Residing in Colorado, Bridget and  Justin’s desire was to have a destination wedding in Tucson, Arizona on their anniversary, Pi Day! They emphasized wanting to show their friends and family a good time in the desert and show off its beauty as well as the local goodness of Tucson. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 lockdown happened the day before the wedding. With the help of amazing vendors stepping it up, Bridget and Justin were able to have a scaled-down, joyous celebration on Pi Day in the beauty of the desert!

The couple included so many special touches that were perfectly *them*. Bridget wore the most beautiful and unique bridal outfit I’ve ever seen and photographed, and adorned herself with intentionally chosen jewelry pieces and a flower crown. Justin was decked out in their wedding colors, blue and yellow, in a bespoke suit and he looked quite dapper! We enjoyed all the gems and desert botanicals that the Lodge on the Desert had to offer for their first look and couple’s photos. An even bigger treat was riding in the vintage car to their ceremony and taking photos in Gate’s Pass along the way.

Bridget’s and Justin’s friends surrounded them with love and support through their presence, words, and incredible dance moves! I am so happy this couple was able to tie the knot before the world got too crazy and I’m sure they are, too. It was such a magical, colorful, desert-filled wedding!

We reached out to the bride and groom to find out a little more about their celebration. According to them, getting married in Tucson was the best decision they made about their wedding. (We couldn’t agree more!) They wanted their wedding to be outside, with the mountains as a backdrop and lots of greenery and they knew Tucson could provide all of that. As Bridget noted, Tucson “also provided a warm escape for our family and friends who traveled from the Midwest, Northeast and Northwest”. Bridget and Justin had high praise for their local vendors as well, sharing: “Jane Castle brought our wedding day vision to life while working with us long distance. Her network of vendors enabled the day to run smoothly. Hans Hutchison was a great DJ for us because we’re both music lovers and Hans’ professionalism and organization kept us calm when a lot of things around our wedding were stressful. Posh Petals heard our call for color and use of live plantings and more than stepped up. We were so thrilled to see our plantings donated to those in the community after our wedding concluded. Working with Meredith to capture our special day was a perfect choice for us, she brought her love of color to our very colorful wedding. (Editor’s note: we absolutely LOVE the idea of live plantings being donated post-celebration. Bravo!) Here’a little more from the couple:

The best part of the day was looking out across the museum and seeing all our loved ones having a great time together. People came from all across the country and shared their love with us that day. We look back on that day with full hearts and we can’t wait to safely return to Tucson! 

Now, get ready to have your day brightened and your heart warmed as you scroll through these images from Bridget and Justin’s Pi Day wedding. A full list of vendors follows.

xoxo,

dd

Planning + Coordinator: Jane Castle Events

Photographer: Meredith Amadee Photography

Venues: Lodge on the Desert, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Floral: Posh Petals

Music: Hans Hutchinson

Pies: Village Bakehouse

Vintage Car: Vintage Chauffeur

Groom’s Suit: Bespoke Edge

Bride’s Attire:

Top: Pronovias

Pink Tassle Top: Rachel Burke

Skirt: Leanne Marshall

Bracelet: Lady Grey Jewelry

Shoes: Bryr Clogs

The day began at Marcella’s family home in Tucson — a custom Victorian home that is truly a real life dollhouse.  Their ceremony was held at the church Marcella grew up in with only witnesses, the priest, and musicians.  When they arrived back to the home, a few friends were waiting outside for a socially distanced champagne toast to celebrate the newly-minted husband and wife!

Marcella and Edwin tell us that they had a large family celebration planned and their vendors were all booked, but just a few days before their shower, the world locked down with the emergence of the pandemic. They knew they still wanted to make their day happen, so they chose to celebrate their wedding on a totally different scale with a much more intimate affair. Marcella and Edwin shared that they coordinated with their church and vendors to do what they could to make the celebration happen safely. From the couple:

The Gawnes came through with their first Zoom wedding, live-streaming the church ceremony and amazing photographs to be able to share our wedding with family and friends and document a truly remarkable day. What was to be a large, elegant evening of festivities evolved instead into one of the most intimate, amazing moments. In light of unexpected circumstances, our plans were derailed, but the result was memorable in a way we could have never planned!

It has truly been inspiring to see how each couple has taken the disappointment of disrupted wedding plans and pivoted to creating incredible celebrations that are special and unforgettable in their own right. It really is a testament to the power of love! Congratulations to Marcella and Edwin! Scroll to the end to see a list of their amazing vendors.

xo,

dd

Planning: Peace of Mind Events

Photography: The Gawnes

Dress: Gigi Bridal

Hair: Keila Womack , Kurt and Quanna Hair Studio

Catering: Stillwell House/Si Charro!

Floral: Mayfield Florist

From the photographers: The bride wore a BHLDN sparkly cape, her great grandmother’s earrings and brooch, and carried a fall ombré-colored bouquet. The groom’s custom Magro suit, and silver silhouetted saguaro bolo tie, combined with the bride’s attire to form a truly regal but southwest vibe that was jaw-droppingly romantic.

Paige and Matt, who met on a New Year’s Eve night out, chose the Royal Palms for their celebration not only because of its charm and beauty, but also because it was a sentimental location for Paige’s family.

From the bride: We had been to The Royal Palms on a handful of special occasions growing up. My dad, being a native Phoenician and growing up just a mile south of there had actually worked for a florist delivering flowers to The Royal Palms weekly as a teenager. I am told my first outing as a baby was to The Royal Palms for brunch with my late grandmother. If you haven’t been, it is quite the oasis, sitting just south of Camelback Mountain. It is a respite from the bustle of Scottsdale, and makes you feel like you have teleported to a European retreat. Although my dad claimed we were just there to look around, we ended up gathering all the information we needed and ordered a round of drinks to celebrate the occasion within just a half hour of being there. I believe he had premeditated the decision a bit, knowing the beauty and sentiment of the location. It was truly a dream venue, and one we had never anticipated experiencing for our wedding.

Paige and Matt’s wedding was filled with sentimental details, from the bride’s heirloom jewelry to the groom’s custom-made bolo tie… The groom’s cousin officiated and a close friend played guitar, and the couple’s sweet pup even made an appearance! According to Paige, “Every detail felt special to us. The flowers, our wonderful photographers, our pup being there, all made the day unique and extra special to us.”

And that right there is really everything you want your wedding to be, isn’t it? We love nothing more than hearing about ways in which couples weave details from their stories and their families’ stories into their wedding celebration. We think you’ll agree that Paige and Matt did an exquisite job personalizing their day! Vendors and links can be found after all the gorgeous photos at the bottom of this page.

xo,

dd

La Lune Photography are Tucson, AZ based wedding photographers who create emotionally-driven elegant images with a minimalistic ideology. They aim to strike a perfect balance between candid and artistically posed images, allowing you to enjoy your wedding day to the fullest, as well as your images for a lifetime.

Planning: In Awe Weddings & Events

Photographer: La Lune Photography

Florals: The Wildflower AZ

Beauty: Chanel Molleo Beauty

Wedding Band: Starz Entertainment

Venue: The Royal Palms Hotel

Glassware: The Confetti Studio

Custom Wedding Band: Sophie Albersten

Bride’s Attire: BHLDN

Groom’s Attire: Magro Clothing

When the day finally arrived, they celebrated with 15 people – their parents and siblings only – and while it wasn’t the number of guests they had planned for, the day was perfect because they had each other. You can tell how loved these two are because some friends got together and made a video in secret to surprise the couple, each toasting and sending well wishes from all over the world!”

We absolutely love hearing stories of couples who have taken all the unexpected events of this year in stride and have turned them into something beautiful that, while different from what they had originally envisioned, is perfect in its own way.

xoxo,

dd

Amber Lea Photography are wedding photographers for couples who love all things classic and believe ordinary moments add up to an extraordinary love story, deserving of being told for generations to come.

Photographer: Amber Lea Photography

Planning: Crain + Co. Events

Floral: Elaine Taylor Fine Flowers

Beauty: Heather Van Houten & Artists

Music: Hans Hutchison

Venue: Tanque Verde Ranch

Bridal Gown: Gigi Bridal

Be sure to scroll all the way to the end for vendor credits and links!

xoxo,

dd

Planning: Crain + Co Events

Photography: As Ever Photography

Beauty: Heather Van Houten Makeup and Hair, Hair by Rebekah

Floral: Alexis Grace Florals

Stationery: Brie Dumais Designs

Dress: J Bridal Boutique

Jewelry: Trinity Diamonds

Model: Mikaela Joselynn