature worthy of your loveliest day dreams. See it all here.

 

From the Bride… Being from Vancouver, we wanted to ensure that the sun was shining on our wedding day—therefore we chose Palm Springs as our location choice. We also wanted to keep it very intimate, with our closest friends and family in attendance. Everyone said the wedding was really true to who we are as people, which was the goal!

We wanted the wedding to be fairly relaxed—just a celebration of our love… The goal was to have everything pretty natural and organic-looking. When Josh and I had our first look. We were both super nervous beforehand but as soon as we saw each other, it was like a weight had been lifted. My advice is to be present, smile, and take it all in. The day flies by!

Also–your pictures will last a lifetime so choose your photographer carefully! We were SO lucky to find and work with Candice; she was truly amazing and went above and beyond.

Wedding Photography: Candice Benjamin Photography | Wedding Venue: The Parker Palm Springs in Palm Springs, California | Floral Design: Joey from ARTISAN Events | Wedding Cinematography: Aaron Leung, friend | Wedding Invitations: Graham and Olive | Rentals: Signature Rentals + La Tavola Fine Linen Rental | Wedding Dress: Theia

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It all started with a trip to Palm Springs to visit family.  That’s exactly when this stunning Canadian duo fell madly in love with the breathtaking landscape of The Golden State.  And after they were engaged on a hike overlooking their adopted city, it only made sense that they also tied the knot in the land of sunshine and gorgeous weddings.  Which, with the help of a devoted Mom and CCL Weddings, is exactly what they did… throw a magical (+ classic) soiree that will seriously take your breath away.  See every beautiful moment captured by Candice Benjamin in the full gallery.

And a breathtaking film from studio205films to start your week off with even more pretty…

 

From the Bride… Early in our relationship, we took a trip to Palm Springs, California to visit my parents. We instantly fell in love with the warm weather, sunshine, hiking and, most of all, the golfing!  Many trips later, we were engaged in Palm Springs on a hike overlooking the city.  It is a place that means so much to us, we knew we wanted to share it with our friends and family.  The night of our engagement we had dinner at the Waldorf Astoria La Quinta Hotel.  As we drove in the grand entrance with the lights hanging between the palm trees, we decided then and there that we would be married in California.

Two days before the wedding we did our engagement photos at the same hiking spot where he proposed. We live in Canada, so we had not yet had a chance to work with our photographer.  So we had a ton of fun dressing up in contrast to the desert landscape, while getting warmed up for our wedding photos.

Because we lived so far from our destination, we relied a lot on my mother and wedding coordinator (Catherine Cindy Leo) to make sure it all came together.  My mom found our photographer, florist, caterer, DJ, and almost everything else.  We couldn’t have done it without her help!  For the theme, we decided on a classic feel and chose white, blush pink, and grey as our wedding colors, so as not to compete with the vibrant setting of the venue. The mercury glass candle sticks and vases, on top of white linen table runners, and white flowers with dusty miller accents were perfection.  Our wedding invitations were done as a gift from a family friend, and the programs were a DIY project I tackled.  We kept the same calligraphy (Hillary Featherletter) for the invitations, escort cards, and other details, to create a unified feel even though our stationery came from different vendors.  One of my favorites pieces was our hand-painted sign from Julie Song for the donation we made to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of my father who passed away.

The dessert table buffet was a huge hit with our guests, as it featured red velvet and carrot cake pops, mini apple pies, as well as our favorite desserts and candy growing up. There wasn’t a single chocolate chip cookie left at the end of the night.  But the highlight of our night was the Same Day Edit.  We had a videographer film us that day and then play the highlights that evening at the reception as a surprise for all our guests.  

My advice to future brides is to decide what elements of the wedding are a must-have, and then compromise on the rest.  Its easy to get caught up in thinking that everything is as important as the next, but having a clear idea of what is truly important to you will keep you happy throughout the process. We knew we wanted a Same Day Edit, so we spent a larger portion of our budget on the videographer, and then compromised by spending less on the invitations.

Wedding Photography: Candice Benjamin Photography | Wedding Venue: : La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California | Event Planning + Design: Catherine Cindy Leo from CCL Weddings | Officiant: Sallie Albertine | Wedding Cinematography: studio205films | Floral Design: David from Desert Florals Importers | Wedding Cake: Sweet & Saucy | Wedding Invitations: DIY | Shoes: Jimmy Choo

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Thank you, thank you Candice Benjamin Photography for sending this beauty our way. If I could reach through the screen and kiss you, I would because it’s capture so beautifully I could cry. It doesn’t hurt, of course, that this couple and their beautiful choice of venue are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Or that every little detail they thoughtfully placed throughout their day is perfectly pretty. But these images tell a beautiful story of two people tying a knot in a way that is all them, and I couldn’t love that more. See so much more here.

And the prettiness continues thanks to Rustic Red Studios…

 

From the Bride… We were inspired by nature. We imagined being surrounded by natural beauty to be the backdrop to our “Beginning”. Finding a massive, gorgeous, yet a little eerie (my favorite kind of trees), ancient oak tree was not only breathtaking, but just exactly what we wanted for our I do’s. We also wanted our love party (reception) to feel like a room being embraced by trees to celebrate in. Nothing like dancing under the stars.

We were tight on budget so we decided to splurge only on the things that mattered to us the most. We thought, what do we have at the end of this? We wanted to be able relive it. So pictures it was! We chose a professional photographer that was worth every penny we could afford! We highly recommend doing this. Remember it doesn’t have to be the most expensive photographer either. We chose someone who shared our vision and who connected with us. Of course loving her work was important too but that was easy! She truly talented! She captured everything we wanted and more! If you can afford video I say go for it, we did! Same rules applied!

Thanks to our wonderful florist we got what we asked for. We wanted our “theme” to feel simple, romantic, and what girl doesn’t want a lil bling to add some drama? Cue chandeliers! We did some DIY things to save and because I like doing stuff like that, but we left the big stuff to the pro. Not only did our florist rock, but she helped us in every way possible with only doing things within our budget. Use your florist knowledge they know best. She went above and beyond everything we could ask for. It helps when you choose the right people for you and your wedding.

Getting married was the best feeling ever. However, our other favorite moment has to be the “first look”. I was always open to it however, my now Husband not so much. He wanted it “traditional” and wanted to wait for the “aisle moment”. A few days before our wedding, he did a little research. After reading a few stories and to my surprise, he insisted on doing a first look. Not only can you get more pictures and gain more time to enjoy your reception, but you really get to let him see you first and not with everyone else watching. The private moment you get to have and say as much as you want or just simply embrace without hesitation. It was a special thing being able to experience that, we wouldn’t change it for the world. I say keep an open mind, choose what’s best for you! And who says “traditional” is the only way? My advice is keep true to who you are and as a couple. At the end of the day it’s your choice and about the two of you, no one else. Do what makes you happy and get from your day everything you want from it.

WeddingPhotography: Candice Benjamin Photography | Wedding Venue: Highland Springs Resort in Cherry Valley, California | Floral Design: Little Hill Floral Designs | Wedding Cinematography: Rustic Red Studios | DJ: Extreme DJ | Rentals: Party Rentals by Premier | Wedding Dress: Mary Me Bridal | Hair: Shawna Kenney + Kristina Laney from Sweeter than Honey Hair Lounge | Makeup: Leilani Beauty Expert