That ring. Those shoes. The bouquet. That Lazaro for JLM Couture ballgown. And don’t even get me started on the gorgeous couple. In short, this wedding has me completely smitten. With touches of blush pink sprinkled throughout and romance all around, this garden fête is a modern-day fairytale and the vendors, the fairy godmothers. Experience all the magic, captured by Rachel Solomon, in the gallery.
From the Bride… Brian and I met my very first day of my freshman year at Grand Canyon University. I was walking through campus on the way back to the dorms from my morning classes when from about five feet away I heard someone say, “How you doin?” I looked up to see Brian dressed in soccer attire smiling confidently. I laughed because the phrase reminded me of Joey from “Friends.” I responded, “Good,” and continued on my way with not much thought. Throughout the course of my first semester Brian became my best friend and I knew quite quickly he was the one I would marry.
Brian proposed three short years later over my 21st birthday dinner with both of our families surrounding us. We had a year-long engagement to try to avoid some of the stresses of wedding planning.
We picked our venue after searching for an outdoor space in the desert of Arizona that resembled a garden. The Wright House had the perfect mixture of class, sophistication, and garden elegance that I was looking for. The wedding truly was the different aspects of my style and personality all in one.
I wanted flowy and whimsical while at the same time I wanted class and extravagance. My Lazaro bridal gown was the extravagant aspect with its princess, ballgown feel. Brian in his black tux with ivory shirt and black buttons paired with a bow tie was the class, while my bridesmaids’ floor length flowy gowns was the whimsical. My wedding colors of blush, gold, and ivory complemented well with the outdoors.
The Wright house truly made wedding planning easy with their amazing vendors. The flowers were gorgeous arrangements of white and blush roses and carnations from Flowers by Ellen that really brought the whole wedding to life. From Park Avenue Catering the food, which consisted of a spinach and strawberry salad to start, a baked chicken with a cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans paired with a warm dinner roll as the main meal, was absolutely delicious. Each of my guests commented on how pleased they were with the quality of the food, as was I.
The cake from Sue Jacobs Cakes was one of my favorite parts of the wedding because not only was it beautiful, but also extremely gorgeous and even better than I had imagined. And the DJ from Joe Arnett Entertainment kept the party going with the perfect mixture of Brian and I’s style in music.
The only thing I had to personally plan with décor for the wedding was the details. This was my favorite part of wedding planning because I got to get creative and started to feel like everything was coming together. For example, I did not want a traditional guest book where people sign in. I wanted to see their faces along with their notes so every time I looked at it I could go back to that day and see the people I shared it with. While browsing through Pinterest (my wedding planner) I saw the idea of having a Polaroid camera and a blank guest book for the guest to take a picture and write their names underneath.
Another personal touch I added were the wedding favors. Since Brian’s last name is Green the hashtag for the wedding was #GoingGreen2k15 and the theme of the wedding followed the “Going Green” theme hence the garden setting. Because of this the wedding favors were tiny potted succulents in a variety of colors and styles. I attached a tag to each one with a saying that stated “Let Love Grow” followed by Brian and I’s initials.
Our wedding was more than I could have ever dreamed or imagined and I am so thankful foremost to my parents for making all of my childhood dreams come true. Also to the amazing team at the Wright House for their expertise, professionalism, and amazing vendors that helped bring the day together seamlessly. Also a special thanks to my amazing wedding photographer and team that is Rachel Solomon Photography who treated Brian and I as friends and captured the day so perfectly so I can relive it over and over again. April 9, 2015 will forever be a day that celebrated our love in the most amazing way possible.
Photography: Rachel Solomon Photography | Floral Design: Flowers By Ellen | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Cake: Sue Jacobs Cakes | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Lulu's | Catering: Park Avenue Catering | DJ: Arnett Entertainment | Venue: The Wright House | Bridal Boutique: The White Dress