Arizona Weddings Blog

Dawn Huber & Jason Trueblood
The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain

Photography by f.ferguson photographers

For years, Dawn Huber dreamed of marrying the love of her life at The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain. Jason Trueblood made that dream become a reality when the duo married, surrounded by their family and friends in January.  Taking the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife, Mr & Mrs. Trueblood danced to Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine.” The evening continued in their black and white themed wedding, as guests danced the night away. A seven day Hawaiian honeymoon in Maui followed.

ARIZONA RESOURCES
CEREMONY & RECEPTION SITE The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain
PHOTOGRAPHY f.Ferguson Photographers
OFFICIANT Matt Anderson, McDowell Mountain Community Church
WEDDING CONSULTANT Victoria Michael
BRIDE’S GOWN Lillian Lottie Couture
JEWELRY Paris by Debra Moreland
SHOES Cole Haan
MAKEUP Pro Makeup by Jackie
BRIDESMAID’S DRESSES White House Black Market
GROOM’S APPAREL Men’s Wearhouse
INVITATIONS The Wedding Accessory Superstore
FLOWERS Flowers by Jodi
CATERING The Sanctuary Camelback Mountain
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT DJ’s Paul, Mindy Hubbard,
Apperson Strings
WEDDING CAKE Classic Cakes and Confections
WEDDING NIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS The Sanctuary Camelback

Promotions and Sales during the week of March 3 to March 10 at Adore Bridal Boutique

For bride-to-be:10% off veils and accessories…and….Enter a raffle to get HALF off your wedding dress

For Once-wed brides: if you consign your dress within this week, enter a raffle to get $100 Victoria Secret gift card. A treat to spice up your marriage!

Yes, you heard that correctly, if you make your wedding dress purchase at Adore Bridal between Saturday, March 3rd and Friday, March 9th, you will be entered into a raffle to get half your wedding dress for free!  (Free?  Yes, free!)  Then, on the evening of Friday, March 9th, Adore Bridal will pick a name at random and announce the winner on their blog and on Facebook! One lucky gal will receive the fantastic news that will be easy on the wedding budget!

Pretty simple yet oh-so exciting!  Make sure to book your visit with us to ensure you have a chance at winning this amazing offer! Remember, our store is by appointment only.

Adore Bridal Boutique Open House
Saturday, March 10th
425 West Guadalupe Road #117
Gilbert, AZ 85233
3-5pm

Please RSVP at info@adorebridalboutique.com or 480-244-6621     
 

A HUGE plus of my role with Arizona Weddings is the time I am able to spend getting to know our vendors.  I feel into the industry, so I am always interested in learning how and why a vendor chooses to be a part of the wedding world.  For many it was a passion they had from the start. For others it was a happy accident.  For Stephanie Harmon of Steponme Photography, I believe it was fate.

After the sudden death of her father in 2009, Stephanie sought out a way to heal and grieve her loss.  Photography served as a connection to her father but also allowed her to help other capture the important moments in life.  Each day Stephanie says she feels connected to her father by helping others capture important moments.

“It’s incredibly empowering and an emotional experience for me because I feel so close to the families I work with and I cherish every moment I am able to share with them,” adds Stephanie. 

After communicating with Stephanie for only a moment, I can feel her passion over the phone.  I can feel how her “job” brings her so much joy professionally but also reminds her everyday that her father is still with her.  Her talent is evident by a simple glance at her portfolio and her passion is evident by a quick word. 

So what are you waiting for?  Call Stephanie Harmon of Steponme Photography today.  Not only will you hire an exceptional photographer, but you’ll make a new friend as well!

Steponme Photography
(602) 576-8463     
stephanie@steponmephoto.com
www.steponmephoto.com

A Few of My Favorite Questions to Ask Vendors…..

Advice for Brides Planning Their Arizona Weddings: Try to feel the NEEDS first because if you keep looking on pintrest I can tell you that nothing will get done! The engagement period is supposed to be FUN so let this be that for you and your fiancé. And above all TRUST your photographer. Your photographer’s job is to make you look amazing and they will. They are there to make you look and feel phenomenal!

Favorite Wedding Moment:  I love moments that make me smile and teary.  The best moment I had was during a small ceremony in Scottsdale. The sister of the bride (Maid of Honor) was starting to give her speech. I have never heard a more eloquent and moving maid of honor speech in my life. I remember looking at my 2nd shooter just in tears. I don't have a sister but at that moment I wished I had. It was such a beautiful bond. After the Maid of Honor's speech the two hugged for what seemed like a lifetime. That wedding will always be special to me mainly because of that moment.

If You Weren’t A Photographer, What Would You Be Doing? If I weren't a photographer I would probably be teaching jr. high or high school. I may be insane but I love interacting with adolescents and children just beginning to find themselves. It is such a special and important time in their lives and I feel that I can connect with them and understand them in a way that may be difficult for others.

Steponme Photography
(602) 576-8463     
stephanie@steponmephoto.com
www.steponmephoto.com

Inspired by the cultural movement of the renaissance, Junko Yoshioka bridges the past and present with her fabrics, construction & detailing; masterfully utilizing dimensional laser cut silks, antiqued ombre matelasses and embroidered laces to create a collection of modern grace and timeless beauty.

Anne Moreau & Eliezer Finegold
L’Auberge de Sedona Resort
Photography by Sedona Wedding Studio

Like many couples, Anne Moreau & Eliezer Finegold started planning an elaborate wedding shortly after their engagement. After much reflection, the pair opted to scale back and refocus their nuptials to truly reflect their story, their journey and their marriage. A small intimate affair for 20 followed at the L’Auberge de Sedona Resort. With love in the air and their families united, “Wonderwall” by Ryan Adams set the mood as Mr. and Mrs. Finegold took the floor for the first time.

ARIZONA RESOURCES
CEREMONY & RECEPTION SITE L’Auberge de Sedona Resort | PHOTOGRAPHY Sedona Bride | WEDDING CONSULTANT Judi Bloomfield, Sedona Luxury Weddings | PLANNING Sedona Wedding Studio | BRIDE’S GOWN J Crew Bridal | FLOWERS Events By Showstoppers | MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT DJ Bobby Russell, Sedona Sounds | WEDDING CAKE Sedona Cake Couture | GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS L’Auberge de Sedona and Amara Resort | LIGHTING & DÉCOR Events By Showstoppers

Most Bridal Shows contain the same information, everything you might need to plan your wedding big or small. While planning your special day, what do you need more of?  TIME! What you’ll gain from The Phoenix Bridal Show is the “time” to talk each vendor.  All the professionals at this event are there to insure that the wedding you’ve been dreaming of since you were a little girl comes true. 

Give them this chance by visiting all of the vendors at the upcoming Phoenix Bridal Show, on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel.

 Come enjoy complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres, high energy fashion shows and spend the day in the company of your friends and family.  Prizes will be given throughout the day, you don’t want to miss this.  Remember to bring your labels and anyone you might need to help you make those big decisions!    There will be a trunk and designer gown sale on site.  Pick out, try on and take home your dream dress. 

Text the word bridalshow to 55678 to join the Phoenix Bridal Show’s mobile VIP club.  Purchase tickets on-line at:  www.phoenixbridalshow.com.             

Love Story: John & Gina Hook

John Hook, anchor for KSAZ Fox 10 News, and his lovely wife Gina just celebrated their wedding anniversary last September.  Eleven years of marriage and three kids later, this is their love story.

How They Met
John was already working at FOX 10 when Gina joined the team.  She was also a reporter—a beautiful and smart one at that.  One problem, though.  She had a boyfriend.  Once that fell through as relationships sometimes do, John was quick to jump in and let fate take its course.  It wasn’t long before these coworkers would become locked together in love and in marriage.

The Proposal
Throughout their relationship, John and Gina discovered that they shared a love for water sports and the ocean.  So, on a trip to Maui, John thought that he had the perfect proposal planned.  He would present Gina with an engagement ring underwater while snorkeling! Cute, right? 

Well, the day of their snorkeling excursion, the water was so choppy that it would have been extremely risky to pass that beautiful and life-changing ring without dropping it to the bottom of the ocean.  So, John was forced to think on his feet.  His decision, however, would pave the seamless transition from their spectacular engagement to their stunning wedding celebration.

Gina was standing along the shore  looking out at the gorgeous Hawaiian ocean, when after a fair amount of digging, John pulled out the ring from his swim trunks.  “I’d been hiding it in a Sudafed bottle the entire trip,” John said.  He got down on one knee and, with the sea and sun as their witnesses, asked Gina to be his wife.

The Wedding
Wanting to recreate their picturesque proposal for their wedding celebration, John and Gina decided to have a wedding alongside the beach.  A destination wedding in Hawaii would mean that some family members could not attend, so the two agreed that a lovely wedding in Laguna Niguel, California could add the same gorgeous touch—closer to home.

With Gina being from Southern California and John from Northern California, the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel was the perfect setting for their romantic wedding along the California shore.  On September 3, 2000, the couple said “I do,” in front of 50 of their closest friends and family.  Their lives together would now officially begin.

Life After “I Do”
On wedding planning, John said that Gina did the majority of it; however, he did help with the big decisions such as picking out the venue.  His biggest advice to engaged couples was: “if you have a venue in mind that may be a bit above your budget, take another look.  Often times, if you’re having a smaller wedding, prices at your dream venue can become more affordable.”

Today, 11 years after their special day, John and Gina have three kids: twin boys, Michael and Kendall, and their youngest, Makena.  “Kids can truly strengthen an already happy marriage,” John suggests.  Having children gives you and your partner a common purpose that allows you to work for the same goal.  Sharing the happy moments that come from sharing a family really can lead to a deeper, more appreciative marriage and life together.
 

Love Story: Andrea & Chris

Andrea Robinson, anchor of “FOX 10 Arizona Morning”, and her husband Chris experienced one of those romances that are typically only seen in the movies. 

How They Met
In May of 2001, Andrea and Chris were just two students at a summer party with no idea that love was coming their way.  Andrea was a sophomore at Arizona State University when Chris, who was just starting at ASU, came up to her and boldly said, “So, when are we going on a date?”
Perhaps it was his confidence, or maybe it was just fate, but Andrea said yes.  The two went out on their first date later that week and began consistently dating immediately afterwards all throughout college.  They dated for seven years before the big moment when another “yes” from Andrea would seal their love for the rest of their lives.  

The Proposal
For Andrea, it was a typical day at work in July.  She was delivering a segment on the morning show about celebrity weddings when unexpectedly, she looked into the monitor and saw her boyfriend, Chris, walking up behind her.  It was right then, on-air, that he dropped to one knee and asked for her hand in marriage in front of all of the viewers.  And of course, she said yes. 
Chris had set everything up with the station in order to plan the perfect proposal.  All of Andrea’s co-workers kept it a secret, which she said, “is extremely hard to do in a newsroom setting.” 
On March 15, 2008, the beautiful bride and her Phoenix firefighter groom, were wed at Moon Valley Country Club.  It was a traditional and classic wedding celebrating their seven years together and the many happy years to come. 

Life After The Wedding
After two loving years of marriage, the couple gave birth to their first son, Carter, on July 3, 2010.  Continuing the tradition of having their biggest relationship milestones caught on-air, FOX 10 featured a live segment at the hospital just two days after baby Carter was born to introduce him to the viewers.
Upon asking Andrea how she and her husband juggle their unique jobs and caring for their little one, she had one explanation: “organized chaos.”  At the end of each month, they sit down together and plan out their schedules for the next couple of weeks.  With the help of their families and Andrea’s early hours, they are able to spend many afternoons and evenings together as a family.

Tips for a Happy Marriage
As a young couple who has been together for eleven years and married for four, Andrea gives these tips for keeping a happy marriage after the wedding:
1. Always be each other’s cheerleaders.  Being supportive is one of the most important things in a relationship.
2. Make time for one another!  Once a month, Andrea and Chris try to have a date night.  With all of the commotion of having a career and a child, spending time as a couple is sometimes lost in the chaos, but it’s  a vital part of your relationship after marriage.
3. Show your appreciation.  Everyday, when Andrea sees Chris in her favorite role of his—being a dad—she appreciates him even more.   Letting each other know you care and are thankful for one another can  grow your love more than you could ever imagine.