STAY Book a groundlevel room at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, and score your own fre pit set in a private courtyard. Revitalized in 2014, the Ritz ofers a Plexiglas dance foor over the pool and a sun deck flled with fragrant lemon trees for nuptials.
Rooms from $425; wedding packages from $250 per person. Creativity is encouraged at the ultra-hip, yet down-to-earth Ace Hotel and Swim Club: Dogs often serve as ring bearers, and one couple rode down the aisle on a tandem bike. Tie the knot poolside at the shady Commune with the San Jacinto Mountains in the background. Rooms from $199; weddings custom.
➸ PLAY At the BMW Performance Driving School, gear heads can compete in M series BMWs. Planner Cathy O’Connell with Celebrations of Joy suggests a private architecture tour of midcentury-modern edifces with Palm Springs Modern Tours.
➸ PARTY Wed where Hollywood’s most famous lived, like Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms, known for its piano-shaped pool. Lush alfresco party spaces hem Copley’s restaurant, located in Cary Grant’s former guesthouse.
➸ LOCAL COLOR For a fun and breezy photo op, O’Connell suggests heading to the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm, where nearly 3,000 turbines have been spinning since the 1980s.
