It’s here, it’s here! Nearly 4,000 images were submitted to this year’s Best of the Best Destination Photo Contest. Featuring more than 25 countries, this year’s collection is adventure-filled bliss. We would like to give an enormous shout out to our renowned judges, Jim Pollard of Jim Pollard We Are, Komang Diktat of Diktat Photography, and Ekaterina Mukhina of Purlita Photography for helping us curate a stunning set of images.
Melissa and Ira’s whimsical glam wedding at Avalon Hotel features classy décor, fun textures, and the sweetest donut dessert bar we’ve ever seen! From their stationery suite to the table runners, this couple chose contrasting black and white stripes and touches of light pink to add classic vibes to every detail in their modern Palm Springs venue. We think Melissa’s beaded Art Deco Jenny Packham dress was an absolute dream, and we especially love how she found her dream gown in a budget-mindful way! Hazelnut Photography captured this couple’s special day with an amazing eye for detail, including some beautiful shots of their strikingly beautiful reception area.
Our favorite DIY moment was when we enlisted the help of our talented friend Vince, a graphic designer, who helped us create our personalized save-the-dates, invitations, fans/programs, and menus to fit our style and design.
For my wedding gown, I wore a timeless Jenny Packham gown, one of my absolute favorite designers. Her gowns were one of the first dresses I tried on and though I knew I should have never tried them on because they were over my budget, I found a way to make it work. I persistently searched online for the same Jenny Packham dress I fell in love with and discovered one used and at half the price. Here’s a tip for future brides out there, when there’s a will there’s a way!
Jordana of Hazelnut Photography was an absolute pleasure to work with. Her positive personality and enthusiasm made the 113 degree desert heat bearable. We felt very comfortable shooting with her. One of the reasons we chose Jordana to be our photographer is her aesthetic and ability to capture all the small details so beautifully. All her photos came out jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
Being from Los Angeles, Palm Springs has become one of our favorite local destinations. When we were dating, we stayed at the Avalon Hotel when it was formerly the Viceroy and immediately fell in love with the property. The hotel has a mid-century meets Hollywood-Regency decor vibe. We’re thrilled with our decision and can’t imagine a better place to get married than the Avalon Hotel.
When envisioning a design for our wedding, we wanted to incorporate the laidback style of the desert but keep the aesthetic modern, simple, and whimsical. Our wedding color palette was nude, black and white (our favorite colors) with accents of light pink and gold.
Ira and I like to think of ourselves as economical, which meant that we didn’t want to buy pieces for the wedding that we would never use again. We borrowed items from friends when we could and purchased items that could eventually be reused, such as the lightbox or shadow box guestbook (which now hangs in our living room photo gallery wall as a keepsake). I willingly learned to do calligraphy so that I could write the envelopes, escort cards, and table name cards myself.
Our wedding day coincidentally landed on National Donut Day so we had to incorporate donuts in our reception. We had a dessert, donut, and candy bar that guests could bring home at the end of the night as a thank you for attending our wedding.
Katie and Sam loved the organic beauty of Saratoga Springs from the start, so it seemed only natural to keep their wedding décor earthy and minimal! Sparkling accents of gold and vintage furniture scattered around the couple’s venue created warmth and depth to the couple’s wedding design. We love how Katie’s long-sleeved Grace Loves Lace gown lent a gorgeous ethereal tone to her classic bridal style! Seth & Kaiti Photography captured the couple’s day, including an especially gorgeous first look in the forest and fun reception details like a s’mores bar!
Our first look was the most memorable moment. I was very skeptical about doing a first look but I am so glad I did it. After all, you are marrying your best friend, your partner in crime, why wouldn’t you want to spend more time with them throughout the entire day.
Making sure our guests enjoyed themselves was the most important part of planning. We didn’t want it to be a boring wedding. So games, games, and more games were provided. When you mix alcohol, games, friends, family and food. Now thats a party.
I had my future husband walk me down the aisle. I didn’t want family drama, and really he is the one who has supported me and will continue to support me and love me unconditionally. So I wanted him by my side.
Our wedding colors were very earthy colors. Whites, Tans, Browns, Olives, Greens, Grays. Instead of bringing in bright colors and a different decor to our venue, I wanted to match it. We got married in the Santa Cruz California hills. Very “forest/earthy”. So I envisioned our wedding to only enhance the venue and really make it as beautiful as it could be (on our tight budget of course!)
Our wedding favors were little match boxes, set on each place setting. They said “The Perfect Match”. We had a decent amount of candles throughout the dinner tables. On our menu we asked that everyone start the dinner off by lighting the candles on the table. It really came together well. I loved it!
Our advice: I can say not to stress, but reality is, you are going to stress and be nervous. Just try to remember this is your day, worry less, love more, and deep breathes. This is your wedding day and it goes by so fast. Also, try and have most of it planned 4 weeks in advance. Running around three days before the wedding isn’t the beeznezzz.
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Photo by Virginia & Evan Studios | Destination: Seljalandsfoss, Iceland
Photo by Jonnie + Garrett Wedding Photographers | Destination: Imperial Sand Dunes, Brawley, California, United States
Photo by Jakob Granqvist of Nordica Photography | Destination: Hamar, Norway
Photo by Aljosa Videtic
Photo by James Frost Photography | Destination: Bombo Quarry, NSW, Australia
Photo by Eric Ronald Photography | Destination: Egypt
Photo by Maciej Suwalowski | Destination: Iceland
Photo by fer juaristi | Destination: Isle of Skye, Scotland
Photo by Blue Glass Photography | Turtle Bay Beach at Caneel Bay, St. John, United States Virgin Islands
Photo by WeddingNama | Destination: Cappadocia, Turkey
Photo by Alexandra Botvinovskaya | Destination: Vestjurland, Iceland
Photo by Chaz Cruz Photographers | Destination: Queenstown, New Zealand
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