music by my dear brother, tudor robb.

James and Stella married at the smog shoppe in culver city, ca.  The Smog Shoppe has always been one of our favorite spots to shoot in socal and we love how James and Stella made it their own with so many personal details and great little touches of color.

One of the great things about the Smog Shoppe is that brides can get ready on site, which makes things super easy on the bridal party (and the photographer, hee hee.)

Stella was the picture of calm and happiness leading up to the wedding, doesn’t she look gorgeous!

Smog Shoppe is an old converted garage and is best known for it’s vertical gardens full of succulents and other desert plants.  Love how the deep greens contrast with Stella’s white wedding dress.

While green is the dominant color, the venue also has a few bold areas with bright orange to accent the green of the gardens.

First look time!

This is my favorite shot of the day.  There is always one shot that jumps out where I think, one day your kids will see this and say, dang mom, you and dad were actually cool before we came around.  This is that shot!

Stella, see this look right here.  Hold on to it, husbands have a tendency to bring out this look in their wives all the time.  Keep that sense of humor!

I love Korean weddings for many reasons, but chief among them are the colors of these traditional garments!

It’s always nice to bump into former couples! This pair here is very dear to our hearts! We shared their special day with them in Hawaii.

Stella sews. She sewed the banners, napkins, candy bags and backdrop to the candy bar. She’s got skills!

Loved all the fun details, the color and whimsy stand in perfect contrast to the Smog Shoppe’s vintage/chic motif.

One of our handmade honeymoon polaroid books.  I always want to keep them!

The night ended with a fabulous photo booth.  We had such an amazing time with James and Stella and hope to find our way back to Smog Shoppe soon!

Bouquets: definitely one of my favorite details of a wedding!

There is something magic about Palm Springs, somewhere along that long and winding road from LA to the desert, all your cares fall away.  Easy to get to, always sunny and warm, full of retro style that screams of yesteryear, Palm Springs is simply the ultimate destination wedding locale.  We met James and Cecile during our first Palm Springs wedding a few years ago.  When Cecile called from the UK and asked us to return to shoot her destination wedding at the O’donnell House we leaped at the chance.

We showed up a day early for a fun engagement shoot and knew immediately we’d have a blast with Cecile, James and their families the following day.

Cecile has a great eye for details! From her beautiful custom wedding gown created by Monique Lhuillier , her Rifle Paper Co stationary, to the amazing floral arrangements that blended in seamlessly with the Palm Springs landscapes.

I am in LOVE with the Rifle Paper Company, so much so that Chris got me my own custom stationary for Christmas!

Cecile and her sisters stole away a few moments whenever they could before the ceremony, couldn’t help but imagine Elsie and Kira on their own wedding days doing the same.

The O’Donnel House overlooks Palm Springs from high above the hillside, giving you a rare perspective of the desert.  The grounds are impeccably landscaped and the house features architectural details, pottery and furniture that echo the luxury of a time gone by.  Cecile was fortunate enough to be able to stay at the house on her wedding night!

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Thanks for stopping by!