Results tagged “Weddings” from Destination Wedding Photography - Destination Wedding Photographers, Arizona

Megan and Colton were married March 27, 2010 at a relatively new venue just south of Phoenix called the Windmill Winery.  The Windmill Winery is located in Florence, Arizona and is a really cool venue to shoot at.  It has an old turn-of-the 20th century barn that was relocated all the way from Wisconsin and plenty of vintage John Deer tractors and oh, did I forget to mention all the chickens :-).

 

The pursuit of chickens was a major goal of the day as almost everyone in the wedding party including the bride chased them around in an effort to catch one for the couple to hold in a photo.  At sunset we finally heard a resounding "baa...baaaaakk" and we new they had finally achieved their goal :-).  The rest of the day was filled with plenty of love, laughter and beauty ... a beautiful event!

 

We first met Megan a year-and-a-half ago through one of our past brides, Paige.  We did a boudoir shoot for Megan (and Paige) and have loved her ever since.  We loved Colton just as much the second we met him for the couple's engagement shoot and have been looking forward to this wedding ever since!  Megan and Colton are very big into the outdoors and hunting and fishing which was a running theme at the reception.  Thank you both so much for such a wonderful and unique experience :-)!  XOXOXO!!

Lea and Ari were married in a traditional Jewish ceremony on March 21, 2010.  We just love Jewish weddings ... they are so full of tradition and energy, especially during the Hora!  This couple was so wonderful to work with as were their family and friends ... and good thing - we were with them for a long, long time that day :-).  We loved every minute of it!  This is an extra big posting, one: because we were there so long and two: because photography was so very important to these two (Ari is a very accomplished photographer himself and he and Lea spent a lot of time searching for what they felt were the right photographers for them), so we wanted to give them a really nice sneak peak of what is to come.

 

One last comment on this wedding ... the decor was spectacular!!!  Ever After Florals, www.everafterflorals.com was a huge part of that and they really out did themselves on this one!  Starz Entertainment, www.starzentertainment.net also did an awesome job of keeping the reception energy flowing throughout the evening!  The entire wedding was simply spectacular!  Thank you both for trusting us as your wedding photographers ... it was a true pleasure!

Jessica and Craig were married February 26, 2010 at the Castle at Ashley Manor in Chandler, Arizona.  This was a beautiful wedding and a perfect day in all repects including the gorgeous weather!!  I loved all the details, including the pink theme.  I am not the biggest fan of pink, which is rather ironic since I wore a pink dress for my own wedding, but the various hues of pink in this wedding were used to perfection and wonderfully complimented the magical atmosphere of the venue!  Oh, by the way, I LOVED Jessica's totally cool shoes ... awesome!!  Thank you both for having us as your wedding photographers.  We had such a great time and we hope you loved your honeymoon to the Dominican Republic :-)!

MacKenna and Eddie are getting married in April in Phoenix.  We met them - on Eddie's birthday to be exact - back in December to photograph their engagement shoot.  We started off at Schnebly Hill in Sedona and finished up at Red Rock Crossing.  The day was kind of gloomy (we got one of our big winter storms the following day) but we made the best of it and got some great shots!  Thanks you two and we are looking forward to the big day!

Brooke and Jonathan are getting married at L'Auberge de Sedona in April.  We first met these two a few years back when they were planning their first wedding date.  Just after the contract was sent to sign, Brooke found out she had been accepted to graduate school and thus, the wedding was put on hold.  She said they would hold on to our information and get back in touch when the new date was set ... and sure enough Brooke stayed true to her word and contacted us this past summer.  Funny thing was, we had just been talking about them wondering if they had already gotten married :-).  Guess not - and good thing for us, because we are so happy to still be working with them!

 

We photographed their engagement shoot back in December at Tempe Town Square and finished it up at Tempe Town Lake.  Jonathan's son, Nick, came along as well and we all had a blast!!  Can't wait for the big day ... it's been a long time coming :-)!

Katie and Ben were married the day after Thanksgiving 2009 in a beautiful ceremony at the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.  This venue was simply spectacular!!  The only problem was, there were just too many great spots to use for photos :-)!  Luckily Katie and Ben scheduled quite a bit of time to do their couple formals before the ceremony began.  Ben is Navajo and they did a wonderful job of mixing some of his culture's traditions into the wedding.  This was a wonderful wedding to photograph and to be a part of and we extend our best wishes to the new couple, who are expecting their first baby very soon!!  And with that, we wrap up our 2009 wedding season :-)!

Michele and Eric were married November 21, 2009.  Their traditional Jewish ceremony took place at Temple Emanuel and their reception was held at Ashley Manor.  This was a beautiful wedding and we simply love the couple (we had a fantastic time with them at their engagement shoot in Flagstaff ... they were soooo funny.)  That humor definitely showed itself again on the wedding day and we just had a blast.

 

Thank you both for having us as your wedding photographers and for including us in your special day!  We also want to thank you for the wonderful review you wrote for us on Wedding Wire ... it was so sweet of you!!

We photographed Kelly and Alec for their trash the dress shoot at Red Rock Crossing in Sedona.  The barren winter trees worked perfectly for this shoot and the couple was stunning as ever.  I LOVE Kelly's dress by the way ... stunning!!  Kelly didn't have time at her wedding to change into her traditional Navajo Squaw Wedding Dress, so she used this shoot as an opportunity to get some shots in it.  Her mother, Rose, made all the beautiful turquoise jewelry!  Thank you Kelly and Alec for trusting us to set up everything for your wedding photography ... we know how important it was to you :-)!!  XOXOXO!!

Becky and Ben were married November 14, 2009 at Rustler's Rooste in Phoenix.  The day began under stormy skies at the Arizona Grand Resort were the couple got ready.  They opted to see one another before the ceremony to have ample time for photos around the grounds of the resort.  Just as we set up the first meeting for the couple, the skies cleared and the rest of the day was beautiful!

 

Becky and Ben were referred by a past couple of ours (and now close friends), Joyce and Beth.  Thank you both so much for including us in your very speacial day!  You were wonderful to work with and we wish you all the best ... congrats :-)!!

Winyan and Tim were married on November 9th, 2009.  This was a monday wedding, which I must say are becoming much more popular as an alternative to the busy weekends.  We are beginning to book quite a few of these Monday weddings ... we have a couple scheduled already for 2010.

 

Winyan grew up in England.  She has the most lovely accent and she is just as lovely to know ... not to mention drop dead gorgeous!!  Tim lives in Minnesota and was equally wonderful to work with.  This was a destination wedding for the couple, thus my first time meeting them was when they were dropped off on the dusty road leading up to their ceremony site at Merry-Go-Round Rock.  Their family and friends traveled from far and wide to get to this isolated little rock overlooking Sedona, most coming from as far away as England and Hong Kong!

 

The reception was held in town at the Sedona Golf Resort.  Winyan changed into her traditional Chinese wedding dress and the two families participated in a Chinese Tea Party.  The entire reception site was decorated in row upon row of beautiful origami cranes, 888 to be exact (8 being a lucky number in Chinese tradition), and all of them were made by Winyan ... now that is impressive!!  By the way, Winyan and Tim have the most adorable son, Oliver ... you would never look at Winyan and think she had a baby less than a year ago :-) ... and he had to be the happiest baby I have ever seen!  This was a beautiful wedding full of wonderful people and we were so pleased to be a part of it ... thank you both!!!

 

Robin and Jeff were married October 17th at Rancho Los Lagos in Sedona.  Their reception was held at Agave of Sedona.  This was a long day - 15 hours coverage - but it was exceptionally beautiful and we were privileged to be a part of it!  The children in this wedding (the little boy is Jeff's son) were beyond adorable and the guests rocked the reception.  Thank you both so much for having us as your wedding photographers and for treating us like close friends throughout the day ... you were both amazing!  At one point Robin, while having a moment of happy tears over how stunning she looked in her incredible gown, thanked me for being with her and told me how much it meant to her for me to be there ... it almost brought tears to my eyes - how amazingly sweet!  No Robin, again, thank you :-)!!

Andrea and Andy were married October 11th, 2009 in Sedona!  They held their ceremony at L'Auberge de Sedona and their reception at Agave of Sedona.  We had the unusual circumstance at this wedding to have plenty of time for couple formals.  This was really nice as we were able to take them at a relaxed pace ... usually the pace is a bit more frantic :-).  Because of the extensive amount of time we had for this we started out creekside before the ceremony and then headed over to Schnebly Hill after for some classic Sedona red rock backdrops.  It was a beautiful wedding day and we were so happy to be a part of it!

Kelcey and Tim were married October 10th, 2009 at McCormick Ranch Golf Club and WOW, this one was beautiful!!!!  The couple was stunning, the decor was elegant, the backdrop was beautiful and the weather was perfect!  The sunset was amazing too!  Thank you both so much for having us as your wedding photographers ... it really was beautiful :-)!  We would also like to thank Joyce Day for assisting us at this wedding!

Sarah and Brady were married on January 9th, 2010 at the Castle at Ashley Manor in Chandler.  It was a beautiful day with mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine ... what else would you expect though from the valley of the sun in winter.

 

We have really enjoyed working with this couple since they booked us last year (the engagement shoot was a ton of fun) and have been eagerly anticipating this wedding!  It was all I had imagined, with beautiful decorations and details, a stunning couple, gracious (and fun) family and friends and a rockin reception!  Thank you Sarah and Brady for having us as your wedding photographers.  We are looking forward to the trash-the-dress shoot :-)!

 

My good friend and very talented wedding photographer, Melissa Dunstan, went along on this one as the second shooter.  We had such a blast working together and we even took a moment to have photos taken in the photo booth ... LOVE those :-).  Thanks Melissa for all your hard work!!

 

Love Sarah's dress and red shoes ... all the girls wore red shoes too.

Elayne prayed for a winter wedding complete with snow and that is exactly what she got!  She and Craig reside in Phoenix and planned their January 2010 wedding in Flagstaff in the hopes that it would be snowing on the day of ... or at least there would be a little snow on the ground.  Elayne even bought the cutest pair of winter-white boots in anticipation of the snow.  They didn't get a snowy day but they did get ample snow on the ground as Flagstaff had recently been heavily dumped on :-).  They held their wedding and reception at the Radisson and were quite willing to go off property to get some beautiful shots in the snow ... thanks for trusting us on that one :-).  Thank you both so much and we hope you enjoy the sneak peak!

 

Side note:  We would like to thank our new assistant, Angela Beebe for her fantastic work at this wedding.  She will be working with us at many of our upcoming weddings and shoots and we are really excited to be working with her!  Welcome aboard :-)!

Destination weddings seemed to be the big thing for us this year and 2009 was one of our best years yet!!  It has also been one of our toughest due to the amount of travel we did.  From St. Petersburg, Florida to Orlando, Florida and West Palm Beach, Florida; the Giant Sequoias of California and the Great Lake shores of Michigan to a final south of the border destination in Puerto Penasco, Mexico, we saw a good deal of this country and beyond this year and it was spectacular!!!  The constant travel and lack of time behind the computer can be difficult to manage but the rewards are great ... at least for us.  We LOVE traveling and shooting a wedding in a far off place if simply a bonus!  New destinations rejuvenate us and nuture our creativity.  We thank all of our destination clients, most of whom we had never had the opportunity to meet until the day of the wedding, for trusting us not only to show up to a distant venue, but with the awesome responsibility of capturing the memories made on one of the most important days of their lives.  The latter applies equally to all of our wonderful clients ... you are all AMAZING and we are so blessed to share in your wedding celebrations!

 

With that we have compiled a slideshow of about 250 of our favorite shots of 2009.  There are many beautiful couples as well as some wonderful animal counterparts including gobs of adorable dogs and cats, majestic horses and one very friendly - and curious - praying mantis!  We hope you enjoy viewing the moments as much as we enjoyed creating them :-)!

 

Please click on the link provided to view the slideshow.  If you entered our blog through our website, turn off the music on the website so it doesn't conflict with music on the slideshow.

 

Best of 2009 Slideshow

Amanda and Ryan held their wedding at Nardini Manor in Buckeye, Arizona.  It is a beautiful and historic 1912 manor set in a cotton field on the outskirts of west Phoenix and is a stunning setting for a romantic wedding!

 

Two things will be very obvious in this posting ... the couple's love for one another and their love for the cute resident manor kitten and their ADORABLE dog, Flip ... did I mention how ADORABLE he is??!!!  God, he is sooooo freakin cute!!!!

 

Thank you both so much for having me as your wedding photographer!  You have both been so wonderful to work with and I hope to work with you on your 1 year anniversary for a trash-the-dress shoot :-).  Enjoy the sneak peak!

I guess we could have just pitched a tent at the Sedona Golf Resort ... Lisa and Chris were married there on September 20th, the day after Marie and Scott's wedding :-).  The day was much nicer in terms of weather - no rain.  It was another beautiful ceremony and another crazy reception (not to mention emotional) and these two were so much fun to work with.  Both serve in the military and they have the military to thank for bringing them together.  They are a wonderful couple and we enjoyed the chance to get to know them!

Marie and Scott were married September 19th at the Sedona Golf Resort.  The day began under very stormy skies, which didn't sit too well with Scott, but as if by magic, just as the ceremony began, the rain lifted and the clouds above lit up in spectacular fashion!  It really was quite an amazing day and the reception was wild to say the very least (many drinks found themselves broken on the dance floor that night.)  We were so pleased to be a part of it.  Thank you both and congratulations!

We are back to blogging!!!  Well, at least for a while.  Our usual way of blogging is to get a posting up within a week or two of a wedding or shoot so our clients can have a sneak peak before they get their photos.  Unfortunately this has not been the case this fall.  Our fall season has been one of our busiest with 17 weddings to date, and it is not over yet (2 more to go) ... oh, and that doesn't include portrait shoots.  For now we are having to blog as we finish deadlines, but for those that follow us, keep checking back ... we have a lot of great postings to come including an amazing wedding in Mexico, a wedding in West Palm Beach, Florida complete with a traditional Chinese Lion Dance, a couple of HOT trash-the-dress shoots and much, much more!!  Thanks for visiting :-)!!

 

Sarah and Jon were married September 18th at Highlands Church in Scottsdale.  Jon serves in the marine corps and looked very handsome in his dress blues.  Sarah was just plain stunning ... and man, could she pose - can't wait for the trash-the-dress shoot!  The wedding was beautiful and the couple was wonderful to work with.  Thank you both so much for having us as your wedding photographers.  We had such a great time!!

Shannon and Dave were married September 17th at Merry-Go-Round Rock on Schnebly Hill in Sedona.  It was a beautiful day - complete with those wonderful Schnebly Hill breezes - and a beautiful ceremony full of emotion.  They held their reception down in Phoenix the same day, so I was only commissioned for a couple of hours to cover the ceremony and formals afterwards.  Thank you both so much for having me as your wedding photographer!

To any bride who thinks a cloudy or stormy day on her wedding day is a bad thing - think again!  As long as it isn't pouring, those storm clouds can add drama and saturate colors beyond your wildest dreams.  It also lends a soft light to faces, making for lovely, evenly lit portraits.  In fact, some of the most stunning and powerful wedding photos we have taken were captured on those dreaded stormy days.

 

Case in point, the wedding of Sara and Drew.  They were married September 12th, 2009 in an outdoor ceremony at Red Rock Crossing surrounded by family, friends, their dogs ... and storm clouds heralding thunder and spewing lightning bolts in every direction.  Fortunately it never rained more than a few drops during the ceremony and formal photos afterwards, and boy did it deliver a boatload of great images!  The only scare came while getting ready.  The bottom did fall out, complete with torrential rain and hail all worthy of starting another great flood.  It soon waned and all was good for the rest of the day.

 

As you can easily tell from the photos, two key players in this wedding were Sara and Drew's ridiculously cute dogs, Cookie, the chihuahua, and Chili, the daschund.  Also of great importance was the attendance of Sara's grandparents, which was very touching.  Thank you both so much!  Sara, you were a stunning bride and Drew, you kept us laughing all day.  We had such a great time and absolutely fell in love with those adorable dogs of yours :-).

 

Oh, I almost forgot the big story of the day!  As Sara was taking her walk down the aisle with her parents, it became clear that some big revelation had hit Drew like a ton of bricks.  No, it wasn't that he was about to leave the single life behind or anything like that ... Drew forgot the ring.  Oooops!  He muttered under his breath, "She's going to kill me."  Sara was great though and just laughed it off when the time came.  It was so sweet too as everyone started offering their rings to Drew to use in lieu of the real thing.  Just after arriving to Agave of Sedona for the reception, Drew prompty held out the real ring, humbly presenting it to Sara and placing it on her finger. Disaster averted.  Good recovery Drew :-)!!

 

Kelsey and Thor were married August 9th at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.  We loved everything about this wedding - the couple (they were stunning), the venue, the peacock feather and star theme, the weather (beautiful and cool) - just everything!

 

Lowell Observatory is one of Flagstaff's big claims to history.  Our 9th planet, Pluto, was discovered here in 1930 and though it's classification has since been downgraded to that of "dwarf planet" it still holds a special place in our solar system, in our hearts, and at Lowell Observatory.  A beautiful sculptural exibit of all the planet's (including Pluto) is on display right now and it made for some great props in photos!

 

Kelsey and Thor, you were both so wonderful and gracious, as were your family and friends, and we so much enjoyed being a part of your big day.  It was truly a pleasure and we hope you love your photos as much as we do!  Now for the TTD session :-).

This is how far behind I am on my blogging ... I always try to have the photos posted before the clients get their images so that they get a little sneak peak.  Just as I began this posting I got an email from Michelle and Eric letting us know that they had just gotten their DVD.  Up side is that the email was very sweet and they loved their photos!!  Thanks guys :-)!

 

A couple of weeks ago Michelle and Eric made their way from Phoenix to Flagstaff for their engagement shoot.  We started out downtown and finished up on the mountain, stopping by one of our many sunflower-filled meadows along the way.

 

Michelle and Eric, we had such a blast with you both!!  This was such a fun engagement shoot and you both made taking great images extremely easy.  You were even willing to run so we could get photos as the train went by ... awesome!  We can't wait for the wedding in November!  See ya then!

Kendall and Ryan were married July 11th at Little America in Flagstaff.  They were great to work with at their engagement shoot and equally great to work with at their wedding!!  The couple lives in Phoenix but met at NAU and therefore chose to have their wedding in the high country.

 

It was a beautiful day, and though it did look a little threatening in the way of rain early on, by ceremony time the skies were perfect and so were the temperatures!  I personally loved Ryan's choice of suits (and shoes and socks) for himself and his groomsmen ... gotta love men who wear socks to match the bridesmaids dresses - lime green by the way :-).  And of course Kendall looked simply amazing in her beautiful lace covered dress!

 

Thank you both so much for having us as your wedding photographers and for including us in your beautiful day!  Enjoy!  We also greatly enjoyed working with Shane Brandolini of DJ M4!

 

The bug didn't come with the dress ... it was just passing through :-).

We have been fortunate this year to have quite a few publications in several magazines and we are really excited about them!!  Aside from the ones shown here, one of our images made the cover of the July/August issue of the Wedding Chronicle.  We were blown away when we got the news from the editor and we will definitely be posting that when we receive a copy!

 

Arizona Weddings Magazine featured Armanda and Jon's wedding in Monument Valley and they used another image from their wedding as a full page spread to introduce their "Northern Arizona" section.

It is always an honor to place in any competition but especially the Wedding Photojournalist Association's quarterly contests.  The competition spans the globe and the photographers are extremely talented.  I am happy to say that I one of my images placed fourteenth in the Ceremony category.  I love this image and am proud it placed!  Thank you to Payvand and Jeremy for allowing me to photograph their exceptionally beautiful Persian wedding!

This was by far one of the coolest weddings we have ever had the good fortune to photograph!!!  There were even props (I finally found a bride who voluntarily, and of her own accord, posed with a tumbleweed) and a really cool ring bearer with a personality of his own!  Enough said ... this one speaks for itself!

Olivia and Ashley were married at the Sedona Golf Resort on June 20th.  Olivia began her preparations at the Enchantment Resort and finished up at the venue.  The couple lucked up with partly cloudy skies and nice cool temperatures - at least for the time of year ... it can get really hot in Sedona in late June :-).

 

Olivia and Ashley put a lot of time and effort into planning this wedding and it showed in the details.  Ashley was extremely nervous before the ceremony, which was so sweet, but was completely relaxed for the reception.  Thank you both so much!  We enjoyed working with you as much on the wedding day as we did on the engagement shoot a year ago :-)!  It was a beautiful wedding and we wish you both all the best!

 

We want to thank Yvonne Chavez, www.northernarizonaweddingplanner.com and www.touchoftradition.com , who did an amazing job coordinating this event!  We also wish to thank Jason Hicks for doing such a wonderful job assisting us and creating some beautiful images to add to Olivia and Ashley's wedding day story!

 

Christie and Clint were married at the Amberian Peaks Lodge in Greer on June 13th.  Christie initially contacted us last August, on the first day of our trip to Hawaii for our own wedding as a matter of fact.  I was driving the road to Hana (a very desolate road) and actually had to pull into a local park to talk to her because we kept breaking up :-).  We hit it off immediately on the phone and we have been looking forward to this wedding ever since!

 

We adore the White Mountains, especially in early June when everything is springing to life and the meadows are covered in wild purple irises.  Greer is one of the most beautiful of all the small towns that dot this vast natural area.  I was soooo excited when Christie said they would be having their wedding there!

 

When we showed up it was pouring rain and things looked quite bleak as far as the weather was concerned.  Christie and Clint were troopers though and didn't let it bother them in the least.  When it was mentioned to Christie that they were planning on moving the ceremony inside, she replied with a determined "NO."  She had decided on the White Mountains (they live in Phoenix) for its natural beauty and nothing was going to stop her from getting married amongst the tall pines - not even torrential rains.  She was kind enough though to check with us to be sure the photo equipment would be OK.  We smiled and told her not to worry about it ... we had protective measures in place for that kind of thing :-).

 

And so the ceremony went on as planned and Mother Nature played nice and 15 minutes before it was to begin, all the rain went away and the skies cleared and it was lovely!  The weather held out the rest of the day and it couldn't have been more perfect.  Christie and Clint, thank you both so much for having us as your wedding photographers!  It was so wonderful working with you, both at your engagement shoot and at your wedding.  I know you have been eagerly awaiting this posting - enjoy!!

 Kristy and Paul were married on June 6th at Tlaquepaque in Sedona.  Their ceremony was held at the chapel and the reception took place at the Secret Garden Cafe, both in Tlaquepaque.  Maria Grace, www.twoheartsonelifeweddings.com , was the officiant and we always love working with her!

 

Paul is an F-16 pilot and his job will soon take the newlyweds away from Arizona to new horizons in the Sunshine State of Florida.  With them will be their new addition ... that's right, they are expecting their first baby - though you would never know it from the way Kristy looked in her beautiful sheath gown - amazing :-)!!!

 

Kristy and Paul, thank you both so much!  You were a pleasure to work with and your families and friends were wonderful as well!  Can't wait for the next shoot ... either a maternity shoot or a baby shoot :-).  Enjoy and congratulations!

Molly and Joel were married in an intimate ceremony among close family and friends on May 30th at the lovely L'Auberge de Sedona.  They chose the creekside venue which is always so quaint and beautiful in the springtime.  Their ceremony took place under a canopy of emerald green trees by a babbling stream as baby ducks swam close to their mothers ... can't get much more idyllic than that :-)!!

 

The couple followed their morning ceremony with a lovely lunch.  By the way, the kids in this wedding were the cuttest ever, as you will soon see.  Molly is a photographer herself, so we had much to talk about ... she even did a wedding once, but thought it was too much work. That is so true but it can be very rewarding, especially when you get clients like these two :-).  Molly and Joel, thank you for having us as your wedding photographers.  You made us feel right at home and it was so wonderful working with you both!!

Two weeks ago Amber and Troy traveled to Phoenix from Los Angeles for their wedding at the always spectacular Desert Botanical Gardens (one of my very favorite venues)!!  The Chihuly exhibit was still going on, making for great backdrops to photos.  Troy is a director and couldn't resist getting behind the cameras every now and again - I totally understand though.  I was the same way at my own wedding last year :-).

 

There were many special elements to this wedding including Troy's mom officiating the ceremony, which made for some wonderfully tender moments.  The most exicting element though was Amber's pregnancy.  I loved her attitude towards being five months pregnant and wearing a wedding dress - her words, "it's obvious, so I figured why not flaunt it!"  And that she did in her lovely sheath gown ... you go girl :-)!!  She was absolutely radiant!!  The final special element was the couple's decision to reveal their baby's gender with the unveiling of the cake ... the topper - a pair of blue baby shoes ... it's a boy!!

 

Amber and Troy, thank you so much for having us as your wedding photographers.  You were a genuine delight to get to know!  Seriously, you are two of the nicest, most genuine people we have ever had the pleasure of meeting!  We wish you all the best in life :-)!

Shanna and Justin were married at the Sedona Golf Resort in and intimate ceremony surrounded by close family and friends on May 3rd.  Our coverage of the event was limited - only two hours.  Who would have thought so many great photographic opportunities could be garnered in so little time!  Love, laughter, tears of joy ... they were all abundantly visible in this lovely wedding.  This wedding definitely displayed a strong sense of love between families and most apparently, between the couple themselves!

 

Shanna and Justin, thank you so much for having us as your wedding photographers.  It can be awkward when meeting for the first time on the wedding day, but you both made us feel instantly at ease, as did your families, as if we had known you forever.  It was truly a pleasure ... you were both amazing to be around!!  Enjoy!

 

Amanda and Tony were married at Los Abrigados in Sedona on May 2nd.  The weather reports were not real promising, calling for rain most of the day, but luckily they got it wrong and it couldn't have been a more beautiful day!

 

We conducted their couple formals before the wedding at Tlaquepaque and Schnebly Hill.  The ceremony was lovely and Tony's display of emotion as he gave his vows were unbelievably touching.

 

Amanda and Tony, thank you so much for having us as your wedding photographers ... it was such a pleasure working with you both!!  Hope you enjoy the images - you are such a beautiful couple!!

 

I love the look on Amanda's face at their first meeting :-).

Terry and Glenn were married at the Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale on April 19th under very sunny - and rather warm - skies.  They had a Jewish ceremony at sunset with their daughters, Jamie (Terry's daughter) and Lyndsey (Glenn's daughter), at their sides and it was absolutely beautiful!  Their Huppah was gorgeous as was their Ketubah (wedding contract.)  Their Rabbi requested that we not take photographs during the ceremony but we were able to capture some lovely images at the beginning and end, including the breaking of the wedding glass.

 

The details of this wedding were spectacular including a seperate wedding cake at each table.  They opted for the hotel to provide custom lighting for the reception and chose the colors to match that of sunset.

 

Terry and Glenn, we enjoyed working with you both so much!!  Thank you for choosing us as your wedding photographers and we hope you enjoy the sneak peak :-)!!

 

 

  

Ginny and Buddy got married on April 18th under beautiful blue skies at the Pioneer Living History Museum in North Phoenix.  This was the coolest wedding - modern chic meets wild west ... how fun!!!

 

This was seriously a fun wedding and quite inspirational from a photographer's perspective.  Visually it was eye candy ... rustic, old buildings, historic little church (which by the way, we have always looked at from the I-17 and thought how cool it would be to photograph), horse-drawn carriage, dusty stampede from a mock round-up, stunning vintage style wedding dress, Stetson hat, and shoes, shoes, shoes from the super-chic to electric blue glitter to cowboy (or in this case, girl) boots ... man this was a fun wedding!!!

 

A few highlights - Buddy was so sweet when he shed tears over the first sight of his bride; Ginny's dad bought a really cool pair of shoes to match her really cool pair of shoes; Ginny's cousin, Lisa, is a chef and made the cake herself - AMAZING; this wedding marked the retirement of the carriage driver and his horse, Zeus, was set to retire along with him after one more gig.

 

Ginny and Buddy, thank you soooo much for having us as your wedding photographers and for trusting us to make some very fun images!!  We truly enjoyed your wedding and getting to know you both ... best wishes in life, you are an amazing couple :-)!

Linda and Bret eloped on April 14th at Schnebly Hill.  It was a beautiful ceremony with beautiful weather and really cool clouds :-).  Their ceremony and all details were handled by our friend Maria Grace of Two Hearts One Life Weddings (www.twoheartsonelifeweddings.com) and she did a wonderful job as usual!

 

Linda and Bret, it was a pleasure meeting you both and we hope you both enjoy the images!

Two weeks ago Melissa and Greg were married at the Sedona Golf Resort in Sedona.  As weather goes, it was not typical April Sedona weather.  It was extremely rainy and quite cold.  We actually thought things might let up enough right before the ceremony to hold it outside, and for a few short moments it seemed to be within reach, but at the last minute the rain began again and we had to move everyone back inside.  It was still a beautiful wedding with a lovely couple and besides, rain on your wedding day traditionally means good luck, so they can look forward to a very bright future together :-).

 

Melissa and Greg, thank you for having me as your wedding photographer.  You were both a pleasure to work with and I hope you enjoy the sneak peak!

It has become a bit of a tradition among the Jarvis sisters to have their rehearsal and reception as one event the day before the wedding and far be it for Brittany to break with tradition :-).  After the rehearsal we all headed over to the Longwood Community Center, which is a beautiful old Victorian, to enjoy great food and celebrate!!

 

The reception was decorated and catered in a southwest theme.  It was a wonderful evening and Brittany and Stephen were just glowing with happiness!

This past week we were back in Florida for Brittany and Stephen's wedding.  My good friend Aubrey is one of the "Fab 4" Jarvis sisters and my goal is to photograph all of them on their wedding days.  Well, Ashley was first, then Aubrey and now Brittany (all since 2006) ... the only one left is Chelsea.

 

We had four days of shooting scheduled for this wedding, starting with Bee's bridal shoot.  We headed from Orlando up to historic St. Augustine, hitting the beaches as we went.  Accompanying us was Bee's close friend from Maryland, Nesha.  Nesha had never seen the ocean before so it was a lot of fun watching her explore it and dip her toes into the Atlantic for the first time.  She was also a great "Bird Rangler" assistant ... thanks Nesha :-).

 

The weather was rather foul but we didn't let that stop us from getting some absolutely stunning shots ... hard to go wrong though when you are working with one of the Jarvis sisters (they are all sickningly beautiful, thin and tall!)  In actuality, I enjoy working in stormy weather.  It adds an element to the images and a quality of light that just can't be achieved otherwise.  It was a great day full of fun and exploration!

 

We made an unscheduled stop to catch this storm sweeping in.  Turned out to be one of my favorites from the entire day!!

Well, I am finally home from my visit to the East Coast, but only temporarily ... we leave again tomorrow for another week in sunny Florida for another destination wedding!  I actually made the trek back to Arizona to photograph Stephanie and David's wedding this past Saturday.

 

The ceremony was held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix and the reception was held at the Tempe Mission Palms.  This was a first for me.  It was the first one-hundred percent photojournalistic wedding I have ever covered ... that's right, not one posed photo in the bunch.  The couple was very clear on this point.  They simply wanted their wonderful day captured as it unfolded with no interference!  And by the way, the "napkin hats" everyone is wearing during the reception ... there is definitely a story and a reason behind it all, though it was not necessarily planned :-).

 

Stephanie and David were wonderful to work with and it was a pleasure serving as their wedding photographer.  Thank you both so much and I hope you enjoy Savannah (one of my favorite Southern destinations!)

 

I am so excited to say that I placed in two categories of the Wedding Photojournalist Association's (WPJA) Quarter 4 Contest.  Again the competition was very stiff with talented photographers from all corners of the globe participating, so to place at all is a real honor.

 

Even more exciting was taking second place in the "Cake Cutting" category.  The image was taken at Tishya and Greg's wedding this past October and was without a doubt one of those "once in a lifetime images" that could never possibly be planned or repeated.  It has quickly become one of my all-time favorite images and a big hit with everyone that sees it.

 

The other image took tenth place in the "Ring Details" category.  It was taken at Armanda and Jon's wedding in Monument Valley and has also become a favorite.  Thank you to Tishya and Greg and Armanda and Jon for giving me the opportunity to make these wonderful photographs!!

This posting is a little long in coming.  I went out of town right after this wedding and have been gone ever since - more postings to come on that.

Erin and Erich got married at the end of February in Phoenix and we are so glad to have been chosen as their wedding photographers.  Their ceremony was held at the All Saints Catholic Newman Center at ASU.  I loved the architecture of the church.  The reception was held at one of our favorite venues - the Desert Botanical Gardens.  This place is so beautiful at any time but it is exceptionally lovely right now.  They are featuring a spectacular display that covers the entire gardens called, Chihuly: The Nature of Glass.  The Glass Sculptures that adorn the gardens are nothing short of inspirational - plus they made for wonderful photographic backdrops :-).

Erin and Erich, you looked AMAZING and the wedding was wonderful ... love the pink and green umbrellas you supplied to your guests by the way - what fun props :-).  We have really enjoyed working with you both and hope you enjoy the sneak peak!

Side note:  We had one of our digital cameras converted over to infrared ... we have always loved the unique look of infrared ... and got to use it for the first time at this wedding.  We LOVED it!!  You can recognize the unique look of infrared by the white foliage and black skies.  We can either shoot these photos in color or black & white.  Also, a special thank you to Joyce for assisting at this wedding - as usual she did a fantastic job!!

I know Sarah and Partick have been waiting for this post - sorry for the delay guys :-).  Two weeks ago we photographed Sarah and Patrick's engagement shoot.  Though they used to live in Flagstaff, they are now living in Washington so this was our first time actually meeting face-to-face.  Just from talking with Sarah by email, I could tell she was someone I would instantly take to and sure enough I did.  Both Sarah and Patrick love dogs (they are both going into veterinary medicine) and of course, so do we ... plus, from her first email to me, Sarah said how adorable she thought Yoshi (our Old-English Sheepdog) was so obviously she ranked tops in my book real quick :-).

 

We began the shoot in downtown Flagstaff in a rather heavy snowstorm.  Does it look cold in the photos? ... heck yes it looks cold ... it was really freakin cold!  I have to give kudos to Sarah though.  She walked around downtown for over an hour with nearly bare feet (see photo illustration below) and never once complained.  Now that's dedication!  And let us not forget Patrick.  I must sing his praises as well.  In all our email correspondence, Sarah had warned me that Patrick harbors about as much enthusiasm for having his picture taken as he would for being hit by a Mac truck.  Look at these photos though ... he did an amazing job and was actually very relaxed ... great job Patrick!  You made us so proud!

 

For the second part of the shoot we made our way down the canyon into Sedona where snow changed over to a cold rain and still not one peep of discontent from either one of these two.  Sarah and Patrick, you were great to work with and it was fun getting to know you both!  Can't wait for the wedding at Snowbowl this summer ... we will keep our fingers crossed for a nice mix of weather conditions :-).

Check our Sarah's shoes ... we were surprised she didn't get frostbite.

Gotta love the pink gargoyles with icicles hanging from their heads :-).

 

 

It has been a busy few weeks around here with meetings, editing ... always editing :-), making albums and preparing for the Bridal Expo that was held last Saturday and Sunday and the Phoenix Convention Center.

 

We have been doing this show for the past couple of years (It is held twice yearly) but this time we decided to do a little upgrading.  We moved from a 10-foot booth to a corner 15-foot booth, which was really nice and roomy, and we had six photographic canvas wraps made (two as large as 32x48) to place on exibit.  We love these canvas wraps by the way and we are now offering them to our clients ... they are absolutely stunning!

 

By far this was the most exciting and electrically charged show we have done.  It had a really positive energy and was just a ton of fun.  Upgrading the booth was definitely worth it!

 

With Armanda and Jon's wedding, Sierra Blanco Photography wraps up it's 2008 year - and what a year it was.  With almost 50 weddings, it was the best year yet!  With that amount of weddings though comes a lot of hard work and stress, and it didn't help to have to plan my own wedding in the midst of it all.  We also had to deal with a client's death shortly after his wedding in one of Arizona's most publicized stories ... never thought we would have to deal with that and I have to say, it was extremely difficult.  Despite everything though, I feel so blessed to do this for a living.  I absolutely love what I do and I love all the wonderful people it brings me in contact with.  It is always such a pleasure to be given the opportunity to document one of the most important days in a couple's lives ... thank you to everyone who entrusted Sierra Blanco to that!  And with that, Sierra Blanco gears up for a great 2009.  You will be seeing a lot of destination weddings this year with seven out-of-state / out-of-country events scheduled already along with our normal locations of Phoenix, Sedona and Flagstaff, so stay tuned!

 

On to Armanda and Jon's wedding.  We really went out with a bang on this one and we have been eagerly awaiting it!  This three day wedding extravaganza was held in Monument Valley at the View Hotel and was a wedding photographer's dream, especially ours.  We love stunning scenic locations and cultural events and this event had it all.  With Armanda's ancestry being Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo-American and much on Jon's family hailing from Boston, there was no shortage of culture.  They did an amazing job of tying together varying aspects of those cultures including Armanda wearing traditional moccasins and beautiful turquoise earrings and the couple being led on the Grand March during the reception culminating in a spectacular fireworks show outside.

 

Yvonne Chavez of Northern Arizona Wedding Planner - www.northernarizonaweddingplanner.com - did an amazing job pulling the whole event together.  Many products from her Touch of Tradition line - www.touchoftradition.com - including her Navajo wedding baskets, flower baskets, ring pillow, guest signing book and album were used in the wedding and helped to tie the theme together beautifully.  A special thank you goes out to Yvonne too for recommending Sierra Blanco Photography for this job ... thanks Yvonne, we love you :-)!

 

The weather cleared out and though it was a bit chilly, the ceremony took place outside.  A very nice touch was the Native American flute player, whose music was both inspiring and moving.  The reception absolutely rocked with the music of the Tobias Rene Band from Albuquerque, New Mexico!

 

Needless to say, this posting is a bit longer than usual, but with a three day event like this one it was just too hard to narrow down any further than this and really get the feel for the grandness of it all.  Armanda and Jon, thank you for choosing Sierra Blanco as your wedding photographer.  It was such a blast and a very memorable event!!!  Enjoy!

Love the moccasins!

Armanda's mother helping her put her veil on.

 

You have to admire the bride who makes time for a short workout before her wedding ceremony :-).

The adorable flower girls and their baskets from Yvonne Chavez's Touch of Tradition line. 

Armanda's father, Art, walking his daughter up the aisle.

Could the view be any more picture perfect for a wedding?

 

In his speach, Art referred to Armanda as not only his daughter, but his business partner and best friend.

This is one of my favorite photos from the day ... it just seems to share the same magical quality as the setting holds.

 

 

The Grand March ended with this spectacular fireworks display.

  

The day after Christmas, we headed up to Monument Valley for Armanda and Jon's wedding (more on the wedding in the next posting.)  It was held at a brand new hotel that has been built inside the park called The View Hotel - www.monumentvalleyview.com/hotel.html .  The grand opening for the hotel will be held next month, so we had the pleasure of being among it's first patrons.  The hotel was built and is owned and operated by Armanda's family and is absolutely stunning!!  Every room has a view of the famous Mittens ... thus the name, The View Hotel.

 

The first day was quite stormy with intermittent snow showers and bitterly cold temperatures.  There was some concern about whether the wedding would be able to take place outside or not.  After the rehearsal, Armanda had a bachelorette party with all of her bridesmaids and I attended to get some photographs of it ... they had a very good time as you will notice :-).

This was the view from our hotel room ... can't beat it.

All the guests arriving for the big weekend.

Armanda and her girls having a LOT of fun :-)! 

I am proud to again say that I placed in another of the WPJA's prestigious competitions.  I won thirteenth place in the "Lit Portrait" category of their Quarter 3 contest.  Thanks to Kelly for being such a wonderful model ... and bride :-)!