Mara & John wanted to throw a “last hurrah” type engagement party before their intimate wedding next year, and invited their closest family and friends out for a mini-retreat to celebrate. It was all held at the most beautiful Parker Palm Springs – a brightly-colored oasis in the middle of the desert, a place that has long been on my must-shoot-there! list, with lush gardens that calm your soul & the most stunning modern decor. (Added bonus – bougainvillea everywhere!! I could shoot those pretty little blooms all day long.) Mara & John made full use of the gorgeous property, with cocktails in the lobby, mingling on the lawn, an indoor reception, and portraits around the gardens.
A quick break in the midst of wedding season, a chance to interact, to share stories poolside, to laugh over midday snacks of hummus & carrots, to have the sense of “coworkers”, when so much of our days are spent alone in front of a glowy computer screen. From the moment I entered the wedding industry, I was so amazed by the lack of “competition” and by the overabundance of sharing & love, and these girls embody that love in every ounce of their being {in addition to being smart, sweet & hilarious!} I feel blessed to call them friends!
We stayed at the uber hip & lovely Ace Hotel, pretty much splitting our time equally between the pool & the room since it was literally 427 degrees out. The Ace was the perfect place for both relaxation & for photos – seriously, gorgeous photo ops EVERYWHERE! YOU! LOOK! I’m including some of my favorite snaps from the trip here, as well as a fantastic stop-motion video the talented Mary created & put together!
All in all, an amazing trip that left me feeling inspired and refreshed! Can’t wait for Catalina 2011!
The light at the Ace Hotel was absolutely breathtaking – so soft & pretty!
Amanda made us all these FANTASTIC goodie bags filled with the most amazing goodies – a smores pack, a cupcake in a jar, a pop-of-color water bottle… it was such a treat to arrive in PS to find these!
The food at the Ace was just divine! On the left is the ALT (which I’m pretty sure stands for “ADRIENNE LOVES THIS”, and which I supplemented with lots & lots of bacon):
