Palm Springs seems to have been created for weddings. The weather is consistently outstanding, mountain views stretch in every direction, and the venue choices for a wedding day filled with style and personality fill the valley for miles. Welcome to a destination that genuinely loves to welcome you and your guests. It's famous for refreshing adventures and restful relaxation; visitors naturally unwind from the moment they arrive. That much-needed vacation feeling takes hold, leaving behind everyday life for a while in favor of mingling, laughing, and savoring time among family and friends.
Hundreds of couples that wed each year in the Palm Springs area love to talk about why this rather magical resort town was their absolute ideal wedding destination. A minimum 350 days of sunshine, championship golf courses; award-winning spas; fabulous restaurants; and loads of good, healing desert energy are a way of life here. Newlyweds return again and again as it quickly becomes one of their favorite romantic escapes.
A short, pleasant drive from Los Angeles, Orange County, or San Diego and an easy place to fly, Palm Springs offers a stress-free and accessible destination-wedding locale. Local pros can help every step of the way.
This location guide reveals some of the most distinguished and beloved venues, from hip hotels, classic golf resorts, and luxurious grand ballrooms to intimate boutique inns, historic estates, outdoor landscapes, and signature restaurants with private rooms and patios. You and your guests will enjoy the quintessential "wedding vacation."
Tahquitz Canyon
Photo: Michael Segal Weddings
GREAT OUTDOORS
Desert Adventures
History buffs get a kick out of the two replica sites at this 1,000-acre ranch on the San Andreas Fault: a Cahuilla Indian Village and 1800s old mining camp. The latter features a dance floor, antique wagons, and saloon.
1-760-831-6910.
Empire Polo Club
Fantasy weddings come true in Indio. Choose a lush rose garden with bubbling fountains, landscaped gardens with a bird aviary and waterfalls, or a tented setting with stone paths and a waterfront gazebo.
1-760-342-2762.
Indian Canyons
It's hard to beat nature's simple beauty. A favorite among local hikers, the scenic canyons have heard many "I dos" from those who feel more at home outdoors.
1-760-323-6018.
Joshua Tree National Park
Secure a special-use permit to wed in this 800,000-acre park in Joshua Tree known for its vast views, desert landscape, unusual rock formations, and abundant Joshua trees.
1-760-367-5545.
The Living Desert
This zoo, park, and gardens invites small affairs (45 or fewer guests) into the rustic elegance of the District Commissioner's House with stucco walls, thatched ceiling, and windows peeking into the leopard exhibit. Choose a garden or patio venue for up to 400.
1-760-346-5694.
Moorten Botanical Gardens
Get cozy with 3,000 examples of desert cacti and other desert plants at this rustic Palm Springs landmark for outdoor weddings.
1-760-327-6555.
Riviera Palm Springs
Photo:Troy Grover Photography
BOUTIQUE HOTELS
Ace Hotel & Swim Club
Known for its weekend pool scene, this casual hotel with retro flavor enjoys helping couples give their wedding a signature stamp, from Bohemian-style barefoot weddings with handmade décor and wildflowers to a traditional ceremony and champagne reception.
1-760-866-6193.
Parker Palm Springs
Savvy couples always find Jonathan Adler's "The Parker." The ballroom has floor-to-ceiling glass windows and space-age daisy chandeliers, while meandering, palm tree-studded grounds offer mountain views and plenty of areas for sneaking off in the shadows for a just-married moment. Chic, eclectic, and exciting for up to 330 guests.
1-760-770-5000.
Riviera Palm Springs
This renovated resort with nods to the 1960s and '70s presents ballrooms, poolside, or garden affairs on 24 lushly landscaped acres in the heart of Palm Springs. The scene at Circa 59 restaurant and bar adds to the sizzle of a global menu of spa treatments, two pools, and 406 funky rooms.
1-760-778-6623.
Viceroy Palm Springs
This modern hotel with an intimate feel specializes in outdoor garden weddings. Grounds are divided into spacious courtyards and cozy nooks with two pools, a lounge, and several indoor spaces. Fresh white and sunny yellow are the signature colors; décor is crisp, clean-lined, and dramatic. Maximum guests: 175.
1-760-318-3078.
Desert Willow Golf Resort
Photo: Chris Miller
GOLF RESORTS
Cimarrón Golf Resort
Dramatic golf course and mountain views attract couples to this Cathedral City resort. Reasonably priced packages accommodate up to 400 guests.
1-760-518-3372.
Classic Club
Wed on this golf course designed by Arnold Palmer and celebrate in the Tuscany-inspired clubhouse. More than 5,000 trees are scattered on 30 acres with a lake and 14 stone bridges.
1-760-601-3603.
Desert Springs J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa
Enjoy the royal treatment of arriving by boat across the lake to walk down a rose-petal aisle. White-gloved butlers make the rounds at your cocktail reception, while a harpist plays nearby. With golf, spa, and luxurious rooms, guests may take a honeymoon of their own.
1-760-341-2211.
Desert Willow Golf Resort
After your ceremony on a lush green lawn with fairway views, move into Firecliff Ballroom for a reception with panoramic views at this Palm Desert resort. Maximum guests: 200.
1-760-346-0015.
Doral Desert Princess Resort
Whether hosting an outdoor cocktail reception or a formal indoor banquet, invite up to 400 guests to a lakeside ceremony overlooking the fairway. Inside, dine in one of the ballrooms.
1-760-322-7000.
Hyatt Grand Champions Resort
This golf and spa resort with seven pools in Indian Wells offers mountainview lawns for the ceremony and several ballrooms or a terrace for your reception. Weddings from two to 200.
1-760-341-1000.
Indian Wells Country Club
Ten private event spaces let you tailor your affair in the 70,000-square-foot clubhouse. Options include a ballroom, dining rooms, lounge, and veranda on the 18th hole.
1-760-834-6018.
Indian Wells Resort Hotel
Built by legendary celebrities Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, this resort offers great indoor-outdoor flexibility.
1-760-345-6466.
La Quinta Resort & Club
A waterfall set among palm trees and an intimate courtyard are popular ceremony locales at this Spanish mission-style resort. Take a peek at La Case, once a private escape for Greta Garbo. For the reception, consider a candlelit room or private backyard setting. Ballrooms host affairs on a grand scale.
1-760-564-4111.
Miramonte Resort & Spa
A ceremony the piazza or in the olive grove; a festive Mediterranean-inspired dinner alfresco or in a dramatic ballroom. Such are the dreamy options at the Miramonte, designed like a Tuscan village.
1-877-716-7987, www.miramonteresort.com.
Mission Hills Country Club
With 54 holes of golf on three championship courses, plus panoramic clubhouse views, Mission Hills has earned its honor as the No. 1 private country club in the Coachella Valley.
1-760-883-1664.
PGA West Golf Club & Resort
Three of five intimate and atmospheric clubhouses are open to the public, each with spectacular views of those world-renowned courses. Invite up to 450 golf-loving guests.
1-760-564-7125.
Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa
Consider saying your vows right on the fairway. Or head to the three-tiered Sunrise Terrace overlooking the golf course, the Starlight Terrace set atop the resort with tile water fountain and pergolas, a cathedral-ceiling country club setting or two large ballrooms with beautiful chandeliers at this Rancho Mirage classic.
1-760-834-2135, www.rancholaspalmas.com.
Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa
Choose from ballrooms, lawns, patios, and an intimate terrace for 100 at this Indian Wells resort. If you want to do it up big, the Crystal Ballroom hosts 900+ guests on a property with 560 guest rooms, two restaurants, a sushi bar and lounge, spa, and a beautiful pool with a pool bar.
1-760-836-1243.
Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa
Arched breezeways and curved walls combine with 360 acres of waterways and lush landscaping that harmonizes with the natural surroundings. Choose from 31 distinct venues for up to 1,000 guests, including towering palms with a waterfall backdrop in the gardens.
1-760-770-2125.
Del Marcos Hotel
Photo: Red Lantern Photography
MIDCENTURY VIBE
Del Marcos Hotel
Built in 1947 by iconic desert architect William F. Cody, the angled architecture of this Palm Springs gem combines with a dramatic mountain backdrop. Poolside weddings host up to 80 people.
1-800-676-1214.
Horizon Hotel
A laid-back modernist compound built in 1952 with the pool as the centerpiece, this all-white hotel has an easy-breezy setting with detached rooms and mountain views.
1-760-323-1858.
Orbit In
Once your guests are sure you didn't misspell this hotel's name, they can loosen up and enjoy a poolside reception at this midcentury gem built around a saltwater pool. Tour the town on their cruiser bikes — or use them to make your grand exit from the reception.
1-760-323-3585.
Rendezvous
As kitschy as they come, this B&B takes the 1950s theme full tilt. Up to 50 guests can gather poolside on the blue Astroturf for vows, cocktails, and retro fun. Or make it just you two for less than $500. 1-760-320-1178.
Private Midcentury Estates
Immerse yourselves and your guests in the Palm Springs lifestyle by taking over a private estate. Specializing in luxury home rentals, both www.timeandplace.com and www.beaumondevillas.com offer photogenic homes from the 1950s and 1960s, including the Russell House by Albert Frey and Frank Sinatra's 1947 Twin Palms house.
St. Petersburg private estate
Photo: Chris Miller
PRIVATE ESTATES
Casa de Monte Vista
This 1920s private estate once hosted Rat Pack parties. Nestled in the Old Las Palmas area in Palm Springs, the Old Spanish-style secluded compound evokes a nostalgic atmosphere. With a full outdoor kitchen, covered patio for dancing, guest casita, organic-shaped pool, landscaped grounds, and mountain views, it welcomes parties of up to 250 guests.
1-760-272-0161.
Corona Yacht Club at Rancho de los Sueños
A manmade lake and lagoon with an island in the middle rest on 20 lush acres in a Coachella palm tree grove. The hacienda on the water, where swans swim by, is one of the desert's best-kept secrets.
1-760-398-0206.
Estate-Finding Services
You'll need to follow certain guidelines for a private-estate wedding. But if you like the idea of your own residence, consider 1940s retreat The Cielo Estate (www.selectaproperty.com) or 1930s charmer The Lucy House (760-702-4418), which hosts bachelorette weekends, casual BBQ rehearsal dinners, and weddings complete with a 1959 Rolls Royce. Or call The Location Connection, specializing in "designer wedding" locations, 1-760-250-7175.
Cree Estate
Photo: Tammy Horton
HISTORIC HOTELS & ESTATES
Colony Palms Hotel
Reputed mobster owner Al Wertheimer welcomed his first guests in 1936 at this Spanish colonial-style boutique hotel, which doubled as a speakeasy/brothel. In the late 1940s, Robert and Andrea Leeds Howard (owners of champion thoroughbred Seabiscuit) took possession. A swanky renovation of 56 luxurious rooms, a Mediterranean restaurant, and Moroccan spa delivers elegant outdoor weddings not far from downtown.
1-760-969-1800.
Cree Estate
This 1933 estate in Cathedral City can be yours for the weekend. A formal dining room, six bedrooms, and a bridal suite (with skylight and fireplace) make it an ideal all-in-one site from rehearsal dinner to honeymoon. Lawns, fruit trees, date palms, and gardens mingle with a black-bottom pool, two spas, and tennis court. Maximum guests: 200.
1-760-772-8313.
Ingleside Inn
Sweetly lost in time, this small inn is a Spanish-style haven for classic romantics. Antiques and fireplaces dot the rooms, while towering trees, blooming pathways, and a poolside gazebo fill the gardens. The inn has hosted decades of Hollywood luminaries.
1-760-325-0046.
The Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn and O'Donnell House
"Old Palm Springs" hospitality shines at these grandly restored 1920s properties — two of the most elegant and authentic venues in town. The Willows is a Mediterranean villa with a veranda, hillside gardens, and pool area. The O'Donnell House offers a tile patio, long terraces, and unrivaled mountainside views. Maximum guests: 75 for The Willows; 135 for O'Donnell House.
1-760-320-0771.
Villa Royale Inn & Europa Restaurant
Hole up behind the walls of this private, peaceful property — a romantic, Mediterranean villa-style setting ideal for a weekend wedding. Say your vows on the lawn or in a courtyard by a trickling fountain or tranquil pool. The property enchants with secluded patios, cascading fountains, blooming flowers, and only 30 guest rooms. At on-site Europa restaurant, enjoy continental cuisine in a charming European atmosphere with patio seating.
1-760-327-2314.
Copley's on Palm Canyon
Photo courtesy Copley's on Palm Canyon
CLASSIC RESTAURANTS
Copley's on Palm Canyon
Popular for rehearsal dinners, this contemporary American restaurant hosts intimate receptions. The building and garden courtyard, once home to Cary Grant, offer easy indoor-outdoor flow for dinner, dancing, and conversation around the fire. Maximum guests: 120.
1-760-327-9555.
Le St. Germain
For a taste of Paris, head to this local favorite in Indian Wells. Up to 140 guests can fill the garden patio with twinkling lights overhead and a glow from the outdoor fireplace.
1-760-773-6511.
Le Vallauris
A romantic favorite for more than 30 years. Enjoy French-Mediterranean cuisine in the main dining room and outdoor gazebo (up to 75 guests), or on the charming patio with light-filled trees for seating up to 150.
1-760-325-5059.
Spencer's Restaurant
Say "I do" on a grassy bluff, then continue the party by the pool, on one of two patios, or inside in the candlelit Bougainvillea Room with stone fireplace and indoor waterfall. Options include valet parking, a harpist, and a Belgian chocolate fountain. Maximum guests: 250.
1-760-327-3446.
Wally's Desert Turtle
Sophisticated service and time-honored cuisine make Wally's a local standout. The warm ambiance includes beveled-mirror ceilings, Peruvian artifacts, and hand-painted murals with a choice of five private or semi-private rooms.
1-760-568-9321.
Korakia Pensione
Photo: Joy Marie Photography
EXOTIC & UNUSUAL
El Morocco Inn and Spa
Smaller weddings enjoy being transported at this 10-room land of exotic textiles, imported furnishings, and Moroccan-style pampering. This intimate Desert Hot Springs retreat keeps the 90-degree, spring-fed swimming pool open 24 hours and Casablanca playing in the lounge. Toss a blanket on your laps by the outdoor fire pits and toast with Moroccotinis under the stars. Stay a few extra nights and reserve a couple's spa treatment.
1-760-288-2527.
Korakia Pensione
Book the two Moroccan-flavor villas (28 rooms) at this complex with a pool, courtyard, and outdoor event space for up to 130 guests. Private, rustic, and transportive, the Korakia beckons with candlelit walkways, citrus trees, fountains, and a waterfall.
1-760-864-6411.
Palm Springs Air Museum
Dine and dance among the airplanes of World War II and classic cars of yesteryear. Weddings are rare here, but always memorable.
1-760-778-6262 ext. 235.
Palm Springs Art Museum
Close to downtown, the museum hosts elegant events in its art galleries, public spaces, and even on stage at the Annenberg Theater. Up to 250 for a sit-down reception.
1-760-325-7186 ext. 159.
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
Guests enjoy a view-laden ride as they take a 10-minute joy ride, rising to 8,516 feet in elevation to the cool, pristine wilderness of 13,000-acre Mount San Jacinto State Park. At the top, choose from an intimate room with a rustic rock fireplace, two patios with fresh mountain breezes and a spectacular vista, and a luxurious restaurant.
1-760-325-1449.
Pioneertown and Pappy & Harriet's
Built in 1946 as a set for Westerns, including films with Gene Autry and The Cisco Kid, the area and its movie set provided a place for the actors to live, with their homes used as part of a movie set. Roy Rogers was one of the original investors in the 1870s-style frontier town. Once a one-pump gas station and part of the set, legendary Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace has hosted several offbeat weddings with its mesquite barbecue, live music, dancing, and friendly folk.
1-760-365-5956.