Jennifer gave Darren custom-made map cufflinks as a wedding gift. One cufflink shows a map of Jennifer’s hometown, Seattle, and the other shows a map of Darren’s hometown, Perth, Australia. They were custom-made by  Tomatomade (on Etsy.com)

Jennifer and Darren chose greens with accents of plum and incorporated native Australian flowers to reflect Darren’s home country. How much do you love that?! Jennifer explains more:  Our colors, flowers and passion for travel also translated throughout the event including table cards identifiable by favorite airport codes and photos from each destination (which we made ourselves), and our green suitcase wedding cake by Sedona Cake Couture. Afterwards, we realized one of our favorite take-aways from the wedding were the “GuestLibs” we created for our guests to sign instead of a traditional guest book. We prepared fill-in-the-blank cards for our guests to fill in blessings and wishes for us. They were overwhelmingly, unexpectedly thoughtful and creative in what they wrote. We plan to make a framed word collage of the key words and phrases to display in our home as a constant reminder of the good wishes and blessings from our friends and family

The thoughtful touches continue…since our ceremony location was naturally beautiful, we wanted everything else to be very simple so as not to detract from the view. We made our own, simple chuppah, topped with chofa at the corners for good luck (brought from Thailand by a friend especially for the occasion), and it was carried down the aisle by the wedding party. We wanted to include our immediate family and close friends in the ceremony and asked several of them to write blessings for us, which they read during the ceremony. We also performed a sand ceremony symbolizing our union, using beach sand from near Darren’s home in Perth, Western Australia, and Jennifer’s home near Seattle.

I asked Jennifer about the Ketubah in her ceremony: We signed a beautiful watercolor interfaith wedding ketubah (Jewish wedding contract) that we found on Ketubah.com. We read the ketubah to each other as our vows during the ceremony, and it will hang in our home as a piece of artwork and a reminder of our commitment to each other.

How much do you love this cake? Sedona Cake Couture always impresses me…

I’m not sure if you have noticed but beer, especially homebrew beer, is very popular in general but particularly at weddings these days. Jennifer and Darren cleverly incorporated beer at their wedding in a meaningful way: As part of our reception, we created a beer tasting with an interactive, multimedia slideshow telling the story of our journey together. We featured five beers that represented our travels: our favorite local beer (bottled for us by Jim from Oak Creek Brewery), a beer from the first place we traveled together (Jackson Hole, Wyoming), the national beer of Thailand (one of our favorite places), a custom wedding IPA made by a friend (who also grew the hops for the beer), and a stout from Western Australia (which was transported by Darren’s family).

KG: What was your favorite part if the day?

J/D: Our favorite part of the day was being able to share a very personalized reflection of us with our family and friends. This started with our choice of ceremony location, Spirit Song at L’Auberge, overlooking one of our favorite places, the red rocks of Sedona. With the help of our officiant, we created a very meaningful ceremony. It was not overly traditional, but every aspect of the ceremony had personal significance. We particularly liked our homemade chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy), seven blessings written and read by our family and close friends, and the sand ceremony.

KG: Did you go on a honeymoon?

J/D: Darren had several family members who traveled from Australia to be with us, so instead of a traditional honeymoon we took two weeks and traveled all around the west coast while Darren’s brother, sister-in-law, and parents were here. We hiked Yosemite, tasted wine in Napa, explored San Francisco and Monterey, drove the Pacific Coast Highway, and ended with a trip to Disneyland, including lunch at Club 33. We plan to take more traditional solo honeymoon in Thailand or elsewhere in Asia the next time we venture down under to visit family in Australia.

KG: What advice do you have for couples planning their wedding?

J/D: A bit of advice is to chose really good vendors, clearly convey the key elements about what you want, and let them do the rest! We chose really great vendors that all knew each other, worked well together and knew the venue. Prior to our big day we conveyed the most important elements to the vendors, allowing them the freedom to do what they do best and allowing us to focus fully on enjoying every aspect of our wedding.

Jennifer and Darren, CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing your wedding day with us!

Jennifer and Darren’s Real Arizona Wedding Team:

Ceremony Site: L’Auberge de Sedona, Spirit Song

Reception Site: L’Auberge de Sedona, Creek House

Photographer: Sedona Bride Photographers

Bridal Gown Store: Suzanne’s Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaids Dresses: Macy’s

Tuxedos: Jos A. Bank

Florist: Events by Showstoppers

Invitations: Minted

Cake: Sedona Cake Couture

Ceremony Music and DJ: Sedona Sounds

Jeweler: Diamond House

Make-up Artist and Hair Stylist: La Petit Spa, Patricia Vega

Officiant: Patricia Ballentine, family friend

Hotel Accomodations: L’Auberge de Sedona

Rehearsal Dinner Site: L’Auberge de Sedona, Creek House

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

Tiffany’s enthusiasm is unmistakable- I love how photographer Stuart Thurlkill of Eyes2See Photography captured the emotions of the day.  And Tiffany and Miles’ maltipoo, Fiona, is too cute!

The Phoenician Resort recently renovated their Grand Ballroom and it’s spectacular

The sunny tangerine and turquoise color scheme was carried throughout the wedding from the bridal party attire to the reception decor

The reception certainly was a PARTY!

KG: Now that you have had a chance to settle in, what is your favorite thing about being married?

T&M: Building a life together and sharing in all of the little things.

KG: I see you went to Thailand for your honeymoon- can you tell me a little bit about it?

T&M: We made a list of our top 5 places that we wanted to go. Thailand was at the top of our lists and we really wanted to have a bit of an adventure. We spend two weeks there in Bangkok, Chaing Mai, and Ko Samui. Highlights of the trip were enjoying the Songkran Festival in Bangkok, riding elephants in Chaing Mai and relaxing on the beach in Ko Samui.

KG: What advice would you give brides-to- be?

T&M: Get a planner! We hired the amazing Patty Packard from I Do I Do who took care of a lot of the logistics epically day of. Make sure that you start early as well, try to not leave things to the last second. Channel your stress into a hobby. I trained for a Half-Marathon in New York that I ran a few weeks before my wedding, helped keep me calm! Day of your wedding take a moment for yourself during the reception, sit down with a piece of cake, watch your guests dancing and realize how amazing your day was!

KG: Did anything about your wedding day surprise you?

T&M: Our wedding was supposed to be outside. The weather report was looking a bit rough and on Thursday we decided to move it indoors. Day of the wedding it was cold and grey, in April, but moving the ceremony inside ended up being more beautiful than I could have imagined!

Thank you Tiffany and Miles for sharing you day with us and CONGRATULATIONS on your new life together!

Tiffany and Miles’ Real Arizona Wedding Team:

Wedding Coordinator: I Do I Do Wedding Specialists

Ceremony and Reception Site: The Phoenician Resort

Photographer: Eyes2See Photography

Bridal Gown Store: Gabriella New York

Bridesmaids Dresses: Jenny Yoo

Tuxedos: Mr Formal

Florist: Angelic Grove

Invitations: Celebrations In Paper

Cake: The Phoenician Resort

Band: Groove Merchants

Make-up Artist: Agnessa Spa, Jennifer Bugel

Hair Stylist: Colleen McDowell

Officiant: Heath Packard

Rehearsal Dinner Site: El Chorro

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

You are just going to love the quiet elegance and modern styling of this Arizona Biltmore Wedding

I love Samantha’s bouquet for it’s simplicity but also for it’s femininity

And the bridesmaids bouquets are so gorgeous too- the shades of pink and coral with greenish-gray flora balance nicely with the gray dresses

You would never know it, but the weather put a damper on Samantha’s outdoor wedding plans and what you see here is “plan B”!

Originally, I had envisioned a romantic outdoor “garden party” theme for the reception, complete with a tent structure and al fresco lighting to set the mood. To our great fortune, the Arizona Biltmore had perfect outdoor spaces and was able to accommodate both our outdoor ceremony and reception requests. Usually, April weather in Arizona is pretty reliable, with warm temperatures and sunny skies. The weather gods had a different plan for us, however, as it decided to pour the day of our wedding and was freezing cold (ok, it was in the 40s, but that’s freezing for us Arizonans!)

We made the decision to move everything indoors the morning of the wedding and I was a little concerned that our Plan B back-up space would end up looking like a generic ballroom. However, through sheer determination and incredibly hard work, our design team, Avant-Garde Studio, and our event planner, Rhonda Rush, were able to “recreate” my garden party theme indoors. Avant-Garde even built the entire tent structure inside the ballroom and draped all of the walls. They made the ballroom incredibly unique looking and beautiful.

We moved the ceremony into the architecturally stunning Aztec Ballroom and it turned out better than we could have ever imagined.

Samantha and Christopher, thank you so much for sharing your day with us and CONGRATULATIONS!!

Samantha and Christopher’s Real Arizona Wedding Team:

Wedding Coordinator: Impact Events

Ceremony and Reception Site: Arizona Biltmore

Photographer: Elyse Hall

Bridal Gown Store: Monique Lhullier, Mon Amie

Florist: Avant Garde Studio

Invitations: Bella Figura

Cake: Arizona Biltmore

DJ: Power Now Entertainment

Band: The Hamptons Band

Ceremony Musicians: String Serenade

Make-up Artist: Barney’s, Maureen Cosovich

Hair Stylist: Spark Studio Salon, Mandy Samford

Officiant: Rev. Jody Krantz

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

I could have shared about 15 photos of the dogs with you. They are just luscious! Scott tells us about these adorable babies: Dillon aka Dilly is the all white bulldog and Rachel’s pride and joy. The two of them are inseparable and have an incredible bond. Payton is my brindle bulldog and is more special to me than I know how to convey over email. These girls are basically our children and we couldn’t imagine not having them as a part of our big day.

Consider your stationer a person to make friends with. Since both Rachel and Scott’s families traveled from out of state for their Arizona wedding, Stephanie at Celebrations in Paper created a custom invitation suite that included boarding passes, luggage tags as place cards, hand-drawn postcards from the towns they had visited when they were dating and corresponding table names. What a fun way to incorporate travel into your wedding!

The reception decor is simply exquisite. Somehow, Rachel and Scott (and of course their florist, Table Tops Etc.) were able to design an understated yet dramatic aesthetic. The colors are not super bright but by using tones of pink, purple and white, they managed to make the elegant arrangements anything but boring. In a large room like the Valencia Ballroom, you need to have statement centerpieces and I think these tall, airy and lush designs do the trick. Also, notice how the linens work to create a seamless palette for all those gorgeous flowers to shine. Can you tell I’m just a little bit in love with these tables?

This bridal party was super fun…their entertaining entrances crack me up

In response to my question, “What’s with the gloves?”, Scott graciously answered: “My side of the family is very musically talented and put together a slide show and choreographed a remix of Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson. Each family member had one sequined glove and sung a part of the song to both Rachel and I. It was more of a “welcome to our family” moment. We were both so overwhelmed and surprised. The gloves made their way around to the dance floor and made for great photos.”

Love these sweet custom forks

I had a little post-wedding chat with this lovely couple…

KG: What was your favorite part of the day?

R/S: There really wasn’t one favorite part for either of us- every second was very humbling and special. If I had to pick my favorite moment-it was the part of our ceremony in which our Officiant, Mark Culbertson, read “I love you because” phrases that Rachel and I wrote weeks before. Some were funny. others sentimental. Neither of us knew what each other wrote until they were read aloud.

KG: What are your plans for a honeymoon?

R/S: Rachel and I are taking our honeymoon in May of 2012. We will be taking a Mediterranean cruise for 10 days!

KG: What advice would you give couples planning their weddings?

R/S: It is completely normal to not have every detail worked out, and plans will change! Surround yourself with vendors that you feel comfortable with and that see your day as you do. We were so incredibly fortunate to have found the vendors that we did. From the venue, to our stationery, to the band, to the florist to our photographers- we truly walked away with a group of new friends that will always be a part of our lives. Each one of them made our day that much more amazing.

 KG: What are your favorite things about each other?

S: My favorite thing about Rachel is how sweet, honest and funny she is each day.

R: My favorite thing about Scott is his desire to achieve, grow and be something every day, he makes life so important and memorable.

Rachel and Scott, CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing your day with us!

Rachel and Scott’s Real Arizona Wedding Team:

Ceremony Site: Montelucia Resort and Spa, Valencia Lawn

Reception Site: Montelucia Resort and Spa, Valencia Ballroom

Photographer: Jason + Anna Photography

Bridal Gown Store: Vera Wang

Bridesmaids Dresses: Nordstrom

Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse

Florist: Table Tops, Etc.

Invitations: Celebrations in Paper, Stephanie

Cake: Julia Baker Confections

Band: Nate Williams Band

Ceremony Musicians: Got You Covered Music

Make-up Artist: Joya Spa at Montelucia, Glenda

Hair Stylist: Joya Spa at Montelucia, Demitria

Officiant: Mark Culbertson

Linens: BBJ Linen

Rehearsal Dinner Site: Patsy Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, Old Town Scottsdale

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

Lauren had 2 rings for the day: the square ring (her wedding ring) is from Jesse- it’s from the Frank Gehry collection at Tiffany’s. Jesse scored big points with Lauren for choosing this ring since she is an interior designer and Gehry is her favorite architect. Good job Jesse! The rectangular ring is one from her mother- when Lauren was a little girl, she loved it and apparently asked her mother for it. It only took her mom a few years to part with it! This special memento served as Lauren’s “something old and something blue”. Lucky girl!

The couple, who is creative to the core (Jesse is also artsy- he’s a video game designer), took matters into their own hands and designed the day to suit their style. Lauren handmade many of her wedding details including the boxes that contained the gifts for her bridesmaids, the boutonnieres, the flower girl basket, the invitations, and the centerpieces. Phew! Lauren was a busy bride-to-be!

Lauren tells us, “My favorite part of the day was finally seeing Jesse for the first time. We spent the night before apart and spent all morning and afternoon the next day preparing for the wedding so I definitely missed him. I was so excited to have him see me in my dress so when the time finally came I suddenly felt at ease. Emily created a “first look” moment for us before the ceremony and I’m so happy we went this route. I had to walk down the corridor of Inspirador with Jesse’s back to me, then I tapped him on the shoulder so he could turn around and see me. It was very romantic and personal.”

The reception tables are so sweet- the small pumpkins and simple centerpieces with rich fall colors are elegant and inviting

Lauren and Jesse chose to forgo the cake for donuts. Lauren tells us, “We really wanted our wedding to be unique, casual and most of all fun. I read about a wedding that did coffee and donuts and was instantly in love with the idea because not only was it way more affordable than a cake, but we both love coffee and donuts–who doesn’t?”

Lauren and I chatted a bit…

KG: Tell us about your honeymoon

L: The only place we registered for our wedding was Honeyfund, so we were able to enjoy our honeymoon and not have to worry about expenses! Our honeymoon was in San Francisco. I had only been to California two times before, one of which was a year before our wedding when he proposed to me on the Port of San Francisco. I fell in love with SF and it seemed like the perfect place to spend our honeymoon. We stayed in the same hotel as our time when he proposed to me, which is my absolute favorite! Hotel Des Arts is right by China Town and The Irish Bank-an Irish Pub which we love. Every room is designed/painted by a different artist, and with Jesse and I both being artists it’s the perfect choice. (Lauren loved using Honeyfund but advises that couples explain the process to their guests; some of her guests were confused about how to use it)

KG: What advice would you give couples planning their wedding?

L: The best advice I can give for the actual wedding day is to forget about all the little worries in the back of your mind and focus on enjoying your big day! I was positive there were little details I had forgotten, but I finally told myself — if I really did forget something, what the heck am I going to do about it now?! The day goes by so fast you really have to stop and soak in all the little moments as much as possible.

Planning the wedding can definitely be stressful, and in my case the expenses were the only stressful parts, so I honed in on my creative side and utilized it! I love being crafty and to me it gives more of a personal touch, not to mention it’s much less expensive in most cases.

KG: What is your favorite thing about each other?

L: My favorite thing about Jesse…It’s hard to pick just one thing…I love that he can ALWAYS make me laugh, but most of all I knew he was the one when I realized that being with him made me feel that I could be myself 100% of the time, and I was, and he loved me for it.

J: My favorite thing about Lauren is that not only does she laugh at all my jokes, but she is the sweetest, kindest, and most lovable person I know. That’s a couple things but for me it’s all part of the same beautiful package.

Congratulations Lauren and Jesse and thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us!

Lauren and Jesse’s Real Wedding Team:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Inspirador

Photographer: Emily Snitzer Photography

Florist: Avant Garde

Bridal Gown: Suzanne’s Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Tuxedos: Suzanne’s Bridal Boutique

DJ: Direct Sounds DJ’s, Jeff Jones

Officiant: Ed West, family member

Make-up Artist/Hair Stylist: Allison Houseman, family friend

Jessica’s eye for design is unmistakable- you can see that she successfully blended light blue, white, eggplant and fuchsia to create an elegant yet exciting feel. I love how the paper products, dresses, flowers and reception decor are not matchy-matchy but all come together in a uniquely beautiful way.

Jessica explains her color palette: The colors were a combination of the light blue and whites that remind me of a classic “Hamptons Wedding” – we began dating after running into each other in the Hamptons in New York and then got engaged on the beach in East Hampton a year later and had our engagement there so I wanted to incorporate that into the decor. On the other hand, I wanted to embrace the desert setting with the bright fuschia pinks and eggplant purple shades that we used throughout the floral design, invitation suite and the bridal bouquet and bridesmaids dresses. The sun setting over Camelback while the guests entered the reception space really brought out the vibrant colors and mirrored the shades of blue, pink and purple of the sunset.

Dave’s blue eyes are stunning

The Sanctuary Resort is chic, no matter where you are!

The gorgeous Jessica

The girl’s shoes add the perfect pop of color against the deeper shade of the dresses

You don’t get many churches that look like this in Arizona!

The table numbers are images of New York locations that are dear to Jessica and Dave (for example,  the Third and Long building picture is used for table number 3- very clever!). The reception decor blended warm and cool tones seamlessly….I’m just a little teensy bit in love!

During the cake cutting, Jessica’s cousin sang “At Last” by Etta James-  a special touch that Jessica really loved

Jessica tells us: The best part about our day was having a great party with all our friends. The Walkens were unbelievable! They remembered songs we requested when we saw them at a bar 9 months prior to the wedding, they knew my mom’s favorite song and played it twice for her, they were seriously outstanding! They made the party ~ I would have kept dancing for three more hours!

Jessica surprised Dave with an ice cream bar from SubZero Ice instead of a traditional groom’s cake. They offered a “Bride’s Choice” and a “Groom’s Favorite” combination for guests to try, sort of like the signature drink idea but sweeter! The guests could also build their own sundaes using several toppings and flavors and the dry ice added a bit of fun  

Jessica and I talked wedding recently and here’s what she has to say now that she’s officially a newlywed:

KG: Now that you have had some time to reflect on your wedding, what is your favorite memory from the day?

J: I think my favorite part was the cocktail hour and intro to the reception. After the ceremony and portraits were over it was so great so just enjoy everybody and relax and get the party started!

KG: What was the smartest planning decision you made?

J: Honestly, hiring great vendors! Between The Sanctuary, Rhonda, Melissa Jill… we never had any worries about things not running smoothly on our wedding day and since we don’t live in Phoenix (even though it is my hometown Dave and I are in New York) that was a HUGE plus!

KG: Did you go on a Honeymoon?

J: We went on a two week honeymoon to St. Lucia and Barbados immediately after the wedding weekend. We chose to go to a place we’d never been but that was relaxing and low key at the same time and not too far to travel. We were able to fly Jet Blue right there from Phoenix so that was great! We spent a lot of time reading and hanging out on the beach – a great way to recover from all the wedding chaos!

KG: Now that your day has come and gone, what advice would you offer brides-to-be?

J: First of all, stick to your vision (you don’t have to please everyone and they might not see the vision you have for that day… don’t let it dissuade you), don’t over think the decisions, and don’t sweat the small stuff… once the day arrives… there’s no use worrying about the little things… just enjoy it! Also, hire great vendors… especially the planner and don’t skimp on photography… you will regret it! Get a cheaper dress and spend money on great photos… you’ll have them forever! I also highly recommend videography… there are so many great options out there at all different price points. The day goes by so fast and it’s over before you know it… the video is a great way to relive all of the moments and especially the speeches from all the important family and friends. We added videography to our rehearsal dinner as well for all the great speeches that happen the night before.

KG: What has surprised you most about being married?

J: I don’t know if there have been any big surprises about being married… I think it’s just a big adjustment to reconcile 2 people’s daily habits from the laundry to cleaning to food and cooking… you can’t just leave your stuff around and get to it another day since someone else is living in the same space… those little things are always comical to navigate together!

Jessica and Dave, congratulations and thank you for sharing your day with us!

Jessica and David’s Real Wedding Team:

Wedding Coordinator: Impact Events, Rhonda Rush

Ceremony Site: Saint Mary’s Basilica

Reception Site: Sanctuary Resort and Spa on Camelback Mountain

Photographer: Melissa Jill Photography

Videographer: My Wedding Film

Bridal Gown Store: Destiny’s Bride

Bridesmaids Dresses: Twirl

Tuxedos: Tom James

Florist: Avant- Garde Studio

Invitations: Jessica for MJ Paperie

Caterer: Sanctuary Resort and Spa on Camelback Mountain

Cake: Julia Baker Confections

Ice Cream Bar: SubZero Ice

Band: The Walkens

Ceremony Musicians: Saint Mary’s Basilica, Gordon Stevenson

Cocktail Hour Musician: Miguel de Maria

Make-up Artist: Barney’s, Maureen Cosovich

Hair Stylist: Spark Studio Salon, Mandy Samford

Officiant: Father Michael Muhlen

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Linens: Wildflower Linens

Transportation: Lexani Limo

Once you see their wedding day pictures, I think you’ll agree they achieved a beautifully romantic look!

Could you just DIE at the sweet look on Brent’s face as he sees Susannah for the first time? Swoon!

This is one of my favorite recent bridal party photographs

The Aztec Room at the Arizona Biltmore features a dramatic gold leaf ceiling which worked perfectly with Susannah’s candlelit cream decor; the ceiling and lighting create the perfect glow.

The cake from Sedona Cake Couture is completely elegant and I LOVE it!

Susannah and I exchanged a few thoughts about her gorgeous day. Here’s our Q & A:

KG: What was the smartest planning decision you made?

SO: the best thing I did for the wedding was

a) investing in a wedding coordinator that was someone I liked doing business with. Karen listened to our vision for the day, helped to enhance our vision with her expertise, kept me very calm, and importantly respected our budget

b) I kept Brent, my husband,involved…not in every detail but with core decisions and ensured I asked what he thought/wanted. This made the wedding day really special and about us both

KG: Can you tell me about your honeymoon?

SO:  We honeymooned in the South Island of New Zealand and Fiji – it was great. I think it helped us enjoy the wedding even more that the next day we stepped on the plane and went away together. It also kept things in perspective that our getting married was more than just about only planning the wedding, we had something to look forward to after, and we could decompress together after a year of planning and excitement.

KG: What advice do you have for couples planning their weddings?

SO: Prioritize and focus on what is important to you. Do invest in planning before your wedding, spend time getting your ideal wedding day together BUT the day of don’t stress… you can’t change the weather and you can’t change anything that has not been done. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy; if the bride is happy and having a great time, her guests will too which makes for the best celebration of all!

Susannah and Brent, thank you so much for sharing your special day with us and congratulations on your new life together!

Susannah and Brent’s Real Wedding Team:

Wedding Coordinator: Karen Doan Events

Ceremony and Reception Site: Arizona Biltmore Resort

Photographer: Hollye Schumacher

Bridal Gown Store: Destiny’s Bride

Bridesmaids Dresses: J Crew

Tuxedos: Men’s Wearhouse

Florist: Angelic Grove

Videographer: Esthetics in Motion

Invitations: The Paper Place

Caterer: Arizona Biltmore Resort

Cake: Sedona Cake Couture

Ceremony Musicians: Apperson Strings

Trumpet Soloist: Arizona Brass, Kurt

Cocktail Hour Music: Gustavo (classical guitar)

Band: Shining Star Band

Make-up Artist: Deanna Rene

Hair Stylist: The Green Room at Salon Sachi, Meaghan Gingrich

Officiant: Arizona Ministers, Jay Whittaker

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Let’s take a look at this black and white Winter wedding

Love Natasha’s smile!

I have no idea how this pictured conspired but I really like it

The guys playing around pre-wedding

The colors, worn doors, chunky window sills contribute to  Boojum Tree’s signature look

Natasha and Josh tell us: The decor included lanterns, candles, twinkle lights around the venue and centerpieces of glittered candles and a vase of diamond shaped jewels with silver branches. Black and crystal candle lit chandliers hung above the reception tables draped in a crushed pewter linen. Meaningful words of our relationship made out of hand twisted metal guided the guests to their tables. For dessert we did a medley of gourmet cookies, mini cupcakes, brownies and good old american favorites such as oreos and girl scout thin mints featuring a milk fountain.

Tasha & Josh from Kendra @ Bella Mia Video on Vimeo.

You know how I like to get the post-wedding scoop from our couples so here’s our Q and A:

KG: What is your favorite memory from the day?

TW: My favorite part of the wedding was having such a great time with our friends and family. Our wedding was truly a celebration!

KG: What was the smartest planning decision you made?

TW: The smartest planning decision was to keep it simple and laid back. We did all the photos before the ceremony so we were able to enjoy cocktail hour with our guests and that was so much fun!

KG: Tell us about your Honeymoon

TW: We went to Kauai, Hawaii. We stayed at the Wyndham Bali Hai in Princeville. It was amazing. We selected that island because it was more laid back and less touristy. We went to the beach, on a zip line tour and skydiving. We want to go back!

KG: Now that your day has come and gone, what advice would you give brides-to-be?

TW: Don’t overload yourself, get things done early so you can enjoy being engaged and not be stressed closer to your special day. Don’t forget your wedding is a day for you and your love to celebrate your union and share it with your friends and family.

KG: What do you love best about being married?

TW: I am married to my best friend. Nothing has changed since we got married (which it shouldn’t). Its really cool to know that when you get home you have someone whom you laugh and have fun with.

Thank you Natasha and Josh for sharing your day with us and congratulations!

Natasha and Josh’s Real Wedding Team:

Wedding Coordinator: In Awe Weddings & Events

Ceremony and Reception Site: Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens

Photographer: O Grace Photography

Videographer: Bella Mia Video

Bridal Gown: Brides by Demetrios

Florist: Flowers by Jodi

Invitations: Flossy Stylish Designs

Caterer: A Savory Affair Cuisine and Catering

Officiant: From This Day Forward

Linens: Special Events Table Linens

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

Hello hot shoes!

The balconies at the Valley Ho make for some great photo ops

This is in the lobby where there are lots of bright colors and warm nooks

Many couples choose to get married “in the round” at the Valley Ho. The ceremony space lends itself well to this shape and couples like it for the intimate atmosphere you get from being surrounded by your loved ones

The bride’s bouquet, composed of anemones, had the right colors and vintage flair

To make their ceremony extra special, Krissy and Mike placed a bottle of wine and letters written by each of them and their parents in a wine box to be opened on their 5th Anniversary. They plan to open the box, enjoy the wine, read the letters and do it all again for the next 5 years. LOVE this!

The reception was on the rooftop of the hotel; it has spectacular city and mountain views

Inspiration can be found anywhere and Krissy and Mike prove this to be true- the vases were spotted by Krissy at Z Gallerie and nothing else would do. They dictated the color scheme and retro vibe for the entire day!

The couple wanted to keep things simple but this sweets table is anything but simple! Look at the fun candies, chic decor and tufted 3 tier cake

Krissy and Mike, thank you so very much for sharing your day with us and congratulations!

Krissy and Mike’s Real Arizona Wedding Team:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Hotel Valley Ho

Photographer: Sedona Bride

Videographer: Cine Verite Films

Bridal Gown Store: J Crew

Bridesmaids Dress: J Crew

Tuxedos: Mr Formal (dads and brother), Groom’s suit was his own

Florist: Table Tops Etc.

Invitations and Paper Products: Celebrations in Paper

Cake: La Dolce Pesca

Make-up Artist: Azure Schaffer, MAC

Hair Stylist: Hotel Valley Ho Spa

Officiant: Pastor Herb Isenberg, the Bride’s Father

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

Event Designer Kimberly McDowell of The Event Essentials tells us about the flowers: Each girl carried blush roses that were stemwrapped to match their dresses and pinned with a rhinestone brooch keepsake (which also matched the brooches on the cake). The moms wore white roses wrist corsages that were attached to a beautiful rhinestone keepsake bracelet. The bride carried a stunning bouquet adorned with a blue brooch (something blue).

Gina and Drew, mid-ceremony, surprised both of their parents with a vow renewal. What a special way to honor their parents’  marriages and add a very personal touch to a ceremony

The couple chose pink and ivory for their reception decor which glowed beautifully in the candle light. The fireplaces were framed with raspberry uplighting and a custom designed monogram framed the wall behind the vintage lace sweetheart table.

The couple had their guests use these custom sparklers for their send-off

Gina’s aunt made the biscotti favors, yum!

KG: What is your favorite memory from the day?

GK: I can only pick one?! I loved everything about our wedding but I think the reaction our parents had to their vow renewal was amazing. It was a complete surprise to them and it meant so much to both Drew’s parents and mine.

KG: What was the smartest planning decision you made?

GK: Hiring Kim McDowell of The Event Essentials! She was phenomenal and when people compliment the beauty and elegance of our wedding I always credit her. Our day would not have been as beautiful or stress free without her

KG: Did you go on a Honeymoon?

GK: Drew planned the entire trip to St. Lucia for 10 nights and we stayed at Ladera . This place should be on everyone’s bucket list! It’s like a five star resort tree house style with only 3 walls in every room and a private pool looking out at rainforest and ocean views. The resort is situated 1,000 feet above sea level. As the sunset, we sat in our pool swing and saw more stars in one night than we had seen in our entire lives and fell asleep to the sounds of the breeze and the rainforest. So amazing!

KG: Now that your day has come and gone, what advice would you offer brides-to-be?

GK: Take your time and tackle one thing at a time. Planning your wedding should be an enjoyable part of the experience as well

KG: Tell us what you love best about being married!

GK: What’s not to love? I get to spend everyday with my best friend and everyday is better than the last. I know it sounds like the things fairy tales are made of but I love and appreciate every moment we get to be in each others lives.

Congratulations Gina and Drew and thank you so much for sharing your beautiful day with us!

Gina and Drew’s Real Wedding Team:

Invitations and Event Design: The Event Essentials

Ceremony and Reception Site: Sassi

Photographer: Justine Miller Photography

Videographer: Legacy HDV

Florist: Your Event Florist

Cake: Let Them Eat Cake

Band: Easton Ashe

Ceremony Musicians: Sweetwater Strings

Officiant: Father Jim Husek

Rentals: Premier Events