From the insanely beautiful (seriously jealous of just how gorgeous) bride….

We tried to make it personal by including a lot of details throughout the wedding. It started with custom made gift bags that were delivered to everyone’s room. Yellow and Ivory canvas filled with everything from sunscreen to our favorite snacks and magazines. The bags included a custom printed card with a personal thank you message. Because we only had 11 other people we were able to incorporate every one of them into the ceremony by sharing a story that was special to us about each of them.

We also incorporated a wine toast with everyone in honor of the fact that we were introduced at a wine bar. Everyone knows how important our our dogs are to us so they were in the wedding as our ring bearers. The tree planting ceremony was symbolic as we brought soil from the two places we share most of our time in Southern California. The tree is now planted in Joshua Tree, California.

We will have a complete vendor list coming up next including details on all of the fashion, flowers and gorgeous touches!

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Post tags: Apertura, Palm Springs, Ray Soemarsono, The Parker
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Contemporary

all photographs by the amazingly talented team at Docuvitae

From Alexandra…

Clair Parker (bride) & David Tompkin’s (groom) wedding was in January 2008.  The couple is from Texas as well as most of their guests.  It was an evening wedding and an incredibly hip and romantic night.  Thank goodness for a rain plan….it was gorgeous sunny skies during the day but the news kept predicting rain for 7pm that evening.  We put up a tent over the ceremony area, added chandelliers to it and sure enough, right as the bride was about to walk down the aisle, the skies opened up…thank goodness for a rain plan!! The amazing staff at the Parker jumped in with umbrella’s to walk with guests from the ceremony area into the dinner reception.

So much more to come!

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Post tags: Alexandra Kolendrianos, Docuvitae, Palm Springs, Parker
Post categories: Contemporary

The event design was crafted by the girls at Chic Events…who did a beautiful job bringing a sense of easy elegance to the day. The style was reflected in every detail, from the pretty fans gracing the chairs to the incredibly elegant table settings. The gorgeous florals were designed by the fabulous Stephanie Grace.

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Post tags: california chic, Chic Events, easy elegance, John Partridge, Palm Springs, Stephanie Grace
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance

This wedding was shot by the wonderfully talented John Partridge this past October at the Cielo Estate in Palm Springs…

I have so many more pictures from this gorgeous, California chic affair. Stay tuned!

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Post tags: John Partridge, Palm Springs
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Traditional Elegance

Venue: The Parker Hotel-Norma’srestaurant, Palm Springs / Oh-So-Talented Planner is Kelsey Sheofsky with Alison Events, LLC / Invites and Calligraphy Cynthia Warren / Gorgeous Flowers are by Sillapere / Brilliant Photography by Meg Smith

And I have to say, this seems pretty doable on a budget. Here are a few tips…

*Choose a spot that already has great ambiance, that way you can accent rather than design from scratch. Although this was held at a pretty $$ spot, I bet they saved a ton in decor. Scour your city for a cool restaurant to host your event and I promise it will pay off in the long run.

*Use monochromatic pops of color in elements like florals, throw pillows and great food. I love those white vases that are adorning the table…check out this post done by Kim Valee on some great vases. Think single stems in pretty colors.

*Add paper lanterns, either in great colors or in white, to add another dimension of style.

Stay tuned for more tips on planning a destination wedding from Alison Hotchkiss!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2008. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Alison Events, Alison Hotchkiss, Palm Springs
Post categories: Wedding Decor, Wedding Planners & Designers