Sarah & Chris | Flagstaff Wedding

Sarah and Chris are not only clients of mine, but dear friends as well. I met Sarah a few years back as we both work in the wedding industry throughout Arizona, and her job as an officiant meant that we crossed paths many times while working elopements in Sedona and Flagstaff.

Sarah and Chris are both Florida natives who moved to Arizona together a few years ago. They met through mutual friends while at a nightclub one night, and later Chris invited Sarah to celebrate her birthday… and the rest is history! I’ve done plenty of shoots with them over the years: from portraits of Sarah with her dog, Chris with his dog, to their engagement session, and eventually their wedding! They chose Flagstaff as their wedding location due to its gorgeous, temperate fall weather and their venue of choice was Aldea Weddings in the Woods. The weather was perfect and sunny on the day they were married, and flowers were in bloom all around the venue.

These star-crossed lovers picked the perfect time and place in the universe to say “I do.” Their mutual love for Star Wars was a common motif throughout the whole day and made all the details even more special. From their wedding invites with the Death Star, to the Rebel Alliance cake topper, to the intergalactic planet-themed centerpieces at the reception, these magic touches added an extra depth to everything.

Although I met Sarah through elopements, she and Chris decided to go with a traditional, big wedding party for their own celebration. It came along with all of the special moments that come to mind when you think of a big wedding- the bride getting ready with her bridesmaids and family, the groom and groomsmen taking fireball shots during wedding party photos, all leading up to a gorgeous outdoor ceremony on the venue's property. I photographed Sarah and Chris as they got ready (separately, of course) with their respective portions of the wedding party. I snapped some shots of the girls as Sarah was getting into her dress and visiting with her mom before the ceremony, and some of Chris and his groomsmen spending time together while they finished getting ready. Knowing Sarah, she definitely has a perfectionist streak, so it was amazing to see her relaxed and enjoying herself and the company of her guests on her wedding day. I was really excited to see a more intimate side of this couple, even when the nerves about saying yes to their forever together set in.

The first look was the first thing that the couple wanted to do, and having experience in the wedding industry Sarah prioritized their first look as an intimate, quiet moment that the couple could spend together without the pressure of onlookers or being surrounded by guests. The moment was both serene and emotional for the couple, a nice reprieve before the following group photos, which they wanted to get out of the way before the ceremony started. The group photos consisted of the bridesmaids and groomsmen joining the couple, as well as, possibly most importantly, the couple's dogs Jenny and Max.

The ceremony followed, and it was beautiful and full of love from both friends and family. The processional consisted of Sarah’s grandparents as well as both of the couple's parents preceding Sarah down the aisle. Jenny and Max also made their way down the aisle, carried by the couple's respective moms, which I thought was such a sweet way to incorporate the pets that they hold so dear into their special day. The ceremony itself was was officiated by Jill Bourelle with Desert I Dos and incorporated stories of their unexpected beginning to their love story and the many adventures they have experienced together since that first day.

Following the ceremony, they took photos with all their closest loved ones. Afterward, we snuck away for their sweetheart session. The wildflowers on the venue's property were just beginning to bloom, providing a whimsical backdrop to the couple’s photos. The couple sported some very true-to-them shoes on their wedding day: Chris wore Nike Air Force 1’s and Sarah wore purple Doc Martens. I mention this because it’s a beautiful example of the way to add some intentionality and self-expression to your wedding day. The sweetheart session wrapped up with the couple signing their wedding certificate and they were then greeted by their wonderful guests at the reception.

They enjoyed a gorgeous dinner in the pavilion at Aldea followed by speeches from their best man, the bride’s childhood friend, and assorted family members. The dance floor opened up soon after, and Sarah and Chris enjoyed their first dance as husband and wife as well as parent dances. Soon the dance floor was full of ecstatic wedding-goers, many of whom were friends of the couple who had flown out from Florida and farther to celebrate with them. The garter toss and bouquet toss came next, and then the party continued to dance the night away. The DJ, Tony the Entertainer, did a great job of playing songs that were able to hype up every age range so that everyone there had a chance to get onto the dance floor and boogie to a song they loved. The day wrapped up with the couple making a grand exit, and while the wedding party was getting ready to see them off outside, the couple was able to have one more quiet moment to themselves as they enjoyed one last dance just the two of them.

Sarah and Chris’ wedding has a pervading Star Wars theme, and the couple kept it going with a fun glow stick grand exit. As the couple exited the venue and headed towards their car to leave for the night and start their life together husband and wife, their family looked elated and waved glow sticks in the air all around them. Everything about Sarah and Chris’ wedding was very thoughtful, intentional, and really took advantage of the Arizonan scenery and local vendors at their fingertips. This couple exemplified the perfect way to have a traditional wedding while still imbuing it with your and your spouse's passions and personalities, creating a truly unforgettable occasion for everyone involved.

At the end of the night, as the star shone bright above us, a well-known conversation between PrincessLeia and Han Solo popped into my mind:

“I love you.”

“I know.”

Just like those two, Sarah and Chris knew that their love story had been written in the stars long ago & their wedding day was just the beginning of forever together.

Wedding Vendors Involved:

Venue | Aldea Weddings in the Woods | www.aldeaweddings.com | Flagstaff

Officiant | Desert I Do’s | www.desertidos.com | Phoenix

Videographer | Retramé Studios | www.retramestudios.com | Phoenix

Makeup | Bella Bridal Beauty | www.bellabridalbeauty.com | Phoenix

DJ | Tony the Entertainer | www.tonytheentertainer.com | Flagstaff

Florist | Four Sisters Floral | www.foursistersflagstaff.com | Flagstaff

Custom Signage | Etchings by Emma Hand Lettering & Digital Design | www.etchingsbyemma.com | Phoenix

Invitation Suite | Eleventh Letter Design | www.etsy.com/EleventhletterDesign | Phoenix