Beautiful Evergreen Winter Wedding in Arizona

Beautiful Evergreen Winter Wedding in Arizona

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Today's wedding is guaranteed to make you smile for so many reasons. It's gorgeous, it's got lots of ideas and inspiration, but most of all, this sweet bride and groom beaming from ear to ear are nothing short of infectious.

Melissa & Braedon are childhood class mates who connected as adults and instantly fell hard for one another. They celebrated their big day with a chic winter wedding that was laced with red roses and evergreen foliage.

And who better to capture it, than their friends (and bridesmaid), who just happen to be among our fave Arizona photographers, Amy & Jordan Photography.

With a nod to the season (that you can only get away with in Arizona) Melissa & Braedon held their ceremony outside under a winter foliage arch, with personalised vows and meaningful music.

Their reception (which featured a cool coffee bar!) took things indoors, with antique candelabras, signature cocktails and more seasonal centrepieces.

Chic style tied together their colour palette, with bridesmaids in burgundy, groomsmen in navy, and Melissa looking gorgeous in her illusion strapless Watters wedding dress (with a pretty fur stole for later).

But as always, it's the photographs that really make it. And with their friends behind the lens, they were able to have some fun, from cosy getting ready shots, to an adorable first look, and a bubble send off, we just know you guys are going to want to borrow for your own big day!

Wedding Day Snapshot

Our Love Story

We met through a mutual friend at a local bar trivia night. We chatted that night and instantly had a connection. The funny thing is we later found out that they had been in the same second grade class and there is one person in-between us in our class photo! Our proposal was one that will never be forgotten! We went up to Flagstaff, AZ for a weekend getaway with some of our closest friends. During that trip, our friends decided to have a photo shoot for each of the couples since our good friends were expecting and wanted to have maternity photos done with a beautiful forest scenery surrounding them. Our friends, Amy and Jordan who happen to be photographers said we could all get couples photos done if we would like. Little did I know Braedon would plan a proposal right there in the middle of the photo shoot! I am so glad the proposal was on film because I was completely shocked!

The Inspiration

Our color palette was navy, evergreen, and gold. Our wedding in three words? Romantic, whimsical, elegant.

The Flowers

Bride's Bouquet: Hand tied design with a draping natural feel. Groomsmen's Boutonniere: Single ranunculus with dark green foliage no filler flowers. Mainly white with pops of burgundy and navy. Flowers included; Ranunculus, Spanish Dress Red Roses, Cedar, Salal Tips, Italian Ruscus Too many special moments to pick just one. We loved getting to soak in every moment together and dancing the night away with our closest family and friends.

Favourite Moments

The bridesmaids were able to pick out their own style of burgundy floor length dress by the Dessy Group. The girls were thrilled to pick out their own style and each picked a different dress they felt the most comfortable in. The groomsmen wore blue suits from Brother's Tailors. Each groomsmen was gifted a different patterned burgundy tie.

The Attire

We loved being able to write our own vows. We felt like it made the ceremony more personal and gave us an opportunity for all to hear the love we have for one another. One of my biggest tips is to have a day of coordinator. The best part about the day is being able to take it all in without having to worry about setting everything up and making sure everything is going as it should behind the scenes. Another tip is to have the bride and groom walk through the reception room prior to everyone heading in. I t not only lets the bride and groom have a breather together, but it also lets them see all the details they might not see if their guests are already mingling in the room.

Advice for Other Couples

The Secret Garden Event Center is a historical home built 85 years ago. The rich woods, lush garden feel and the indoor reception area made this venue stick out. We felt the estate had a more intimate feel knowing only our guests were on the property.

The Venue

I walked down to the theme song from "The Princess Bride", Storybook Love, which happens to be the my dad's favorite movie and one that we would watch together often. Our first dance song was to XO, by John Mayer.

The Music

We each came up with their own vows. For the unity ceremony we sealed love letters and a bottle of wine in a box that will be opened on our 5 th wedding anniversary.

The Ceremony

It was easy to choose our photographers, as they are some of our best friends. Even if we didn't know them, their style is so timeless and clean. One thing that Amy and Jordan do that I love is how they spend a lot of time on detailed shots and take the time to get to know each of their bride and grooms.

The Photography

The one thing that I went back and forth on was renting furniture. The antique burgundy chair's and the Victorian couch caught my eye. his was a splurge to rent but was so worth it in the end to have the amazing photos of our bridal party on them. The guests at the wedding were also spotted taking photos on the couch and using it as a space to sit and chat with one another. They gave the venue a more intimate and cozy feel.

The Budget

The venue already had amazing floral bushes and beautiful trees, which lessened the amount of décor needed. We had an assortment of oversized lanterns, and used bunches of evergreen from the groom's parents yard to tie on the ceremony chairs with ivory ribbon. Half of the reception tables had lanterns with small bouquets, the other half had and assortment of brass candlesticks that were either family heirloom pieces or found at local thrift shops. Evergreen was branched out in the middle of each table. The sweetheart table for a lush garden feel. We created the menus on the tables and the moss seating chart.

The Decor & Details

The groom's cocktail was the Maple Leaf (bourbon, maple syrup, lemon juice) and the bride's cocktail was a blueberry lemonade with vodka. The meal was served as a buffet style. The cake was half red velvet, half snickerdoodle.

The Refreshments

A couple of days after our wedding, we took a mini moon to one of our favorite spots, Sedona, Arizona. We felt it was needed to get away for a few days to let everything soak in and relax. We have our official honeymoon planned this upcoming fall and are looking forward to exploring Europe!

The Honeymoon

Did you read Melissa & Braedon's proposal story - it's just too sweet! What a gorgeous wedding, I love that they were able to indulge in seasonal touches without it looking too themed.

Be inspired by more beautiful real weddings.

Thanks so much to Amy & Jordan Photography, and of course, to Melissa & Braedon for sharing their special winter wedding with us.

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