What’s your idea of the perfect date? For this couple it was April 25 (and not only because of their Miss Congeniality reference), but because it was a date graced with one mouthwatering breakfast buffet, plenty of pastel accents, and wildly elegant blooms. Rachel Solomon was on hand to capture their darling “I do” and you can see the entire day unfold in the gallery!
From the beautiful Bride… David and I met in 2006 through mutual friends, out at a bar on Thanksgiving weekend, while we were students at Arizona State University. Before we dated, we were just friends, and we would all hang out with each other every weekend. We started dating in February 2007, and our relationship has only gotten more fun and full of love since. I moved to San Diego in 2009 to attend law school, and David lived in Scottsdale while I was there. We would see each other at least once a month, usually twice, when either he would come visit me and take me away from the stress of school, or I would come home and spend time with him and my family. I was so excited to finish school and move back in 2012. We adopted our dog, Pigeon, shortly thereafter; we then bought a home in Phoenix together in March 2013. In July of that year, I came home from work one day to find a trail of pink roses leading to our backyard, my favorite champagne chilling on the patio, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole playing, Pigeon with a little white box tied to her collar, and David wearing the shirt he wore on our first date. He got down on one knee, untied the box from Pigeon’s collar, and asked me to marry him in the sweetest way. Of course I said yes!
I knew I wanted a spring wedding, and I also knew that I would make most of the details myself, so we decided to have a long engagement and get married in 2015. Before any other details were decided, I chose our photographer, Rachel Solomon, because I absolutely fell head over heels in love with her work. David and I are not very serious people, we laugh a lot, and try to be as lighthearted about life as possible. Rachel’s work captures natural, joyful moments so beautifully, and that was what was important to us.
We wanted a venue in Phoenix that was outdoors, very natural, but not too desert-y, which is not easy to find. The moment we got to The Farm at South Mountain, we fell in love. We booked a weekend in April when both The Farm and Rachel were available. We were lucky enough to set a date of April 25, which as the film Miss Congeniality tells us is “the perfect date,” because “it’s not too hot, not too cold, and all you need is a light jacket.”
The Farm is such a beautiful space that I knew a lot of decorations were not needed. The area we chose is called “The Canopy in the Grove” which is a perfect description of the space: there are tall, full, pecan trees in every direction of the grove, wrapped with small, white twinkle lights and strung together by big, round bistro lights. There is a natural flagstone patio that we used as a dance floor, which was directly in front of our lovely ivy-covered bar. I wanted a garden party feeling – nothing too formal, but a bit more formal than a backyard BBQ. I started collecting decorative birdcages while I was acquiring materials for decorations, including the mason jar flower vases used in our ceremony, as well as the moss-covered flower girl baskets.
I created all of the chalkboard signage, including our big chalkboard displaying our “Breakfast for Dinner” menu. David and I have always enjoyed breakfast more than any other meal; when we go out to celebrate a milestone, we usually go out for brunch. We wanted a memorable meal that reflected our personalities, and have yet to meet someone who didn’t love having breakfast for dinner. We worked with Santa Barbara Catering Co. to come up with a fantastic breakfast buffet for dinner, including breakfast-themed hors d’oeuvres.
I love the combination of gray and pink, so I played with various shades of gray in the bridesmaid and groomsmen attire, and added various pastel accents to the florals and decor, with an emphasis on pink and blush shades. My coworker Elisa Owen owns an Etsy shop, LetsWearDresses, which specializes in bachelorette party flair and customized paper party decor. We worked together to design and create all of the paper goods at the wedding, including the pennant flag table numbers & escort cards, the ceremony programs, and “Merci” banner for our gift table. She also helped me come up with our chicken wire escort card display frames, which David and I made together. It was such an awesome experience to design and create professional decor myself, and make a new best friend through the wedding planning process! Elisa helped me create the exact vision I had, which made my wedding so perfect.
I worked with my florist, Karen Bever of Boka Event Florals, to create very organic and natural flower arrangements that would play up the natural decor. She used a lot of greenery to help create wild, lush looks. I wanted a bouquet that looked like I had walked through an enchanted garden and picked myself. She created beautiful reception and ceremony florals, including a breathtaking display she had secured in the pecan tree under which we held our ceremony.
Angela Saban of Angel Cakes Bakery created the most beautiful dessert table I have ever seen. I cannot eat gluten, and the entire table of cake pops, cupcakes, macarons, and our beautiful bourbon butter pecan wedding cake, were gluten free. None of the guests knew until after we told them. Angela’s creations were as delicious as they were beautiful, and her dessert table was definitely a scene-stealer!
The day could not have been possible without Kelly Bernardi, my day-of coordinator whom I met years ago through a mutual friend. She met with me several times before the wedding to ensure that she understood my exact vision, and she totally did understand. I like to be in control a lot of the time, and I had no qualms about leaving everything in her hands so that I could completely enjoy my wedding day. She made my vision come to life, as did all of my amazing vendors. We were lucky enough to work with an amazing team that knew exactly what we had envisioned for our wedding day. We will always look back on that day as the most perfect way to start the rest of our lives together.
Photography: Rachel Solomon Photography | Floral Design: Boka Event Florals | Wedding Dress: Mikaella Bridal | Cake: Angel Cakes Bakery | Invitations: Minted | Shoes: Kate Spade | Rings: Schmitt Jewelers | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Dessy Collection By Vivian Diamond | Catering: Santa Barbara Catering | Makeup: Lauren Reid | Hair: Brian Baze, Gossamer Salon | DJ: Infinity Entertainment | Groom's Attire: Jos. A. Bank | Venue: The Canopy in The Grove at The Farm at South Mountain | Bridal Boutique: Almond Tree Wedding Boutique | Bridesmaid Robes: Silk And More | Custom Stamps for Invitations: Mollie Meeks Design | Event Day-Of Coordination: Kelly Bernardi | Film Lab: The Find Lab | Paper Goods: Let's Wear Dresses | Signage: Bride | Veil: Paloma Blanca