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From The Bride…Since the moment we got engaged (full disclosure since before we got engaged), I knew I wanted a desert wedding. I was raised in Scottsdale and we take many trips to Palm Springs so it was the perfect theme. I planned the wedding myself with the help of my mom and 2 sisters. The most important thing to us was that we threw a fun party where everyone could let their hair down and have a good time! I used the same mentality with most of the planning. I told my bridesmaids to pick out whatever dress they wanted as long as it was navy and lace. Since everyone in my party is so different and two of them are new moms I wanted each of them to feel beautiful walking down the aisle and you can’t do that with a cookie-cutter bridesmaids dress. None of them chose a traditional dress and I loved it!

We did almost everything ourselves from making mason jar candles to my dad building a dance floor out of reclaimed wood. We planted cacti in tins 6 months before the wedding so the flowers would bloom in time for the reception. I created the sangria recipes from scratch, our friends were tasked with taste testing whenever they came over! We used traditional serape blankets for our guests to sit on at the ceremony site as well as made our programs into fans so they could stay cool in the Arizona sun! I walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins and my dad officiated. We dedicated the sweets table to my Grandmother who passed two weeks before the wedding, which was my favorite detail from the day. We decided on a taco truck and a great salsa bar so our guests could eat dinner whenever they wanted- it paired so perfectly with the kind of reception we wanted to have- a big party! Our cake was a wedding gift from my mom’s best friend!

We decided against most of the traditional reception activities. We didn’t do a bouquet or garter toss (in fact, I didn’t even wear one). Instead of doing the chicken dance and Y.M.C.A we chose a really fun mix of current and retro dance songs. My mom tells me that still 6 months later her friends are talking about what a fun party we threw! Mission accomplished.

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Bridal 2016

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This Intimate Wedding Will Tug Right At Your Heartsrings

Sometimes, the best things come in small packages. Case in point? This intimate Phoenix wedding. From the handwritten notes for each guest to the wine ceremony featuring a bottle bought by the Bride’s parents when she was born to use on her wedding day, this wedding is all kinds of special. And it only gets better from there. Get all the feels, thanks to Michael + Anna Costa Photography, in The Vault!

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A Totally Laid-Back Black Tie Wedding (Yes, It’s Possible!)

From The Bride…Tony and I met when we were least expecting it. I was living in Phoenix at the time, and Tony in LA. One summer weekend a friend and I decided to take a road trip to LA for a college friend’s 30th birthday. I hadn’t seen our friend in ten years, so I was really excited to reconnect. She invited her new boyfriend to her birthday party, along with his two roommates. One of those roommates was Tony.

If you told me that day I was going to marry Tony, I wouldn’t have believed you. He made up a story about being a racecar driver, which I did not find amusing. But by the end of the night he dropped the racecar driver act, and I got to know a very complex, intelligent, and caring man. I was smitten. We all stayed the night at the party, and when I woke up the next day Tony had already left. Naturally, rather than asking anyone for Tony’s number, I social media stalked him.

After I found him I decided to take the risk and reach out. We met up in San Diego a couple months later for our first date and started a long distance relationship after that, which was made possible thanks to our Southwest Airlines credit cards. Our reward miles carried us back and forth for a while until I was ready to take the plunge and move to LA. Once in LA, Tony and I spent a lot of time double-dating with my college friend and Tony’s roommate. And we proudly stood by their side as they married each other a year later.

We were going for a hike down to the beach after work, so I put on my gym clothes- not cute lululemon gym clothes either. I didn’t bother re-applying my morning’s smudged makeup or brushing my hair- why would I??

I’m a planner, so I was talking to Tony about what we were going to have for dinner that night- a frozen pizza and roasted vegetables. I couldn’t figure out why he didn’t seem as excited about this as me. I had no idea he was nervously checking his pocket every two seconds making sure the ring was still there. We watched the sunset together and he was noticeably irritated by another couple that was walking close by. I joked with him that it wasn’t our private beach, and to stop being so cranky. After the couple had passed and we were all alone, Tony got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was holding the most beautiful ring I had ever seen and trying to comprehend what was happening. Before I said “YES!” I must have said, “Is this really happening?” twenty times. We celebrated afterwards at a resort on the ocean cliffs with champagne and an amazing dinner that put my frozen pizza to shame. It was the best night of my life, knowing that I was going to get to be his partner forever.

I worked for a catering company in college, so I’ve been behind the scenes in more weddings than I can count. In my experience, the best weddings were small, intimate, and laid-back. I wanted every detail to be unique to us as a couple, and to stay true to the boho-vintage-romantic style that we were going for. This meant a small wedding with just family and close friends in a beautiful, unique setting that was both relaxed and elegant. Oh, and all on a tight budget.

Tony and I had moved to Denver since getting engaged, but all of our family and friends were spread across Arizona and California. I did a Google images search for romantic wedding venues, and much to my surprise I found everything I was looking for at a rustic venue in Phoenix. To save money and more easily secure vendors, we chose to get married on a Thursday.

Planning the wedding from Denver was not easy. I shipped all of the decorations and things for the ceremony and reception to my mom in Tucson, who rented a van and lugged it all up to the venue the day before the wedding. We couldn’t have done it without her!

I think we made it pretty difficult on ourselves by not going with anything ‘out of the box,’ but we really wanted to tailor things to our style. What I’m most proud of is Tony’s fully-custom ensemble. We put together his outfit piece by piece with a very specific look in mind. And we had fun with it too. We went to the custom clothier together and designed the suit and shirt, and even met with a tie maker to create his bowtie (we went to four fabric stores!). It seems crazy, but looking back on the pictures we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. If you have a really specific vision for something, you don’t need to limit yourself to what you see online. It might be a lot of work, but you can get creative!

I felt strangely calm when the day came. You really do feel surrounded by love, like you have an army of people around you ready to take down anything in your way. My Grandmother gave me her mother’s white and blue handkerchief as my something borrowed, old, and blue. I also wore my Great-grandmother’s ring and used her broach in my bouquet. It felt comforting knowing a part of her was with me that day.

Having a small wedding allowed us to do a lot of things that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. We wrote notes to all of our guests, telling them how much we loved them and what it meant to have them there with us. We sealed them in matching little envelopes and stamped their names and table numbers on the front and clipped them to twine strung in a big tree at the entrance, doubling as seating assignments. Our guests loved that special little touch.

My favorite part of our wedding was the ceremony. Instead of trying to rush through it to get to a party at the end, I made a point to slow down and enjoy each moment of becoming husband and wife. My mom and dad walked me down the aisle to “It’s Over” by one of our favorite bands, Civil Twilight. Weeks earlier, we met the band at one of their shows and told them we were using their song in our wedding. The lead singer was so excited. He explained the meaning of the song as surrendering yourself to someone who you love so much that every time you look at them, it’s over, you’re powerless.

Our brother-in-law officiated our wedding and added the perfect mix of humor and touching emotion. We decided to do a wine ceremony, which was a lot of fun. We used a bottle of wine that my parents bought when I was born and saved for my wedding day. Our family and wedding party poured the wine we would drink into a ceramic chalice that my parents drank out of on their wedding day.

We sealed a bottle of wine and little love letters our guests wrote us into a wooden box that Tony made, and promised to open everything on our anniversary in five years. We took turns reciting the vows we wrote to each other, and I remember everything else fading into the background. It was beautiful.

The reception was full of surprises. Tony’s brother gave a very sweet speech that all of the sudden turned into a singing performance by he and his sisters. And then my friends got up and did the exact same thing! They had also written a hilariously clever song and performed it for us, not knowing about Tony’s brother’s plans. We laughed so hard we couldn’t feel our faces!

My advice to other brides comes from my Grandmother, who eloped when she married my Grandfather; they’ll be celebrating their 59th anniversary this month. You don’t need a big, fancy, expensive wedding to have a successful marriage. What’s important is to do what’s right for the two of you-whatever that is. Know that everyone will have an opinion about everything, but this day is for you and your future husband, and that’s what matters.

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Adrianna Papell

Spring 2015

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Bridal 2016

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Leave it to a NBC creative director and a LA actor to throw the coolest black tie wedding ever. They took all the stuffiness out of a formal affair and focused on creating a night their guests would never forget – french fry and donut bar included. With a color palette deemed “fifty shades of beige,” and Victoria Canada on the design scene, you better believe this day was anything but boring. Elyse Hall photographed, and we’re wholeheartedly obsessed.

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From the Bride…We started dating sophomore year at Boston University. 9 years and 4 cities later, Jake popped the question on a rooftop overlooking Los Angeles, where we now live. Having called so many different places home, we opted for a destination wedding in Phoenix, Arizona.

When guests asked us, “Why Phoenix?”, we told them that they would understand the second that they stepped foot onto the grounds at the Arizona Biltmore. My family vacation place for more than a decade, the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired resort was the ideal backdrop for our entire wedding weekend. It had everything we were looking for in a venue, including the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood but in the laid back setting of the Southwest. It also had palm trees, pools, and spectacular event spaces, which made it so that our guests never had to leave the property and could instead relax in between festivities which was incredibly important to us.

At the top of our list of must-haves for the big day was an amazing band that would get – and keep – people out of their seats and on the dance floor the entire evening. For us, that meant bringing world-renowned, San Diego-based Bonnie Foster Productions to the Arizona Biltmore. Led by Bonnie Foster herself, the 10-piece band kicked off the evening with Bruno Mars’ Uptown Funk (a personal favorite) and later brought down the house with Beyonce, Motown, and a Michael Jackson medley that our guests are still talking about months later. To help keep the party going, we invited everyone to “Get Fried” (literally) with a late night snack, because it’s our personal feeling that black-tie is best served with a side of fries. And donuts.

As a creative director at NBC (bride) and an actor (groom), picking the right photographer and videographer to capture the event was essential. We absolutely LOVED working with Elyse Hall and her team well as Krisanna Mowen at NoBox Films. Even in 99-degree weather, Elyse made everyone feel completely at ease and was such a joy to work with – we couldn’t be happier with how the photos turned out (or more surprised that she managed to make us look like we weren’t melting!).

We worked very closely with our planner Victoria Canada and her incredible staff to bring to life our vision of a classic, timeless wedding that also reflected our own personal style. For the walk down the aisle with both of my (the bride’s) parents, a string quartet arranged and played James Taylor’s “Blossom,” a song that my (the bride’s) mom and dad first introduced me to when I was little, and which Jake had learned on guitar as a surprise for me the first summer we were dating (a definite highlight!).

For the reception, to compliment the existing 1920’s-inspired design of the Biltmore’s Grand Ballroom, we opted for a neutral color palette that was in line with our custom Vera Wang wedding invitations so that everything had a cohesive look. Various shades of cream, ivory, and soft white were offset with gold accents, including individual calligraphy lettered menus, metallic table numbers, and cocktail napkins that read “Got Married About It!” (a play on one of our catchphrases for the wedding weekend). Other details – like sequin and beaded table linens, floral centerpieces in crystal vases (Angelic Grove), and single orchid buds that adorned each place setting – gave the grand space a more intimate feel. Tying everything together was the custom-made round dance floor (which incorporated the intricate gold floral design seen on the back of the wedding invitation).

When we reflect back on our wedding, we truly look at it as the best time of our lives. Not only did we get to make it official in front of our closest friends and family, but we also got our wish: the most epic dance party of the year. In fact, we may or may not still be recovering.

From Victoria Canada Weddings and Events… Abby and Jake had personality. We could always count on the fact that we were going to chuckle throughout each meeting. We knew when Abby’s summary of loving a monochromatic color palette as “Fifty Shades of Beige” to her fast and funny descriptions of her ideal day, we would love working with this couple.

Abby and Jake’s wedding was beautiful and timeless but always had sense of humor. We worked closely with Abby and her Mom to create the perfect look for them. They had very distinct items in mind and we rose to the challenge of finding what they had in mind and bringing it to life. Every guest benefited from their specific vision as they were welcomed by stunning custom gift boxes on their arrival at The Arizona Biltmore Resort. The music, the dance floor, the stunning floral all were a reflection of wanting to leave their guests with an unforgettable night!

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Elyse Hall Photography

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Bridesmaid Dresses

Amsale

Amsale Bridesmaids Fall 2014

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Amsale Bridal Fall 2014

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Kate Spade Inspired Arizona Wedding

I’m having a major heart to heart with this gallery. Because in my humble opinion any Bride that rocks an ombre bouquet on her Big Day is easily our style icon. Take this duo who planned the ultimate party complete with plenty of inspiration like those La Tavola Linen pretties and Elyse Hall Photography and Serendipity Cinematography capturing every beat, you’ll want to see it all unfold in THE VAULT!

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Al Fresco

From The Bride…As soon as Ted and I got engaged we knew we wanted people to leave our wedding thinking that they had the best possible time. We chose the Arizona Biltmore because it is the quintessential Arizona landmark and the food and service components were extremely important to us, especially since I work as a wedding catering manager at The Four Seasons Troon. We wanted elements and the details of our wedding to be different and fit to our personalities. From the card box featuring our two fur babies, to the silver sequin tennis shoes we filtered all details and vendors through the lens of “is this us?”. We could not have been happier with our wedding day! We choose Flower studio to take our vision and design the wedding of our dreams! My ombre bouquet melted my heart 10 times over and Heidi from Idieh design did such an amazing job on all of our stationary. It really brought all the design components together. Our wedding day was exactly what Ted and I had hoped for and we could not have been happier!

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Elyse Hall Photography

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Lushly Beautiful Autumn Feast Wedding Inspiration

When it comes to the colors of autumn I’m a smitten kitten , and this next inspo from Megan Robinson is like a handwritten love note to the season. With details like a lush layering of editorial bits paired with one wildly elegant Claire La Faye gown, every detail is the type of pretty that’ll have you celebrating the cooler climate in THE VAULT!

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Romantic Botanical Garden Wedding

From Megan Robinson…Inspired by the colorful Arizona landscape, this editorial was a three part, month long project with Sage & Stem and Posies Floral. We wanted each session to be able to stand on it’s own while also working together.

Part One was our Food Editorial. Overall, the goal with this project was to take inspiration from the season and with Part One, we kept it reminiscent of the cozy gatherings, festivities and holidays that come with the changing season. By incorporating artisan breads and cheeses, locally made honeycomb and foraged figs, our set up came to life and shows that you don’t need much to make a statement with your food display. We also felt that a rustic, savory food display was more of the esthetic we wanted to create for the season over a “sweets” table.

Part Two was with our stunning model, Mia, and custom black gown by Claire La Faye. The textured blend of honey colored roses, fading greenery and pops of blush and mauve by Posies Floral complimented the bold gown perfectly! We wanted to show the outcome of choosing one bold and one subtle piece and being able to blend them together. And those custom made earrings by Borcik! We couldn’t get enough of them. Confessions of a hairstylist kept Mia’s lavender silver hair looking windswept in a romantic braid.

Part Three was our table scape inspiration for that Fall get-together or intimate wedding. We used the same backdrop and cloth as Part One and kept our metals and greenery in tune from both Part One and Part Two. Sage & Stem added tall black candlesticks to our table setting with a clean, simple marble place setting and overflowing blooms.

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Claire La Faye

Castles Made of Sand S/S 2015

A Love Less Ordinary S/S 2014

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Imagine two soooo in love sweeties, a fabulous backdrop like the Desert Botanical Garden and a whole host of amazing details and you’ll land squarely on this day captured by Keeping Focus Photography. Think true love meets a stunning locale meets one seriously pretty party. Head to The Vault for every moment, then check out the sweet film from Love Story Films below.

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Al Fresco Arizona Garden Wedding

From the Bride… Kyle and I met nearly a decade ago on our very first day of server training at P.F. Changs. We instantly became best friends but there was an undeniable chemistry from the start. In fact, our manager used to separate us in sections across the restaurant because we couldn’t stop flirting! Our friendship grew even stronger (and so did our feelings for each other!) and we ultimately made the best decision of our lives to start dating. The rest is history – we’ve been madly in love ever since.

The love we have felt for each other was magnified on our wedding day. Words cannot express the love, happiness, joy, gratitude and excitement we felt that day – it was truly magical in every way. Of all the decisions I made throughout the wedding process (and there were many!), the easiest one of all was marrying him. In my heart, I know it is the best decision I will ever make in my life.

From the beginning of the planning process, we knew more than anything we wanted our wedding to feel like “us”. The Desert Botanical Garden has always held a very special place in both our hearts, and we couldn’t imagine a more beautiful outdoor setting to welcome our guests to in Arizona. We loved the idea of carrying the Garden’s natural, organic beauty throughout the wedding. Guests walked through the entire Garden to reach our setting, with a beautiful mountain as our natural backdrop.

Prior to the ceremony, guests wrote their well wishes and words of advice on assorted floral postcards, to be read on our first anniversary. Programs had hand-drawn botanical florals to complement our invitation set, and included explanations of the symbolism and traditional elements featured throughout our ceremony. Special hand-drawn signage in turquoise frames let guests know to “Choose a Seat Not a Side, We Are All Family Once the Knot is Tied” and to help us capture our special day by hash tagging “Deb And Kyle Walk Down The Aisle.” Soft colored petals lined each side of the aisle. Kyle was escorted by his parents, followed by the groomsmen. I walked down the aisle to Ellie Goulding’s “How Long Will I Love You”… with my eyes on my groom, whispering “I Love You” as I walked down, and the happiest tears in my eyes. The ceremony was one of the most emotional, beautiful, profound, authentic moments of our lives, followed by the breaking of the glass and guests shouting “Mazel Tov!” Pure joy came over us and then, the KISS! If I could bottle up the elation we felt in the moment as we walked down the aisle together as husband and wife, I would relive it every single day.

Cocktail hour took place around the corner on Eliot Patio. We spent so much time throughout the planning process on every single detail. Fun cocktail hour details included the “Sippin’ and Noshin’” oversized chalkboard menu featuring the drinks and appetizer menu and prickly pear margaritas to tie-into Arizona. One of our favorite surprise wedding details was a “Deb and Kyle Walk Down The Aisle Sign” in gold letters stretched between two saguaro ribs, adorned with eucalyptus and garden roses. From the ribs, hung surprise polaroid place cards of all our guests featuring pictures of them throughout their lives – their favorite trip, engagement night, first home, high school glamour shot…so many special memories of our friends and family. We loved the idea that this would be a fun, interactive surprise for our guests that would get people talking and sharing pictures and memories. It was a huge hit!

Our reception took place on Ullman Terrace, with dinner and dancing underneath the stars. Guests were greeted by a second oversized chalkboard menu, which featured our family style menu. Tables were adorned with blue, green and turquoise stained vases and jars, all assorted shapes and sizes to bring out the Garden colors, and filled with soft colored flowers. Every napkin was a different, beautiful and fun pattern – from bright florals to whimsical paisley designs. Around the napkins were a personalized Thank You note for our guests on craft paper, and to the side our favor – a desert orange blossom lollipop with an edible flower and D+K tag. Gold mercury glass candles were placed on the tables and throughout the entire setting. Guests enjoyed the family-style menu, which was both fun and garden-inspired, incorporating fresh herbs and ingredients. We had our first dance as the sun set over the mountain to Ray Lamontagne’s “You Are The Best Thing”.

Following dinner was one of the most memorable moments – the traditional Hava Nagila dance, where guested lifted us in our chairs, while others danced around us in circles. Even our parents were lifted in the chairs! A beautiful, fun, celebratory moment for all and an incredible memory we will never forget! Throughout the evening, we had additional surprises in store for our guests. Our wedding cake featured a heart-shaped cactus topper – perfect for the Garden setting! We also had a vintage gelato cart come in for guests to enjoy! Guests could choose from six artisan gelato flavors for a fun and interactive treat. After hours of dancing, out came one of our favorite wedding surprises… a late night French Fry Bar! This was a huge hit, and again, something that felt very “us” as my friends know I love my french fries!

We and our guests danced for hours among the twinkling tree lights and up-lit mountain, highlighting the cactus and desert flowers around us. Glowing luminarias lined the path for guests as they left.

Truly, we could not have imagined a more perfect, magical day full of so much love. The details were important to us, but equally important was the overall vision, knowing we wanted to have the greatest celebration that felt authentic to us and our relationship. One quote that stayed with us throughout the entire wedding planning process was “I want a marriage more beautiful than my wedding.” Our wedding day beautiful, and now we are excited to embark on a beautiful life together as husband and wife.

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!

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Garden Weddings Outdoor Weddings Tented

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Al Fresco Classic Weddings

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.

“Fly Me to the Moon” Arizona Wedding Inspiration

Chock full of stellar details like “moon rocks” atop the escort cards and dessert table, a custom altar with a sweet crescent moon cutout, and adorable, intergalactic invitations printed with “I love you to the moon and back,” this inspiration shoot from Daniel Kim Photography is out of this world! Take a peek at the full gallery, and be inspired to feel your love sail among the stars — to infinity and beyond.

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Romantic Whimsical

From Tremaine Ranch… We love the idea of inspiration shoots. It is amazing to see all different vendors work together on creating something magical! When trying to come up with a unique concept; something that hasn’t been done before, Leah Theodosis with Tremaine Ranch decided to try to take inspiration from music. It all started with the romantic song “Fly Me to the Moon”. This is such a popular song that many people are familiar with. We knew there would be some sort of current way we could bring this song to life, visually. This song was originally written in 1954 by Bart Howard. It has made its rounds through many famous singers, including, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin and Nat King Cole.

We also wanted to incorporate many popular items that are slowly but beautifully popping up into the wedding & event styling world. Imagine industrial furniture, natural elements, crystals (moon rocks… if you will), hand painted backdrops and whimsical wardrobe with a 1920s -1940s vintage glam feel. Our color palette included deep tones of violet & blue hues, that were inspired by the agate pieces used on our table setting. Agate is prized for its extraordinary stripes of vivid color, which were a perfect contrast to the airy esthetic of film. We also used many pieces of amethyst in our decor. Jenn with Mignonne Handmade is a local Phoenix designer, who creates beautiful one of a kind head pieces. The pieces used incorporated crystals & amethyst, which completely tied our theme together.

We used The Icehouse in downtown Phoenix as our venue of choice. The warehouse style with the open ceiling was the perfect location for our day. It has a rich meld of refined elegance with industrial edge. Daniel Kim used the natural lighting to take beautiful film photographs throughout our shoot. Erica Marr created such a soft, elegant & vintage film that tastefully captures the day of our shoot. Using a version of “Fly Me to the Moon” as the music for the video, we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect film to showcase all of the hard work behind this concept.

Rustic Elegant Wedding at The Secret Garden

The aptly named Secret Garden needs to duplicate itself all over the country because I have a feeling I’m not the only person to fall immediately in love with it. Add in this Bride’s beautiful vision of simple elegance and abundant flowers by Sarah’s Garden, and I’m head over heels. With shades of red and pink taking center stage, I’m pinning Brittany Mahood’s pics over and over again; see it all right here!

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Winter Weddings

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Ballroom Weddings Outdoor Weddings

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Classic Weddings Rustic

From Brittany Mahood Photography… Brad and Bekah planned their wedding long distance as they are both missionaries working both within the States and internationally.

Stunning in it’s simplicity, Bekah planned a beautifully curated wedding by keeping her wedding about the important things; her handsome groom, gorgeous maids in floor length dresses and lush florals by the amazing Sarah’s Garden.

A ceremony at sunset followed by a glowing reception, it was the perfect winter’s day in Phoenix.

This wedding was shot on a Contax 645 with Fuji film which I feel lended itself to the delicate and soft nature of this wedding.

Photography: Brittany Mahood | Floral Design: Sarah's Garden | Wedding Venue: Secret Garden Event Center

Blogger Bride A Dash of Details’ Bridal Shower

Hi Brides-to-be! It’s Ali from A Dash of Details back to share some fun details from my bridal shower. With the countdown to the Big Day approaching ever so quickly (a little less than 2 weeks away!), it was so fun to take time and enjoy a day with everyone I love. My best friends, family and even a surprise guest showered me with so much love and kindness. Come inside my special day!

I was so overwhelmed with emotion when I arrived at my shower. For the first time it started to feel like I was actually getting married! I cried so many happy tears when each of my friends walked in the door. They are seriously the best!

My Aunts’ found the most darling spot to host my shower, The Henry. It is the cutest restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona adorned with rustic details and great light! They filled the room with citrus and white rose vases, Rifle Paper Co. decorations, and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Perfume and Coin Purses for everyone. We sipped on mimosas, enjoyed delicious food, played fun games, and laughed until our belly’s hurt. I felt like a princess.

My favorite part (if I had to pick a favorite part) was the Polaroid book from my Aunt Jill. Each girl took a picture with me when they arrived and wrote a special note on each page. It was so sweet and will be something I will keep forever! I hope you enjoyed a little peek into my shower. Stay tuned for lots of pre-wedding details coming soon!
xox- Ali

I hope you enjoyed a little peek into my shower. Stay tuned for lots of pre-wedding details coming soon!
xox- Ali

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Elyse Hall Photography

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Ali Schilling

Blogger Bride

A Dash of Details

Intimate Arizona Desert Garden Wedding

Accentuating Arizona’s gorgeous landscape, this Desert Botanical Garden affair is stunning to say the least. Lovely details like cacti centerpieces, vibrant Tatum Flowers bouquets, touches of gold, and the gorgeous herb garden perfectly contrast the simplicity of natural terrain. Pinkerton Photography was behind the lens snapping up a gallery that radiates warmth and love, right here!

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Garden Weddings

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A Glitter and Gifting Holiday Afternoon + recipe

From Pinkerton Photography…Yesmina & Adam’s Desert Garden wedding was the perfect mix of gorgeous color & the simplicity of the desert – vibrant pinks & yellows set against the glowey green of the Botanical Garden & Herb Garden! Their aim was an intimate gathering for only their closest friends & family, most of whom would travel from afar, so accentuating Arizona’s gorgeous landscape seemed like the perfect idea. The cacti centerpieces, vibrant bouquets, touches of gold, and the gorgeous herb garden make up some of their lovely details. The day itself was as relaxed as can be, and I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard as I did with this crew. And I certainly have never before had a bride get down on her hands & knees (in her dress) to pick cacti spines out of my foot!! Excited to share this very unique day with you!

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Menswear

The Tie Bar

Spring 2015

Spring/Summer 2015

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Wrapping is a daunting task for me. It always starts out fun but about 3 presents in I’m ready to throw everything in a gift bag, slap on a bow and call it a day. But if that wrapping were taking place with my girlfriends, cocktails and donuts at our fingertips, I think I would be singing a new tune. Have a look at this glittering wrapping party crafted by La Ricki, Hoot And Holler and photographed by The Birdie Girl plus a yummy cocktail recipe below! And for even more, check out our 2014 Holiday Mag.

From La Ricki… Our inspiration was to bring girlfriends together, at any time of day, enjoy each other’s company and the spirit of the season. They sipped the crisp apple bourbon cocktail in vintage coupe glasses to add elegance. Rollover Doughnuts offered the most precious and delicious treats that melted in your mouth! The treats paired perfectly as the girls cozied up on the sofa with warm lattes.We kept the colors neutral with colors of creams, blush, and mixing metallic metals with a few pops of green. Hoot and Holler added amazing beauty with their gorgeous arrangements in metallic vases that added to the holiday feel. We accessorized with glass bead and tassel jewelry by the lovely Henny and Coco. Antique trays fitted with rustic wood held the cocktails and our pretty wrapping ephemera.

As friends enjoyed their sips and sweets they created simple, elegant gift wrapping in a few different ways. We wrapped with glitter washi tape making simple designs, chalk pen hand-lettering on kraft wrapping paper. And for the final finishing touches we mixed in hand-lettered gift tags in white and blush paper, mini ornament baubles to add a little glimmer and white felt bows. What was also truly important to us in bringing everyone together was uniting community by shopping local with small businesses. Every gift that was wrapped is a local and handcrafted good made in Phoenix, AZ.

Crisp Apple Bourbon

prep time
10 Minute/s

cook time

total time
10 Minute/s

Ingredients

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup diced peeled fresh ginger
1 cup bourbon
1/2 cup pear vodka
1/2 teaspoon Angostura bitters
2 cups brut-style (aka dry) sparkling apple cider
8 thin apple slices (optional, for decor)

Instructions

Place all 3 ingredients in blender, on HIGH for 30 seconds. Cool and strain through sieve into bowl. Discard solids. Package syrup in decorative glass bottle.
Combine 3 tablespoons maple mixture, bourbon pear vodka, and bitters in small pitcher. Add ice and stir 15 seconds. Strain 1/4 cup into each of 8 cocktail coupes. Top each glass with 1/4 cup cider. Garnish with apple slice, if desired. Serve immediately.

Cozy Kitchen Engagement Shoot

The idea behind this engagement shoot? Well, it’s really kind of perfect. Take two sweeties set in the kitchen with nothing but a recipe for galettes and a whole lot of love. The result is an authentic capture of togetherness…and to be honest, that’s what an engagement sesh is truly all about. The amazing Melissa Jill, AVE Styles and their team of collaborators brought the vision to life, and there’s lots more sitting right here.

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From Melissa Jill Photography…We believe that engagement shoots don’t have to be incredibly elaborate. They should showcase the timelessness of a couple’s love for one another. For this inspiration shoot, we wanted to portray love in its simplest form: two people making food together, sitting down to share a meal and delighting in one another’s company – true quality time.

The team of creatives behind this project were ready to simplify things to show our clients that they can achieve a gorgeous, “pin-worthy” photo session in the comfort of their home. We wanted to showcase love the way many couples show love to one another – acts of service and quality time. Cooking for someone is an easy way to show them that you care. Even if your cooking skills aren’t the greatest, simply making a pot of coffee and sitting down together can be a cherished moment.

The home featured in this shoot is actually the home of our prop stylist – Coley from Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market. It’s real. It’s authentic. Love and life happens in this space every day.

Alex from AVE Styles chose simple clothing for Liz and Cesar, focusing on items that many couples might have in their closets: a denim jacket, khakis, a sweet dress, a t-shirt, an a-line skirt, etc. A mixture of pieces owned by the models and of vintage pieces from Grow Op, everything Alex chose felt “lived in” and comfortable. She even gave Liz a mismatched apron and a men’s shirt because that’s what real life often looks like – mismatched, comfy clothes pulled from our beau’s closet, and breakfast in bare feet. Stephanie Neiheisel kept Liz’s makeup very fresh. Many women don’t wear a full face of makeup every day at home, and Stephanie wanted to show brides that they can look naturally beautiful for their engagement photos, too.

Jessica with SEE Salt wanted the food to feel “lived in” as well. Galettes are great because their shape is never quite perfect. They look a bit messy, but they also take some time and care to make, which makes this breakfast more special. And it tasted delicious, too! However, she still wanted to stay simple and authentic, so she chose pressed coffee over a fancy latte.

The flowers were the icing on the cake! Hoot & Holler selected an easy color palette of green and white that added the perfect final touch. All of the flowers used are wild flowers that many can find in their own backyards.

Melissa Jill captured this inspiration engagement session on film to preserve the light, romantic atmosphere. Her photography caught and enhanced the glowing beauty of the everyday.

All of the collaborators in this styled shoot are excited to show our clients that casual and comfortable can be stunning!

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Elegant and Cozy Backyard Wedding

Every love story is unique, and this one gives true meaning to the phrase ‘Home is where the heart is’. From childhood friends, to college sweethearts, to a destined day in Phoenix, their story ends with an intimate backyard ceremony at the house they call home. Maria Del Rio and Alejandra Vidal captured every DIYed detail (like Mom’s homemade cookies), and there’s more to be swooned over right here!

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Golden Bohemian Affair in Arizona

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Backyard

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Classic Weddings

From The Bride…I first met David in Cleveland, Ohio when I was just 9 years old. It’s where both of our families are from and where we have deep roots. We spent our Summers playing together until he moved to Phoenix, Arizona while I was growing up in San Diego, California. After 10 years apart, we re-connected again in college and began to date.

After graduation, we both wanted to chase our dreams and started careers in two different cities. David stayed in Phoenix while I went on to live in Los Angeles and New York. We would date on and off, but eventually called it “quits” and didn’t see each other for three years.

Luckily (as fate would have it) I was in Phoenix for one night for work and ran into him. Shortly after, I moved into his adorable house (but total bachelor pad at the time!) and we began to build a life there together. It’s also where he proposed, so when it came time to pick a venue, our home was the perfect choice.

It was important that our wedding reflect us, as a couple. We wanted it to feel up close and personal, laid back (but still stylish) and unique. Most of all…warm, comfortable, relaxed and cozy. Note: If you ask David, he might tell you that “cozy” was my favorite wedding planning word!

I couldn’t think of anything more cozy than getting married right in our own backyard, surrounded by friends and family, dining under Portifino lights and dancing under huge woven lanterns hanging from our trees.

Even my dress had to be “cozy” – I didn’t want anything too grand or formal, but had a vision of long sleeves with an open back. I am forever grateful to Michael Costello for bringing my dream dress to life. He made the most gorgeous custom gown and I can’t thank him enough for making me feel so beautiful.

For bridesmaids, I had them choose whatever style of dress they wanted – shades of cream, off white and blush with gold accessories. And I had my maid of honor wear a different color shoe. (They didn’t actually walk down the aisle, so there wasn’t a need for bouquets.) We all got ready together at the Arizona Biltmore and took first look, family and friend photos at the hotel before heading over to the house. All guests were taken from the hotel to our home, via trolley.

As guests entered the backyard, they were greeted by our adorable little neighbors and enjoyed a pre-ceremony cocktail hour with great music and mingling. Servers and bar-tenders (all wearing matching navy and gold bow-ties) tray passed the St. Germain signature cocktail along with hors d’oeuvres. We also styled bar carts with all of the necessary ingredients, straws and “B” coasters.

Both being creative types, planning every last detail from start to finish was a wonderful artistic process for us. And coming up with fresh, thoughtful ideas led to many DIY projects (and many late nights working!)

We started with our DIY save the date – we actually got on a real school bus for the shoot and then photoshopped a road behind us – a fitting reference since we’ve known each other since grade school and because it really has been a long ride (over 10 years long!) Hence our tag line, “It’s been a long ride. Join us as we make the final stop.”

Next came our DIY invitations. We designed these as pamphlet style, fold out invites with illustrations to map out the whole weekend. We included rehearsal dinner and ceremony information, transportation pick up times, suggested wardrobe, Sunday brunch details, etc. I addressed the envelopes by hand for both the save the dates and the wedding invites to give them a personal touch.

We then created a custom RSVP site www.wearethebaum.com (our last name is Baum) so people could easily RSVP for all the weekend events. As a result, it saved lots of paper, stamps and time. We even included a spot for guests to type in a song request that would get them moving on the dance floor.

The gable boxes were perfect for out of town guests. We designed and printed the weekend itinerary for the front of each box (the font, color and style matched our invites and RSVP site) and tied with ribbon. It was filled with a “Lucky Life” AZ lottery ticket, our favorite chocolates from Cleveland, Ohio, Sun Chips, Arizona Iced Tea, my aunt’s homemade nut mixture, Boots makeup removing wipes and poolside essentials for the weekend: Supergoop sunscreen and Burts Bees lip balm.

For our DIY dessert and favors we did cookie bags. David’s mom is famous for her homemade cookies, so she baked them and I had stamps custom made that said, “Homemade Cookies From Baum’s Mom.” This also tied in nicely with our overall “home” theme. I found mini brown paper bags at Michaels and stamped each one. For additional favors, we did matches that had our J&D wedding logo, our wedding date and ‘perfect match’ printed on each matchbook. We also did custom yamakas in our signature colors with our names and date on the inside.

For DIY bridesmaid gifts, I sprayed the bottom half of canvas makeup bags gold and stamped each initial of their first name on the front. I then filled it with some of my favorite things and wrote on the tag “A few of my favorite things for one of my favorite people.”

We hung a huge DIY banner that we designed and printed. David and I hand wrote 5 things about each other and this was something that people said they had never seen before! It was also really fun to see and read what we had written about each other.

Our DIY Ikea hack bar backs were bookshelves from Ikea that we mirrored ourselves and styled with liquor, flowers, glasses, etc. PRO EM then built us a custom navy blue tufted bar to match our color scheme.

For our DIY cake topper, I really thought it would be great to have clay figures of us sitting in the car that we sketched on the invites. That car is actually David’s vintage car, which is his other true love :) It was sculpted, painted and baked in the oven (using FIMO clay) by my brilliantly talented cousin. We will keep and cherish it forever.

For the decor, we were inspired by two of our favorite places: ABC Kitchen in New York and the garden rooftop of Soho House in Los Angeles. In order to give our backyard the same sort of intimate and chic feel, we used a lot of our own patio furniture. We spruced it up with decorative Missoni pillows, fur throws, potted plants and bud vases.

The dream team over at PRO EM was at our house for 3 days covering our entire pool! It was much needed space and we could not have had our wedding and reception in our backyard if it wasn’t for them. As a result, it’s where we were able to place all of the pretty wooden dining tables. We decided on no tablecloths – just stripped down wood with gold candlesticks, french tea towels, gold silverware and simple, garden-like florals. All flowers were put together effortlessly by my friend, Jason, who is the special events stylist and floral designer for Neiman Marcus Scottsdale.

We chose to do a massive buffet dinner so there were additional large plates at the buffet. I liked the look of just a small appetizer plate at each setting. And white lights strung from high in the trees to create a tent-like atmosphere over the dining area.

Robert’s Catering provided all of the food and the cake. We have used him for other events in the past because he is simply the best. Every single person who attended our wedding said that it was hands down the best food and most delicious cake they had ever eaten. I swear. Literally, everyone.

Rabbi Barton Lee made our ceremony so special – touching, emotional and funny. He would only marry us after the sun went down, so we strung lights in our DIY Chuppah – a piece of fabric we draped and tied with gold rope on the sides. As soon as the sun went down, the Chuppah lit up beautifully. We read our vows under a full moon and illuminated sky.

As the night went on, we put out baskets of black slip on socks for dancing (mine were white) neon glow sticks, blow up music toys (David’s request) and cigars. We also had a late night delivery of pizza and In-N-Out (David’s request, again) after a packed dance floor for hours. There was not a slice of pizza, burger or piece of cake left when all was said and done!

And to top it all off? The police ending up coming to our house and giving us a noise violation and so we had to turn the music down at midnight (always the sign of a great party, right?) But it did make for a classic DIY thank you card. We sent out copies of our violation/ticket from the city and designed it to say “Thanks for helping us shut it down…xo The Baums”

It was such a special weekend filled with so much love, happiness and joy. To celebrate our long journey with the people we love most, right in our own backyard, gives true meaning to the phrase, home is where the heart is.

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Sarah Seven

Signature Bridal

Gold Label

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The Tie Bar

Spring 2015

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I am a self-confessed gold junkie through and through so the second I spotted this boho bride and her glamorous “goldie” dress from Sarah Seven, I was hooked. And the day behind that sparkling gown is equally as fab. It’s a beautiful mix of modern art gallery meets floral halos by Butterfly Petals and glam details planned by Hello Gem. Head to the gallery captured by Elizabeth McDonnell for so much more.

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