a sedona escape
We continually hear how
love can bloom at a wedding,
and we know those feelings
are not limited to the bride and
groom. Mary Lenas and Jim Allred
were introduced when their best friends married each other,
and it was the start of something special for the pair.
“During her reception, my friend dragged me across the
dance floor and plopped me into an empty seat next to Jim.
We hit it off right from the start—hearing his gravelly North
Carolina drawl didn’t hurt,” laughs Mary.
Living several states apart couldn’t deter their romance,
and before long, the East Coast couple was planning a wedding
of their own.
“We chose Sedona after debating between Sedona and
Asheville, NC,” remembers Mary. The photographer’s web
site was the ultimate deciding factor. “Their artistic photos
were so breathtaking and so captured the palpable joy of
special moments.”
While in Sedona, the couple’s 45 guests enjoyed a guided
Jeep tour, picnicked at the Merry-Go-Round lookout point,
and dined at the Barking Frog Grille for a rehearsal dinner
that featured strolling Mariachis.
L’Auberge de Sedona’s Hillside Lawn was the site of
the intimate wedding, where the couple shared vows they
wrote themselves after walking up a Southwest-style carpet
fashioned of fresh rose petals. As Mary and Jim stood arm in
arm before their guests, they poignantly shared the promise:
to love you as I live.
Guests at the reception enjoyed dinner and dancing in
the Monet Ballroom, which was decorated with a “Midsummer
Night’s Dream” theme with an Arizona twist. “As a nod
to the Southwestern location, barrel cacti were used within
the centerpieces,” says Mary, “creating an unexpected yet
elegant look.”
The evening included a photo booth which entertained
guests and enhanced the couple’s wedding memories of
their weekend in the sun.
Location:
L’Auberge de Sedona
Photographer:
Sedona Bride
Videographer:
Taltos Productions
Wedding Coordinator:
Sedona Luxury Weddings
Flowers:
Events by Showstoppers
Entertainment:
Sedona Sounds
Make-Up:
Patricia Vega
Officiant:
Anthony Flesch
Cake:
Sedona Cake Couture |
