Linsey and Eric’s wedding at Tubac Golf Resort and Spa was a blend of Southern Arizona beauty and Midwest touches- the desert surroundings accompanied by a rehearsal dinner monsoon were complimented by Tubac’s lush green landscape and laid back vibe.

Linsey and Eric chose bright colors- orange, green and periwinkle- for their decor, attire and invitations. The colors elicit a warm Arizona feel while the wedding favors, brought in from the groom’s favorite chocolatier in Madison, represented the groom’s midwest roots and the couple’s current residence (in Missouri).

We absolutely love that the couple arranged for the groom’s aunts from Wisconsin to lead the entire congregation in singing James Taylors’ “How Sweet it is to be Loved by You”. The lyrics were printed in the wedding programs so everyone could participate- how cute is that?

A cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres took place following the ceremony featuring sangria punch, margaritas, and a local beer from Nimbus brewing. During the cocktail hour, guests posed with a variety of wood picture frames with the golf course in the background to create photos for the guestbook

Linsey and Eric chose cupcakes a’la mode in lieu of a wedding cake

Here’s the Wedding Trailer from Beyond Video:

Linsey & Eric’s Wedding Trailer~Tubac Golf Resort & Spa from Beyond Video on Vimeo.

Did you go on a honeymoon? Eric and I did go on a honeymoon. Because we are both on an academic schedule, we postponed our honeymoon a few months and spent 2 weeks in Chile in December/January. We were able to visit Santiago, a city in the Lakes District of Chile (Pucon) and a very small beach/surfing village (Buchupureo). It was a wonderful trip and we enjoying a fly fishing excursion (one of Eric’s dreams about a honeymoon in Chile), surfing lessons, and several walks on the beach and hikes exploring beautiful deserted coastline nature areas.

What was your favorite moment from the day? I asked Eric this question and we both can’t quite pick a “favorite” moment or detail from the wedding day. Looking back some of the things that stick out for great memories were being able to have a few quiet moments with all of our close family members and the wedding party enjoying some Eegees and other snacks between the afternoon pre-wedding photos and the start of the ceremony, walking out of the chapel and having a brief moment together with the bell ringing, enjoying the amazing sunset lighting and views as we walked around/rode on the golf cart on the golf course taking some more photos during the cocktail hour, and dancing with all of our friends and family at the reception.

What advice would you give brides planning a wedding from afar? It really wasn’t that bad! Having supportive family/friends who are local was a huge help, along with choosing very well-established and organized vendors. Melissa at Tubac Golf Resort and Spa was a very big help in coordinating everything and helping us remember things we needed to decide or arrange. And then I think our approach of having a few key details we really cared most about but being somewhat flexible/adaptable on a lot of other details helped reduce the stress and simplify decision-making from afar (and to delegate tasks!). We were also fortunate that in the ~3-4 months that we were planning the wedding Linsey was able to take 2 trips to Tucson/Tubac to visit the wedding site, meet with vendors, find a dress… and Eric and his parents were able to join Linsey on one of those trips as well. So, with a couple of concentrated “in-person” long weekend trips, plus a lot of internet research and helpful family, friends and vendors, we were able to plan it successfully (it’s been almost a year since the most hectic planning so maybe I am forgetting, but it really didn’t feel that hard – I think the amount of help we got from friends/family and choosing good vendors is the main “tip”!).

Congratulations Linsey and Eric and thank you for sharing your day with us!

Linsey and Eric’s Real Tucson Wedding Team:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Tubac Golf Resort and Spa

Photographer: Julie Livermore Photography with Michelle Rooney

Videographer: Beyond Video

Bridal Gown Store: Maya Palace

Florist: Linda St. Louis

Entertainment: Harmony Entertainment

Ceremony Musicians: Jim Flores

Make-up Artist and Hair Stylist: Suzanne Becker

Officiant: David Wilkinson

Rehearsal Dinner Site: The Italian Peasant

Michelle and Will’s destination wedding plans landed them in Tucson where they celebrated their day with friends and family who traveled from all over the world. The Tucson Country Club mesquite tree grove set the scene beautifully and the bright color scheme of pinks and oranges popped perfectly against the green surroundings.

While dating, Michelle and Will traveled extensively so they knew luggage tags would be fitting escort cards. Guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the patio then went to the lawn for an intimate dinner under the glowing mesquite trees. The twinkle lights, flowers hanging from the trees and the chandelier over the sweetheart table all set the mood.

After dinner, the party moved to the ballroom that was set up as a hip lounge, complete with a private sitting area for the couple. Guests also had some fun with a live photobooth.

KG: What is your favorite memory from the day?

M/W: There are so many amazing memories because I truly had the wedding of my dreams. Everyone kept telling me to “remember as much as you can…you won’t remember a thing…it all goes by so fast”. So, throughout the night, I would take a deep breath and just remember that small moment and take something in…one moment was putting on my wedding shoes to seeing two of my girlfriends dancing up a storm on the white dance floor to seeing my parents’ look on their face during the wedding speeches. However, one of my top favorite moments was right after our first kiss, turning around, seeing all of my guests and being announced as “Mr. and Mrs.”.

Michelle and Will’s Real Tucson Wedding Team: