A wedding is a dreamer’s vision carefully orchestrated to highlight and embody everything that matters most in life. It’s the important things like family and friends coming together for the first time or two hearts deciding to come together to manifest life together. Weddings are a time for gifts and tokens to be exchanged out of love, a time for everyone to notice the beauty in flowers and handmade signs or decorations, to be thankful for the abundance of food and drink, to enjoy copious amounts of laughter, heartfelt speeches, tears of joy, music, and of course dancing… LOTS of dancing! Their Wedding was all of this and more.
The bride told us how she had spent a lot of time looking for the perfect photographer. At the end of her patience and not finding a photographer that she like, she told her fiancé to look. A couple of minutes later, he found and showed her my website. He asked, “What about this one?” She looked at my work and she knew I was her photographer! When we spoke over the phone, I knew right then and there I wanted to capture their wedding day. Her enthusiasm and sweet, lighthearted attitude are contagious. Their vision for the wedding and her personality felt like a match made in heaven for me and my style of photography!
Several days before their wedding, Kaleo and I drove to their house to scope out the ceremony and reception locations, as the reception was going to be in their lovely backyard. From the first moment we met them in person, they were so sweet and welcoming and we became fast friends. The next day, they came up to Sedona for their engagement shoot at Cathedral Rock! It was a great hike and we got amazing photos. The best part was all of us really getting to know each other, and trading funny stories. We were stoked for them as we just knew that their wedding was going to be AMAZING!
When we showed up on the wedding day, their wedding planner Rachael had arranged all the special items for us to photograph and was extremely helpful in making sure everything was going smoothly. When I said hello to the bride she was glowing. She was so excited and she couldn’t stop smiling. As the gals got ready in her Aunt’s house, the guys enjoyed a round of basketball and jumped in the pool at the Yandell house before being convinced, 45 minutes before the trolley arrived, that it was time start getting ready.
When the bride and groom were both ready, it was time for the first look. It was on of my favorite parts of their day! As she walked towards the back of the groom, tears started rolling down her cheeks. He reached back to grab her hand without turning around, as if he had a sixth sense. As they stood with their backs together, you could feel the emotion as they read their vows to each other. Once they both turned around Conor’s eyes were filled with a look of love that had so much depth. The kind of look that said there was nothing more beautiful, precious and important in his life, than the woman standing right in front of him.
After the first look, and some fun bridal party and family pictures, it was ceremony time! Ollie the Trolley brought the bridal party, and the bride and groom to the church. Before the start of the ceremony, the friends placed their hands on Annika and Conor and said a blessing. It was a perfect church ceremony with a wonderful candle lighting and an Irish blessing. All their loved ones and friends watched on as they declared their love for each other.
And then it was party time! The reception was stunning! Their back yard was transformed into a fairy tale setting, with large fruit and decorative trees providing shade. The big, grassy lawn was able to fit not only all the tables but a big dance floor too. The wooden farm tables were adorned with colorful flowers, candles, and greenery. As the bridal party and the newlyweds danced their way into the reception, the family and friends cheered. The food and desserts were sumptuous. The speeches were funny, heartfelt, and some of the best I’ve heard.
Kaleo and I continued to capture the rest of the evening’s events and lots of dancing. For the grand exit, they ran through an impromptu tunnel of friends and family on their way out. As we all waved goodbye, our hearts were full and we felt so happy for the newlyweds. Congratulations you two!
So thank you both and both of your families, for being so welcoming and making us feel like a valuable part of the wedding day. We absolutely loved meeting you all and feel so grateful for the love that everyone shared on your wedding day. Now, the photos! 🙂
A big thanks to the wedding team!
Wedding Planner: Rachael Dufresne rthomson38@gmail.com
Event Company: https://theeventcoaz.com/
Flowers: https://www.bulbfloral.com/
Video: https://www.motioncandymedia.com/
Cake: Lauren Brogan
Deserts: https://www.abakeshop.com/
Bar:https://www.itsbarmagic.com/
Ollie the trolley: https://www.experiencescottsdale.com/listing/ollie-the-trolley/1456/
Babbo Italian Eatery Catering: https://www.ezcater.com/
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