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Smoke Tree Ranch Wedding – Maggie and Daniel

Today is Walt Disney’s birthday, and I thought it would be the perfect day to share Maggie and Daniel’s beautiful Smoke Tree Ranch Wedding with you. The Smoke Tree Ranch is a wonderful place to visit if you’re a Walt Disney fan. But before we get to that, I should begin by saying that I […]

Today is Walt Disney’s birthday, and I thought it would be the perfect day to share Maggie and Daniel’s beautiful Smoke Tree Ranch Wedding with you. The Smoke Tree Ranch is a wonderful place to visit if you’re a Walt Disney fan. But before we get to that, I should begin by saying that I just love Maggie’s family. I photographed her sister’s wedding at Stage 17 a few years back, and it was wonderful to see all of them again. I don’t usually get to catch up with an entire family after a wedding, so it was wonderful to spend time with their family and catch up. Maggie and Daniel wanted to subtly incorporate their love of Disney into their wedding, and were intrigued by the history of the Smoke Tree Ranch. They were immediately taken with how peaceful and beautiful it was, and knew it was the perfect place for them to tie the knot. I have to admit, I geeked out a bit when we arrived. Their coordinator knew we were big Disney fans, and gave us a tour of the entire Ranch at the beginning of the day.
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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

The Smoke Tree Ranch was Walt Disney’s desert vacation home in Palm Springs, and he loved being there for long weekend getaways with his family. The coordinator told us stories about Walt and Lilian taking horse rides in the morning and making pancakes on skillets, and talked about how much Walt and his family loved Lawn Bowling. The Smoke Tree Ranch is a beautiful Dude Ranch nestled in the scenic mountains of Palm Springs, and it’s easy to imagine Walt eating chili and coming up with ideas for his True Life Adventure series. He sold his ranch home when he needed to fund Disneyland, and asked the other colonists at the Ranch to invest in the park. I’m sure they all wished they’d taken him up on his offer. 🙂 After the success of Disneyland, he was able to build another home at the Ranch, and continued to use it as a weekend retreat. If you look closely at the tie that Walt’s wearing in the iconic Partners statue at Disneyland, you’ll find the Smoke Tree Ranch symbol on it. It’s such a wonderful piece of Disney history and I think about it every time I pass the Partner’s Statue.
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I love how Maggie and Daniel incorporated desert and California details into their wedding decor.

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

And Maggie’s first look was so sweet…

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

Love these ladies so much.

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Maggie incorporated roses and succulents and oranges into her floral decorations. It was such a beautiful touch.

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

These two and this beautiful setting… <3

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
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Their ceremony was gorgeous with the mountains surrounding them. I love how Maggie tried her hardest not to cry when she walked down the aisle with her Dad.
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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
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And could their reception be any more beautiful? Palm Springs really does have some incredible weather during the winter season.

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

Maggie surprised her sweet mom with a birthday cake and a birthday dance.

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And I just loved watching everyone dance and enjoy each other’s company all night. I love the sound of music and mingling, it made for a magical evening.

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smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer
smoke tree ranch wedding, palm springs wedding, disney themed wedding, smoke tree ranch wedding photographer

Thank you again for having me, Maggie and Daniel! Your wedding was so beautiful, and what a treat for the Disney fan to be able to visit such a special place.

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Venue: Smoke Tree Ranch Weddings

Coordinator: Laurie Lund

Makeup: Jay Russel Salon

Floral: Jensens Floral 

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