Alegria Garden has a stone “altar.”
The Basics
The Royal Palms Resort and Spa, in Phoenix, Arizona, has a Honeymoon Suite containing a leather-covered tea table inscribed in Spanish with the words “Give me your hand, Paloma, for this night you will sleep with me.”
Romantic enough to inspire you to want to have your destination wedding at this former private home built in 1929 against the backdrop of Camelback Mountain? We think so. And that’s just one of the many reasons the 119-room resort is a favorite among couples tying the knot in the desert southwest.
The Spanish colonial-style architecture, the stone-paved walkways meandering among palms and orange trees, the hidden-garden nooks and crannies, the desert light, all combine to create a wedding fantasy.
Wedding Details
Of the half dozen Royal Palms wedding venues, our favorite is the Alegria Garden, a private courtyard capable of seating 120 guests. It is surrounded by stone walls and has an elevated stone “altar” where ceremonies can be performed. Inside, the Estrella Salon, with its high-beamed ceilings and wrought-iron chandeliers, will allow you to seat up to 180 guests, or, for more intimacy, there’s the wood-floored Cervantes Room and Lounge, which can seat 40 guests.
Throughout your wedding and reception, you will be attended by a “personal shadow,” who will take care of such details as keeping track of all your wedding pieces, such bouquets and veils, and personal items, such as lipstick and extra shoes, and delivering them to your room or car.
Among wedding packages offered by the Royal Palms are “An intimate Affair” for 25 guests, and under and “Why Wait?” if you are a last-minute planner.
Keep in Mind
The Alvadora Spa is small, but its signature treatment suite, Acqua Dolce, which opens to a private outdoor patio with a fireplace and waterfall shower, could not be more romantic. The Royal Palms chef, Paul McCabe, who oversees the resort’s award-winning T. Cook’s restaurant, loves to work with weddings. Some of his recent favorite themed weddings have been Russian, Spanish, and Swedish.
Courtyard at Royal Palms with Camelback Mountain in background.
