Moorten Botanical Gardens Engagement - Palm Springs, CA - Trish + Adam

 

Palm Springs is Joshua Tree’s trendier, polished cousin in the desert and a perfect place for engagement photos! I met up with Trish and Adam at the Moorten Botanical Gardens in Palm Springs for their shoot. As I passed the iconic Palm Springs windmills on my way, I crossed my fingers that Trish + Adam would be up for an adventure. Let me tell you - they were open to all my ideas and loved making each other laugh during the shoot. Trish and Adam had just returned from a month-long trip across the country, and were in the flavor-testing phase of launching their San Diego Ice Cream shop, Koishii (p.s. Trish and Adam, my offer still stands if you need additional taste-testers!)

Engagement shoots can be one of the best parts of wedding planning, and if it’s possible I highly recommend making a little trip or overnight getaway out of your session! It’s a little bit of levity + goofiness, a nice break between so many decisions. After the botanical garden, we explored a bit of the desert by the windmills and then even spent a few minutes in Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley to get shots with those iconic desert cacti! Below you’ll find information about the botanical gardens, Palm Springs, and planning your own engagement shoot.

There are several ways to get to the Moorten Botanical Gardens from LA - more info at the bottom of this post - but driving is the most time and cost-efficient in most cases. One thing to consider when planning when to visit, is that this area of Southern California actually does get snow a few times a year! If you’re planning to visit in the winter, check road conditions first.

Moorten Botanical Gardens is a great place for engagement photos (there is a small fee for a photography permit), but they also host weddings + events! This could be a really cute venue for a smaller wedding of about 30 guests.

This treasured 1-acre garden is located at the Southern end of Palm Canyon Drive, minutes from downtown Palm Springs. The legacy of Patricia and Chester “Cactus Slim” Moorten, the gardens now boast over 3,000 types of plants for visitors to enjoy. 

Finally, we ended our session near Joshua Tree National Park in the surrounding area of Yucca Valley. It was the perfect way to wind down our adventure!

Joshua Treee is truly a place I absolutely love to visit -- partially because back in 2018, my husband and I eloped there!

If you’re thinking about doing the same, here’s a blog post with information on how to plan to host a small wedding or elope in Joshua Tree.

all about palm springs

Visiting Palm Springs almost always means sunny days + brightly painted houses that pop against the desert backdrop.

Where exactly is Palm Springs? Located about two hours (100ish miles) east of LA, the city of Palm Springs is a straight shot past the San Bernadino National Forest. Visitors can get there by plane, through Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), but it’s a smaller airport so be prepared for fewer daily flights than a larger airport. Flying into San Diego International or LAX may have more options if you’re coming from out of state! There’s also an Amtrak station in Palm Springs, offering a train route from Los Angeles’ Union Station.

What is PS known for? Palm Springs isn’t far from the grounds that host Coachella, Stage Coach, and other music festivals. But that’s not to say it’s a mere pit-stop: Palm Springs is an experience in and of itself! This area is known for the iconic mid-century modern designs known as Desert Modernism, encouraging the indoor-outdoor lifestyle appropriate for great year-round weather!

The best coffee shops in Palm Springs: Visit Palm Springs has done a nice job of rounding up the city’s best cafes and I’ve immediately added Cafe La Jefa to my bucket list for my next trip, but I’ve always loved my experiences at Ernest Coffee and Cartel Roasting Co.

Where to stay- There are tons of different boutique hotels here, along with some of the more familiar mainstay brands, so you’re bound to find something that fits your needs! There’s everything from the typical hotel with continental breakfast to all-inclusive health spa resorts. I like to strike the middle ground: The Saguaro is a brightly-colored hotel with a great pool, delicious frozen drinks, and as many tacos as you could imagine over at El Jefe Desert Cantina, the onsite restaurant.

I hope you found this post helpful! For more information like this, I recommend:

 
 

Ready for an engagement shoot of your own?

Hire me for playful, fun, candid photos you’ll want to hang up all around your house + save as your phone wallpaper (the ultimate, I know). I work with couples all throughout the U.S. and all of my packages include my travel, so you won’t pay extra, even if we aren’t in the same area! Hit the contact button to get started!

 
Engagements, PortfolioMorgan Pirklemoorten botanical gardensengagementComment