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

Why am I bringing this up on a wedding blog? Well, because as the wedding nears, we know that brides, groom, and all their people want to look their best and the Juvederm Tear Trough Fill is one treatment that makes a dramatic difference rather quickly. This is not just for people beyond 40. No no, as you can see, this is something even the young can benefit from:

Corinna explains as only she can (she’s from New Zealand so imagine her saying this with her rockin’ accent): When it comes to the under eye area, women typically pile on lighter shades of concealer, trying to lift out the shadows and make the area look brighter and more alive. When the volume disappears under the eyes, the skin starts to sag a little, so now you have a whole lot of makeup on saggy skin, which not only is never a winning combination, but also makes you look even older.

Vicious circle, non?

A Juvederm Tear Trough Fill is a very quick and comparatively inexpensive procedure which lasts anywhere from a year to 2 years. The procedures that I have watched have used less than one syringe of Juvederm for both eyes combined. Dr Blume is nationally reknowned for his subtle lip enhancements, so with my clients he puts the remaining Juvederm into the lips, imperceptibly enhancing and redefining the lip border, ever so slightly fleshing out the pout.

Before (possibly a MOB?):

After:

Here’s the kicker: the Blume Skin Centre is giving Phoenix Bride & Groom blog readers a free month of Latisse ($120 value) when they have an injectible service and say they read about it in the Phoenix Bride and Groom blog.

This is a seriously amazing deal that you don’t want to pass up do you? Well, OK, pass it up if you want sunken tear troughs and stubby lashes…but we aware, now that you know, you cannot claim ignorance. Ha ha!

Happy Planning (and beautifying) from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

We simply cannot get enough of the sumptuous wine country setting at Alcantara. The newly constructed Vineyard Chapel, with a gorgeous bell tower and blooming roses, sets the stage for an Arizona wine country wedding like no other.

Vineyard Chapel, complete with sanded plank seating and charming archways, is an ideal place to exchange vows.

A rustic farmhouse, which doubles as a tasting room for the vineyard’s outstanding wines, sits just beyond the vines. Day or night, this setting is absolutely breathtaking.

Set at the confluence of Oak Creek and the Verde River, Alcantara is quickly becoming established as the destination winery in the state. We can’t think of a more romantic way to celebrate your new life together than in a natural setting, complete with picturesque rows of vines, Tuscan-style architecture and local wine in your glass.

Visit Alcantara for a personal tour, and make plans to stop by to sample the wines and the ambiance at the Pecan, Wine and Antique Festival on February 17-19.

 Special thank yous to the following vendors for their amazing work on this shoot:

Creative Director and Event Design: Sedona Luxury Weddings & Events

Photographer: Sedona Bride

Location: Alcantara Vineyards & Winery

Floral and Decor: Events by Show Stoppers

Stationery Design: Alisha Muhl

Catering: Perfection Catering

Helicopter Transportation: Red Rock Helicopters

Officiant & Shoot Setup: Reverend Shanandoah Sterling, Sterling Weddings

Cake: Sedona Cake Couture

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Invitation & Menu: Studio Grace

Makeup Artist: Liz Margin

Hair Stylist: Lindsey Hausch

Bridal Gown: Destiny’s Bride

Groom’s Attire: Saverio Clothiers

Favors: Verde Valley Olive Oil Traders

Models: Stephanie Larson and Karl Samter

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Stephanie

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

So what are you going to do with this information? You are going to listen to the wedding coordinators who know best. I asked Arizona’s top wedding coordinators what they would pair this lively color with and here’s what they said:

Jennifer Thye of Imoni Events: I would probably pair it with a peach or something soft yet orangey like that. Since Tangerine is such a bold color, you don’t want too many bold colors competing for attention. Or I would get all Cuban on ya and do a bunch of bold colors paired with rusts and browns.

(Photo from: Project Wedding.com)

(Photo from: BHG.com)

Victoria Canada of Victoria Canada Weddings and Events: Pinks would look great….. Greens- go vibrant. For the daring- I would go with a bold black and white pattern with it- NO, not for the faint of heart but it’s like wearing an all black suit and then popping with some red shoes. Could be fab!

(Photo by: Austin Gros Photography)

(Photo from: Ashley’s Wedding Guide.com)

Amy Mancuso of Amy Mancuso Events: So many choices. Probably a Tiffany Blue with Gold accents, or a really Hot Pink!

(From ZenadiaDesigns.com)

(Photo from: WeddingsontheFrenchRiviera.com)

Margaret Van Damme of VanDamme Weddings: Love this color and love it with slate and turquoise!

(Photo by: (l) Elizabeth Messina, (r) f8 Photo Studios)

Monica McQueen of Tres Chic Events: My immediate thoughts are pale yellow and blush. Feels summery. OR turquoise for a fall feel.Would love it!

(Photo from: WeddingWire.com)

(Photo by: Emily Snitzer Photography)

 Heather Crabtree of Outstanding Occasions would pair it with Pewter, like this:

(From Snippet and Ink via Modern Romance)

Of course I have my own favorite color combos for Tangerine- I love it with purple…yes, purple! Here’s how to do it without making it look Halloween-y.

(Photo from: TheWeddingGuy.com)

(Photo from: ElementsofStyleblog.com)

And for a less bold more elegant look, olive green is a great choice

(Photo from: ElementsofStyleblog.com)

OK, now that you know what we like with Tangerine Tango, what would you pair it with?

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

I’m going to break this down in the simplest way- bridal fairs come in various forms from small and intimate to large and comprehensive. You can actually meet, chat with and hire vendors for your wedding all in one location. Will you find everyone you need for your wedding? Probably not but you will get to introduce yourself to several vendors you may not have intended to meet with and you will find that you like them. In other words, keep an open mind and talk to many vendors.

One bridal fair to check out is the upcoming Sedona Bridal Fair hosted by the Sedona Wedding Professionals Association

The fair offers professional wedding vendors all in one location including wedding planners, officiates, photographers, cake designers, caterers, wedding venues, musicians and disc jockeys, hair and make up artists, transportation companies, and much more. You can register here!

Bridal Fair Need to Know’s:

- Wear something comfortable (walking shoes, comfy pants) and be well- rested. This is fun but it’s also tiring.

- Bring a friend, mom, aunt, fiance, etc. for support but don’t be disappointed if you carry on long after they tire out. P.S. Chocolate on the spot or the promise of dinner out is a great motivator!

- Bring a tote bag to carry your goodies with straps long enough to put on your shoulder. Even better, bring a backpack. You will probably get a bag at the show but it will be cumbersome and possibly not sturdy enough.

- Keep an open mind and talk to as many vendors as you can; don’t hire at the show if you’re not ready, but feel free to hire a vendor at the show if you are (after carefully reading the contract of course)!

- Bring pre-printed address labels that include your name, email, phone #, email address and wedding date. You’ll look like a rookie if you show up without them!

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog,

Kelly

You’re familiar with the typical options: storyboards, canvases, albums, and framed prints but when I came across the specialty metal prints from Black River Imaging, I was intrigued and knew I had to add metal prints to your list of options.

See, Black River Imaging actually fuses your image into the metal . The results are a single print large enough for wall mounting or even small enough to use as an ornament. They also come in many shapes so you are not limited to just square or round. Check these out:

As an engaged couple or newlywed, you will likely have many photos to work with so have a plan and follow through. You will be so happy that you actually did something with your photos!

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

The 2012 Sedona Wedding Bootcamp, on February 18th,  promises to be even bigger and better. Since it was so fabulous last year, I’m not sure how they will pull this off but if anyone can do it, it’s the Sedona Wedding Studio crew.

Here’s a blurb from their website about what to expect: Brides will quickly discover that this is no ordinary wedding show. No typical booths here. Brides will stroll among gorgeously designed table settings, get creative ideas, sample great cuisine, taste sensational cakes, meet Sedona’s top experts, attend informative mini-seminars, take venue tours, win valuable prizes, and enjoy numerous displays and demonstrations… all in one fabulous day.

Oh, and they are featuring an “Inspiration Pavilion”. AND they are taking attendees by shuttle to visit wedding locations in Sedona. AND there will be samples of food and sweets galore. AND there are giveaways to boot! Can you tell I’m excited? I seriously want to go incognito as a bride.

Don’t miss this opportunity to canoodle with Sedona’s talented wedding vendors. To register, click here.

Want to earn a free ticket? Well…all right! We’ve partnered with the Sedona Wedding Bootcamp to offer free tickets to 3 people who leave a comment on this blog post telling us which Sedona Wedding Bootcamp sponsor you can’t wait to chat with. Three comments will be chosen randomly on February 3rd- you will receive an email notifying you that your comment was randomly chosen along with instructions telling you how to claim your free ticket.

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly

The Grand Prize winner will enjoy a comprehensive wedding ceremony and reception package from Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak and Phoenix Bride & Groom Magazine, complete with food and beverage, photography by Sierra Blanco Photography, flowers and décor by Simply Elegant Event & Wedding Design, videography by Princess Bride, entertainment by Ray the DJ, wedding invitations from The Event Essentials, and wedding cake from Honey Moon Sweets, and the groom’s tuxedo from Mr. Formal and much more valued at $13,205.

The First Place winner will receive a sit-down, three-course plated rehearsal dinner for you and up to 40 guests in the Arizona Room – a private dining space in Rico’s American Grill or in Rico’s Backyard Patio.

The Second Place winner will enjoy an unforgettable one-night stay in a Grand Suite at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort and dinner for two at Rico’s with a bottle of champagne.

Visit the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort website for entry details and official rules but what you really want to know is that what you have to do to enter, right? It’s as simple as submitting a video of no longer than three minutes telling Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak the story of your engagement or how you met and why you would be an exceptional candidate to receive the grand prize. You can do this!

Oh, one more detail that you will want to make note of- the deadline to submit your video is March 23, 2012 so get those ideas flowing! Good Luck!

Happy Planning from your Arizona Wedding Blog!

Kelly