Tucson Bride & Groom Blog filled with Inspiring Wedding Ceremony & Reception Ideas, Real Tucson Weddings, and Tucson Wedding Industry News

Real Wedding: Katie and Brandon

azkelly — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:45:08 +0000

Katie and Brandon were married at Tucson’s Westward Look Resort in the Spring so the pink and aqua color scheme was fitting. Let’s see their happy day:

I love this picture- arches make good photos!

Katie’s sister-in-law did the floral for the wedding and I have to say, she did a great job!

The pink and aqua were carried throughout the day, even with the fun sweets

The live photobooth, filled with fun props, was a hit

KG: What is your favorite memory from the day?

K/B: My favorite memory of the wedding had to be our first meeting. Our photographers took us to the chef’s garden and I was able to see Brandon for the first time. I was able to be emotional/cry and just be the two of us. It was an amazing and peaceful experience after all of the stress of planning the wedding. Our focus could be on each other before heading down the aisle and we could then focus on our guests at the reception.

KG: What was the smartest planning decision you made and what advice would you offer brides-to-be?

K/B: My biggest piece of advice is to take all of your friend’s and family’s offers to help. Even if it the most trivial task they are so willing to help and feel like a part of the wedding. It also removes the stress from an already stressful time

KG: Did you go on a Honeymoon?

K/B: We went to Disneyland and California Adventure. We stayed at Paradise Pier. We were able to be silly and young at heart in the Happiest Place on Earth. (it was also budget friendly in this economic crisis)

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

K/B: The best part of being married for is the fact that I have my best friend and partner in crime around all the time.

Katie and Brandon, CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing your day with us!

Katie and Brandon’s Tucson Wedding Team:

Ceremony and Reception Site: Westward Look Resort

Photographer: Something Blue Photography

Bridal Gown Store: I Do I Do Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo

Suits: Jos A. Bank

Florist: Erin Montez, family member

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

Cake: Ambrosia of Tucson

Band: Cactus Road Band

Ceremony Musicians: Christine Vivona

Linens: CV Linens

Make-up Artist: MAC Cosmetics

Hair Stylist: Ric Erickson

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Cool Find: Black River Imaging

azkelly — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:00:28 +0000

Yes, I have my wedding photos perfectly displayed…in a nice dark box in my closet. See, I have the pictures, I just didn’t know what to do with them so sadly, they have been neglected.

I’m here today to help you avoid making the same mistake as me- Black River Imaging has a modern and creative way to display your photos and share them with your friends and family. Black River Imaging actually fuses your image into metal. The result is 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 them out:

If you just got engaged and are planning your engagement session, wedding, or need thank you cards, consider this creative way to display and share your photos- no excuses!

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

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Real Wedding: Lucy and Casey

azkelly — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:40:10 +0000

Simply put, Lucy and Casey got it right. They remained true to themselves and created a wedding day that was a reflection of their personality. As you read on, you will see that they have a deep love for each other and treasure each other every day. I love this stuff!

I am totally loving the paper flower bouquets from Desicra, an Etsy shop that specializes is paper flowers

Lodge on the Desert offers indoor and outdoor space that is Tucson through and through. It’s a boutique hotel so you get personal service and an intimate atmosphere where there are mountain views coupled with close proximity to the city.

Lucy and Casey opted for cookies and cupcakes for their wedding sweets- love this personal touch!

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

L/C: We lived together before we got married so that greatly affects our response. For me (Casey), I especially relish the historical perspective that Lucy has now joined my family. When I think of telling stories to our grandchildren 30-40 years from now, when I think how future generations will remember us and pass down our little slice of history, I really do love that Lucy is my better half, not just for the rest of my life, but for history. For me (Lucy), the symbols of marriage are the best parts. Everything from changing my last name, to being part of his family, and of course catching glimpses of my wedding ring, all remind me that I have a partner in life who adores me.

KG: Tell us about your Honeymoon

L/C: We actually just returned from our honeymoon to St. Lucia. A wonderful vacation that was much needed after a very stressful semester working on my Ph.D. We chose St. Lucia because it had the beaches and snorkeling, but also the impressive natural scenery that made it unlike any other place. Living in a cold climate (Pennsylvania), a vacation to the beach in December is always perfect. The one piece of advice we would recommend is to consider delaying your honeymoon until a few months after the wedding. We found that this allowed us to have something to look forward to and created two wonderful and different moments of our first year of marriage.

KG: What advice do you have for brides-to- be?

L/C: First, at some point during the reception, find your new husband and get away to a corner for five minutes, just the two of you. Take it all in, watch your friends and family celebrate, capture the moment. It truly goes by so quickly that you want to be able to have that little respite alone with your husband. Second, and this is very difficult to actually follow, but keep in mind that all the planning and details etc. are attempting to make reality what is in your head. Nothing is perfect and your wedding/reception probably won’t be either. But that does not mean it won’t be fabulous. If something isn’t just right, only you will know, the guests will think that is the way things should be. You are not being judged, you are being celebrated so don’t sweat the small stuff. Cliche, but true.

KG: Did anything about your wedding day surprise you?

L/C: What surprised us is how fast things seemed to go. We spent almost a year planning our wedding, flying to Tucson to find the ideal setting, menu tasting, dress fitting, everything…and in the span of one day, it was over. It was perfect, it will be one of the happiest moments of our lives, but it was very, very sad when everybody started to fly home and we were left thinking the celebration is over. Sad, but sweet.

KG: What was your favorite thing about the day?

L/C: My favorite thing (Casey) was seeing Lucy. She is beautiful, even when she is sick and coughing in bed, but that first glimpse of her in her dress, her hair made up, her smile and the way her eyes lit up…that will stay with me the rest of my life. Every guy should be so lucky.

Final words of wisdom from the Bride and Groom: create a wedding that fits you, don’t create an elaborate show simply because it is what you think people expect. Friends and family know your personality, make your wedding fit your personality. Have fun, make it a celebration.

I think Lucy and Casey are off to a great start! Congratulations on your beautiful life together and thank you for sharing your wedding day with us!

Lucy and Casey’s Real Tucson Wedding Team:

Wedding Coordinator: Arizona Event Management

Ceremony and Reception Site: Lodge on the Desert

Photographer: Willo Art

Bridal Gown Store: BCBG Max Azria

Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew

Tuxedos: J. Crew

Florist: Desicra, on Etsy (paper flowers)

Invitations: Love at First Invite

DJ: Snaptive

Ceremony Musicians: Jennifer SPAGS Spingola

Hair Stylist: Gadabout Salon Spas

Officiant: Rev. Stuart Taylor

Rentals and Linens: Arizona Party Rental

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Real Wedding: Jannina and Miguel

azkelly — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:35:03 +0000

I love love in it’s simplest form and sometimes you don’t need a lot of fancy-schmancy for it to show. Jannina and Miguel are one of those couples; Jannina glows and Miguel dazzles…it’s serendipity. Just look at these two!

This was one of the first gowns from Gigi Bridal Boutique and it fit Jannina beautifully!

They’re pretty glam

Jannina explains how her mother-in-law made her reception gorgeous: Yamile is Miguel’s mother. She’s a wizard with flowers, decorations and party planning. We didn’t think twice about letting her take the reigns on the decorating front. I didn’t have any themes set in stone as to what I would like at the reception. I simply showed her pics of table settings and centerpeices that I thought were pretty and let her work her magic. The end result was beautiful! She stuck with the white and green theme and every centerpeice was different. She varied from high and low centerpieces and in my opinion kept the reception looking crisp, clean and perfect for a summer wedding.

One thing that so many couples grapple with is what to do for favors but Jannina and Miguel knew exactly what they wanted to do- they made a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in honor of Jannina’s mother who is suffering from the disease. The bride also added each guest’s name to the foundation’s contact list in the hopes that if one of them needs the resource someday, they will know where to go for help. This thoughtful touch is money well spent and your guests will appreciate it more than any box of jordan almonds.

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

J/M: We both agree that the most amazing thing about being married is that we’ve begun living the rest of our lives with our best friend. Every morning is the start of a new adventure with the person we love the most. Every night is peaceful rest in the arms of the person who loves us the most. It’s the greatest feeling. Knowing that our love and respect is mutual and reciprocated is motivation to keep striving to be a better version of ourselves.

Building our home is our big project. Slowly but surely, we’re making it our own and coming home everyday to something we’ve created for each other and ourselves is a dream come true.

KG: Tell us about your honeymoon

J/M: Initially, when we were deciding where to go for our honeymoon; we both agreed that we wanted to go to a beach (didn’t matter where). We wanted to go somewhere we could have options to go out for a night on the town or stay in for a romantic dinner. We chose Laguna Beach after Miguel’s Great-Aunt was kind enough to offer her beach house for us to stay in. We spent our time lazying around the pool, eating, and napping… a lot! We took the Ferry to Catalina Island and spent a few days there. We kayaked, hiked, and even zip-lined! It was a nice change from the laziness in Laguna. It was the best of both worlds and a week that we both didn’t want to end.

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

J/M: My advice for brides to be is to create a timeline. Every week have a project for the wedding that you have to accomplish. This way you’re not stressing out at the last minute to do everything that you forgot. Don’t sweat the small stuff… if something goes wrong at the wedding… laugh it off and enjoy your day. More often than not, you’re the only one who noticed. Lastly, have good music! Our DJ was awesome! He kept people on the dance floor all night! He did a great job of reading the crowd and playing music to their liking and was nice enough to honor a few “request” songs. DJ selection is a big portion of having a successful wedding.

Jannina and Miguel, CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing your day with us!

Jannina and Miguel’s Real Wedding Team:

Ceremony Site: Santa Cruz Parish

Reception Site: La Mariposa Resort

Photographer: Butterfield Photography, Maria

Bridal Gown Store: Gigi Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: A Tailor and Tuxedo

Tuxedos: Top Hat Formal Wear

Florist: Yamile Lopez

Invitations: Jannina Catalan

Cake: Irma Corona

Entertainment: Mariachi San Juan

DJ: Robert Escalante

Make-up Artist: Stephanie Hernandez

Hair Stylist: Aholibama Ayala

Officiant: Father Thomas Reeves

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

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Engagement: Heather and John

azkelly — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:02:44 +0000

So many engagements happen this time of year that even I have engagement fever! Why do I love the engagement session so much? Because it’s a truer, more natural reflection of you as a couple. Sure, you may go to a location you wouldn’t normally go to, but you choose your clothes, you choose the feel of the session, and you are simply more relaxed. The pressures of wedding day photos get to almost every bride and groom, no matter how comfortable they are in front of the camera, so think of the e-session as practice for the real deal.

Heather and John’s engagement session is really cool for a few reasons: they are naturally playful, they hit a few locales for their shoot and they incorporated elements that are unique to them. Enjoy!

I would say that this is one of my favorite photos from the session but I would be lying…I really love all the photos and can’t pick a fav!

I asked the couple about the books and here’s what they said: The books in the photos represent a running joke of our relationship. John is working on his doctoral dissertation and his books follow us everywhere. There are piles of them in every room of the house and scattered throughout the car. I feel like we have started a miniature library in our apartment.

GORGEOUS!!! The grounds of DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun are absolutely beautiful! It was a perfect location to capture the beautiful Tucson desert, mountain backdrop and general Old Pueblo atmosphere in our photos.

How did Heather and John meet? I will let them tell you all about it!

Heather’s Side of the Story: John and I met on the 4th of July on Mill Ave in Tempe (yes some people can still meet in bars!). I was visiting a friend in the “big city” for the holiday and she and I were having a gal pal bonding moment when he unexpectedly interrupted. His big pick up line of the evening was an unintentional drink order in my direction while next to me at the bar. Boys, if you want to pick up the ladies just yell “Can I get a Guinness?” mere inches from a gal’s face and you are in! After a brief moment of confusion, it wasn’t too long before we bonded over our love for the study of history, outdoor adventuring and world travel.

A first date was immediately planned for breakfast the next morning and things pretty much took off from there.

John’s Side of the Story: Heather got most of the details right, but I want to add that the drink order WAS intentional. The extra volume might have been a bit much, but I wanted to make sure that I got her attention as I had been looking for any opening to talk to her for awhile. In my defense, it was a very noisy bar. I was a bit nervous that Heather wouldn’t show up to breakfast, but she did and everything went splendidly from there.

We did long distance for the first two years of our relationship between Tucson and Phoenix and although it did have its difficulties, it was definitely worth it! I think I knew pretty quickly that he was the one because with only 3 months in, I had traded in my SUV for a more economical sedan. John cringes thinking about how many times during those few years that he had to take the Greyhound bus back and fourth at 5:30 in the morning before his class that day.

Heather and Amanda (of Amanda Rockafellow Photography) chose The Shelter while hanging out with friends there one day. Heather smartly realized that having a drink or two during the e-session would help loosen things up too. It also was a good fit for the session because, as Heather explains, “The retro and historical elements of the bar combined with John and my love for history made it a perfect location for the shoot. “

John is from Portland, Heather is from Tucson and while both adore their hometowns, the ultimate goal is to settle on the Pacific Northwest. I like how they pay homage to their history while looking to the future with these cute photos

If you can hang onto your photographer until the evening (bribing them with dinner and a refreshment probably helps), do it. You will get the pretty late afternoon light but can mix in some night life shots as well!

(All images courtesy of: Amanda Rockafellow Photography)

I had a few more questions for Heather and John:

KG: What is your favorite thing about each other?

H/J: I think we can both agree that our favorite thing about each other is just how much we motivate each other to try new things, explore new places and live our lives to the fullest. Without John’s encouragement, I would have never had the confidence to apply for my current position at the UA. Also, before I met him, I would have also never thought I would have been able to complete a graduate degree (July 2012!). (John adds:) Heather helped reawaken my love for the outdoors and helps to counter my overly cynical nature.

When we decided we wanted to save our money and go on a European adventure, we did. When we wanted to see if Disneyland was a magical as we remembered, we went. We are both willing to make sacrifices in other areas to make these adventure a reality and that was something that was crucial for me in finding a partner in life. His constant love and encouragement has truly inspired me to make the most of life.

KG: What drew you to your photographer?

H/J: I have known Amanda for years and have always respected her work. Our absolute favorite thing about her photography is just how perfectly she is able to naturally capture a special moment. John and I are not huge fans of the traditional “couple pose” and would rather just be ourselves. It was wonderful to have someone as fantastic as Amanda there to document it. Her pictures never look stuffy, and I attribute that to her ability to make her clients feel relaxed and comfortable during their shoot. She made the whole experience a blast and really took the pressure off of us to find the perfect pose.

Heather and John, thank you so very much for sharing this fun engagement session with us and congrats on the upcoming wedding!

Many thanks to photographer Amanda Rockafellow who shared her work with us!

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog,

Kelly

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2012 Color Inspiration

azkelly — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:30:32 +0000

When Pantone speaks, we listen. They are the kings of the color world for fashion, home decor, textiles…EVERYTHING! Their much anticipated Color of the Year announcement came recently and their 2012 Color of the Year is Tangerine Tango! I love this color for it’s energy and versatility:

I asked wedding coordinator Bella Janssen of Bella Bride Weddings and Events what she would pair Tangerine Tango with and here are her suggestions:

For March, April and May, I would mix the tangerine with yellows and greens. To me it’s spring, fresh, crisp.

(Images above courtesy of: Austin Gros Photography, Floral by: Jan Dekker Designs)

For the months of June, July and August, I would do tangerine with turquoise, hot pink, a deep yellow or bright blue with touches of white. That screams summer, playful, fun.

(Image courtesy of: Serafine Photography, Floral by: Your Event Florist)

(Image courtesy of: Emily Snitzer Photography, Floral by: Avant Garde)

(Image courtesy of: Chris Richards Photography)

For the months of September, October and November, I would use a tangerine that is not to bright and I would mix it with a gray. If the bride would still like to keep it bright but yet not as bright as the Tangerine Tango, I would mix it with navy blue, a dark red, black maybe a touch of brown or ivory, depending on which color the bride picks.

(Image courtesy of: Artisan Photography, Floral by: White Hot Events)

(Image courtesy of: Emily Snitzer Photography, Floral by: Avant Garde)

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

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Snow coming your way!

azkelly — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:35:20 +0000

Ok, so we don’t have real snow but we do have an image to suggest the beautiful chill of the season. What we DO have are wishes for you:

This next year, we hope you find yourself dreaming bigger than ever, laughing until your sides hurt, and feeling more love than you ever thought possible!

(Image by: Bird and Bloke via Etsy)

Happy Holidays and Welcome 2012!

Kelly

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Cool Find: Save the Veil

azkelly — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:30:19 +0000

Wind happens; therefore, Crazy Veil Syndrome is unavoidable, right? Wrong! I found this great new product that will make you feel like the most clever bride in the world, if your wedding day is windy that is.

Save the Veil is a set of 6 magnetic veil weights, in either Mother of Pearl or Swarovski Crystal (oval or round), that simply hold your veil in place. It’s simple and genius!

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

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I Do…Bootcamp Trial Classes!

azkelly — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:53:08 +0000

I think a universal phrase I hear from brides as soon as they slip that ring on their finger is “I need to get in shape for the wedding!” I can’t blame you gals, after all, there will be so many pictures on your wedding day and the spotlight is definitely on you all day long so you want to feel your best.

One option you have to help you feel and look your best on your wedding day is to join a bootcamp where you get what I call “Group Exercise Therapy”. You are with other like-minded people and there’s definitely a team effort feeling to this style of workout. I Do…Bootcamp classes are beginning in January but they have been hosting free trial classes in the month of December and there’s one more left for you to try- December 17th at BodyBasics. Here’s the info:

I have personal experience with bootcamps and I can tell you, there’s nothing to be scared of. The trainers are understanding and knowledgeable, the group is working toward a common goal, and if you stick with it, you will feel stronger and healthier. Will you lose weight and tone up? That depends on how much you push yourself. I would trust the I Do…Bootcamp gals to help you reach your goals. Besides, you will see and feel progress which does wonders for your mental health too!

Call 520-498-0359 or go to the website to register.

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

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