Palm Springs Wedding Photography at Korakia Pensione

Ashley & Josh

Ashley & Josh celebrated their wedding with a weekend get away to the charming and rustic Korakia Pensione in Palm Springs. They reserved all 28 villas for guests to enjoy an entire weekend of poolside fun. Their wedding took place on the festive Mexican heritage day, Cinco de Mayo.

Touches of Mexican decor in honor of the holiday were sprinkled throughout the villa. The pink sombrero (pictured above) belonged to Ashley since she was a little girl.

Destination weddings really are a great way to spend quality time with family and friends. Josh and his rowdy bunch of boys played horseshoes and hung out at the pool while Ashley and the girls relaxed in their gorgeous suite.

The light at the boutique hotel is heavenly. It bounces everywhere, is backlit and dramatic! We did an amazing sexy session of Ashley in the suite. The chiaro scuro light in the restroom of the Orchard House suite is similar to a renaissance painting. We did stunning portraits of Ashley near the copper clawfoot tub. She hadn’t gotten her hair or makeup done yet but her natural beauty shined. We can’t show those here though (sorry i’m a tease).

Ashley wore an elegant ivory dress with spaghetti straps and a small train. Over it was a classy white lace kimono belted with a beautiful ribbon. Her bridesmaids choose their own cocktail dresses staying within the nude/gold color palette.

The guys were also very stylish! I loved the simple gray suits paired with black ties; very Palm Springs. Love them hanging out on the striped chaises.

The couple saw each other prior to saying their vows. The “first look” is always one of my favorite moments to capture.

The party was starting! Rather than doing a bunch of staged portraits we shot the family formals loosely and did mostly candids before the guests began arriving.

Prior to the ceremony, Ashley was tucked away from sight in anticipation of her grand entrance. This is always a great moment for candids with dad.

I adore the way they look at each other; every time seems like the first.

Increasing in popularity amongst brides and grooms is having the honor of a close friend marry them. The guests love it because its personable and sweet. I love it because it adds a nice touch for the photos. Rather than having a stranger be center stage for all the wedding vow pics, a dear friend enhances the image. It is quite easy to become an ordained minister or wedding officiant. Check with your county clerk for guidelines.

The courtyard at the Korakia Pensione features a magnificent moroccan door and is overflowing with hot pink bougainvillea. It really is a photographers dream. There is also a gentle sound of splashing water from the tranquil fountain, which kept the little ringbearer busy during the ceremony (above right). Notice how the back lit water drops sparkle as they gently fall.

After the ceremony we did a few pics of Ashley & Josh as newlyweds then they were off to enjoy their Cinco de Mayo cocktail hour with mariachis and margaritas.

Event planners Celebrations of Joy! kept things on schedule and did all the beautiful decor, allowing the bride to enjoy her day. Cathy and Dorry are based in Palm Springs and specialize in event design and destination weddings.

Palm Springs hippest restaurant Lulu, catered a wonderful dinner for the casual but elegant family style seating. They were meticulous on attention to detail. Love them!

The candle lit dark wood tables contrasted well with the stark white flowers,plates and glassware. The succulent and cactus center pieces were a diy project by Ashley and her friends. Succulents are a perfect alternative to floral centerpieces. They are totally hip and they don’t falter in the hot desert sun . They looked clean and modern planted in white geometric pots with crushed white rocks on top.

Over the Rainbow Cupcakes and Deserts provided the over-the-top delicious deserts. The chocolate peanut butter salty caramel cupcakes were equally delicious and photogenic.

Im all about shooting fashion and portraits and setting the stage,but its the candid moments that I really love. Ashley and Josh’s reception started at dusk beginning with their first dance and heart warming series of toasts.

Korakia is a quiet boutique hotel in a charming neighborhood. Loud music isn’t allowed. Acoustic guitar was played by Rons Garage Band and a few talented guests during dinner and dances.

The 10 o’clock curfew quickly approached as guest mingled by the fire pits under the largest full moon of the season. Being a destination wedding and Cinco de Mayo, Josh and Ashley rented a private room at the local bar Sammy G’s to keep the party going.

Sammy G’s is walking distance from the hotel so we headed over there for some outrageous fun. Before leaving I grabbed this shot of the energetic ring bearer not quite ready to leave his mommy’s side.

Partying in the reserved room at Sammy G’s (a dive bar) was super fun. Ashley let her hair down and still looked beautiful after a long day. Josh is an 80s hair cover band so the photos were getting really crazy. I love Josh and Ashley because they understand photography. They have a great appreciation for art and wanted me to capture the gamut from beautiful to the absurd.

I was digging on the guests getting crazy and grabbed a paparazzi style photo of one of the groomsmen (below).

WEDDING CRASHERS!

Although we had signs that this was a private event, there seemed to be a lot of strangers coming into the room. Not just any strangers, strange strangers. Extremely unusual looking people. Josh and Ashley really love photography so don’t let it be a surprise that the couple pictures below are two of their favorites (lol). We blew one up as art for their wall. There were atleast a dozen crashers and we have photos of all them in weird moments.