Wedding Story
“You would never be able to tell that it was a chilly day here in Tucson, Arizona for James and Annabelle’s Hilton El Conquistador wedding, but the bright smiles on their faces and the intentional words in their vows warmed up everyone’s hearts around them.
“They had an intimate wedding and were very intentional about the people they chose to surround themselves with on that day. One of her very dedicated bridesmaids flew around the world that morning, literally… all the way from Vietnam and, as if right on cue, showed up just in time for the ceremony to begin, to witness one of her best friends marry the love of her life… that is true friendship right there!
“With a blush pink and slate grey palette, their color story was timeless and elegant, and their photos were warm and friendly. They also had hints of Arizona scattered throughout, such as succulents in the bouquets and adorned on the buttercream cake.
“One tip I love to tell my brides is to have your florist, such as the talented Posh Petals, provide you with a small box of loose flowers. When I first arrive on your wedding day, I use these pieces to tie in the floral element with the rest of their details to tell a complete color story. My good friend, Mollee, with Peace of Mind Events, coordinated their wedding and helped it run smooth and on time while leaving no detail unfinished. And get ready for the cutest little dog, Taggart, who was their ring bearer!
“Their advice to other couples who are planning their weddings:
‘My favorite parts of the planning process were the times when I was able to let go of the actual planning and focus on the excitement of getting married with family and friends present! Don’t worry about it being “Pinterest” perfect. All that matters is that you are marrying your best friend. Splurge only on the things that matter like the photos and video! These will preserve the memories that last a lifetime!’
“And that is SO true!! It is easy to get so caught up in the details of it all that you forget the real meaning of why you are doing this in the first place… your marriage! It was evident to me that Annabelle and James kept their focus on this throughout the day and their handwritten vows for one another brought nearly everyone to tears. I thanked them that day that for letting me bear witness to those words and that it was truly an encouragement for my own marriage!”
Bridal Q & A
Q1: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A1: We wanted to keep it simple and genuine. No frills or unnecessary things that would distract from what truly mattered to us, which was being together and in the moment.
Q2: Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A2: Our wedding arch backdrop was made by a family friend as a wedding gift. She actually has a shop called Banners and Stuff. We knew that she would do a great job and did! Other than that- small things like the favors, signs and small pieces were coordinated by myself and my mother-in-law, with a lot of help from our coordinate Mollee who set it all up in the end!
Q3: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A3: We wanted to keep the flowers simple- as these tend to be one of the pricier points in a wedding. The main florals, such as the bouquets, boutonnieres and ceremony arch flowers, were all provided by our vendors Posh Petals. The smaller ceremony aisle marker florals were actually faux flowers bought on amazon, as well as all the petal details on the aisle itself and tables.
Q4: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A4: Our band was a family friend as well, and it felt awesome to have someone we knew and trusted to provide our tunes. All in all the day felt very much like a family gathering rather than a stressful party which is what we wanted.
Q5: Let’s talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A5: I mostly just wanted everyone to be color coordinated. It was easy to have all the groomsmen rent the same tux for the day. For the bridesmaids, I told them to pick any dress they liked as long as it was a blush pink. I felt that I wanted them to be comfortable, confident and styled the way they wanted.
Q6: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A6: We met in college during our last year before graduation. We fell in love instantly and knew we wanted to be together for a lifetime. We discovered a lot about each other through pre-marital counseling; we were serious from the get-go and wanted to build a strong foundation of tools for marriage. After a year of being together we decided to get hitched! He took me on a romantic dinner nearly before Christmas time and proposed to me.
Q7: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A7: I think reading our vows to each other was our favorite part. We always joked to each other that “my vows are so gonna make you cry!” and “no way my vows are gonna be way more gushy than yours”. Only joking, we sat down together on a coffee date, turned back to back and wrote silently for hours a couple days before our wedding. And on the day, we were so calm and relaxed when saying them out loud because every word was true and known from the start of our relationship. I always have so much peace when I’m around James, and I loved that moment of realization on how ready we were to marry.
Q8: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
A8: Don’t over focus on how it looks- focus on how you want to feel that day. Make sure you and your fiance do the work on what it will mean when you’re married together, and the responsibilities you’ll face. I very much recommend pre-martial counseling and solo therapy too even if you think you don’t need it. It will be just that much more validation that you guys checked all your boxes and cleaned every corner as best you could. Your wedding will be calm, warm and only joyful even when disaster strikes, (which everyone apparently gets one wedding related disaster, so says my aunt!)
Vendors in this Wedding
Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Bridesmaid Store: Lulus.com
Ring Designer: Fred Meyer Jewelers
Shoes: Nina Shoes
Dress Store: BHLDN
Beauty: Heather Van Houten
Cinema and Video: The Story is Told
Band: MEZA
Caterer: Hilton El Conquistador
Floral Designer: Posh Petals
Event Planner: Peace Of Mind Event Design & Waitstaff
Event Venue: The Hilton El Conquistador Resort
Photographer: Pure in Art Photography
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