La Chureya Estate Wedding Palm Springs

Betsy Marshall gives a twirl in her blush ballgown, as soft natural light pours in the French doors.

PHOTOS BY BETSI EWING STUDIO

These two creative types — he’s a video director, she’s a makeup artist — crafted a destination wedding with a dash of vintage flair for guests arriving from coast to coast.

The little-known La Chureya Estate kept the party completely private on more than an acre of beautiful Vista Las Palmas land. The five-bedroom villa’s authentic Spanish architecture provided a photogenic backdrop for the day-to-night celebration. Long, family-style farmhouse tables with mismatched chairs teemed with an unfussy mix of florals and succulents punctuated by metallic gold table numbers. After hours of dancing under the stars on the black-and-white checkered dance floor, the couple made their exit through a colorful glow-stick send-off.

Here, Betsy Marshall digs into all the pretty details of their day.

PSL: Why Palm Springs? 

Betsy Marshall: We’re from the East Coast and now live in Los Angeles, so this felt like an opportunity to get all of our loved ones together for a mini-vacation and show them why we made California home.

PSL: Size of your guest list? 

BM: As a destination wedding we expected a small turnout. But we ended up with 120 people. Apparently everyone wants to visit Palm Springs!

Guests created a mini light show of well wishes with a playful glow stick send off.

PSL: What was your vision? 

BM: It’s not often you have all your friends and family together in one place, so our vision was a sunny, carefree weekend that really treated our guests. We wanted poolside cocktails, a crazy dance party, and an exotic location that would blow everyone’s minds. So we chose a private estate.

PSL: The rugs along the aisle are an exotic touch. Do tell. 

BM: Using a private estate allowed us to hand-pick every element, especially décor. We held the ceremony in the front yard as the sun was setting over the mountains. Oriental rugs formed the aisle. I pulled from the color palette of our vintage venue: the lush green lawn and towering palm trees, the sparkling teal blue pool, yellow lemons on the trees, and pink bougainvillea, accented with black, white, and gold to add some drama and glam.

La Chureya Estate accommodated 120 guests from across the country for dinner al fresco.

The bride followed her own creativity, blending Oriental rugs on the aisle with mercury glass urns.

PSL: And for the party spaces?  

BM: We brought in Moroccan-style lounge furniture to create seating and ambiance for the cocktail hour and reception. Then we used farmhouse tables for dinner to give it a rustic, casual feel. I’m not much of a DIY-er, but with Cyrus’ help, we hand-painted geometric-patterned table runners that set off the table décor. Individually potted small succulents served a dual purpose of place cards and party favors.

PSL: Your dress was stunning!

BM: It was actually a three-piece blush ballgown with a white lace blouse over top (which covered my tattoo during the ceremony). I honestly never thought I’d wear pink or a ballgown. But when I tried it on the feeling was undeniable. I loved wearing it so much!

PSL: Most of your vendors were local. How did they do? 

BM: Just like we imagined, the entire night was magical. Cyrus and I succeeded in bringing our closest family and friends to one of our favorite places and throwing the party of our dreams. We’re grateful to have had incredibly talented and creative vendors to collaborate with. We definitely couldn’t have done it without them!