FAQs
General Schedule
Friday, June 23 - Welcome Drinks in Yucca Valley.
Saturday, June 24 - The Main Event at Rockwood in Gamma Gulch
Sunday, June 25 - Farewell Brunch at The Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown
Accommodations
-AirBnB search in Gamma Gulch, Rimrock, Pioneertown or Yucca Valley
-Various Motels in Yucca Valley
Where is it?
The ceremony and reception will be at Toby and Jess Hemingway’s ranchito property, Rockwood. The center of activity for the weekend will be in and around Pioneertown -- a western town built for movies in the 1940s in California’s Mojave Desert, near Joshua Tree National Park. These days it remains a popular place to visit with the famous Pappy & Harriet's tavern, and The Red Dog Saloon.
Airports
-Palm Springs, CA (PSP - approx 45 minutes away)
-Ontario, CA (ONT - approx 1.5 hours away)
-Los Angeles, CA (LAX - approx 3 hours away)
-Burbank, CA (BUR - approx 3 hours away)
How far is it from Los Angeles?
About 130m/210km, which takes a little over 2 hours when no traffic, or 4+ if you get your timing wrong. Hint: avoid driving in the afternoon Monday through Saturday. Mornings and evenings are much better. Leave at 3p on a Friday and you’ll be lucky to make it by 7p.
What is the dress code?
Dress or suit plus boots, neckwear optional (hats for the afternoon sun are encouraged). The ceremony and reception will both take place outside.
What’s the weather like?
It’s the high desert, so its a bit cooler than lower desert places like Palm Springs. Still, expect hot days and slightly cooler nights. Check Pioneertown, CA for the weather forecast.
What’s the environment like?
This is the yippee ay aye high desert. It will be summer when the sun hits hard, the plants are prickly and the ground is soft. But it's also a great opportunity to incorporate some southwestern elements into your wedding attire. That's why we (strongly) suggest boots, and forget about open toe or thin heels, they wont work. A good hat will be your friend as we start proceedings during the last couple of hours of sun, then after that it cools off nicely into the evening.
Elevation and Hydration
Elevation at Rockwood and Pioneertown is over 4000 feet. Your risk of dehydration is increased if you are not drinking enough water at high altitudes, especially in the summer. It is recommended you drink twice as much water at high altitude. (Seriously, if anything's gonna put a hitch in city-folk's giddyup, it's gonna be dehydration.) We'll have lots of cold juicy water at the wedding.
How do I get around?
For our wedding day, we’ll have transport from Pioneertown to Rockwood and back to Pioneertown throughout the evening. There are taxis (777), Ubers and Lyft in Yucca Valley for party times. But generally, you'll want to have a car to cover the large distances.
Phone Service
Cell phone service is spotty at best in the area. We highly recommend downloading offline maps on your phone of the Yucca Valley area so you can get around even if your cell signal is lost.
What else is there to do?
Lots. Explore more of Pioneertown, go to Joshua Tree National Park, absorb the hipster meets weird desert styling of Yucca Valley and 29 Palms, go to Palm Springs, go to the Integratron, find a hike, and more.
On Saturday (wedding day), we suggest staying in the shade as much as possible during the day, as we've timed proceedings as it starts to cool off and turns from hot to balmy. Get in touch with us if you'd like tips.