As Ever Photography is located in Tucson, Arizona and specializes in weddings and portraits with a fine art aesthetic. As Ever creates images thoughtfully and intentionally with attention to detail to create heirloom images for couples and their families for years to come.

We love this idea of marking a point in time with professional photos — whether it be a once in a lifetime vacation, a temporary home, or to document those moments before a life-changing event (a baby, a move, etc.). Professional photographers aren’t just for weddings… you can capture your joy any time!

xoxo,

dd

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

Before starting Crain + Co., Meagan had previously planned events in college and worked as a catering sales manager and an event planner for a non-profit art museum. She describes these experiences as being “absolutely invaluable” as they helped her to establish her own business and to serve her clients well. According to Meagan, a Crain & Co. event is characterized by stunning and timeless designs, seamless and stress-free planning, and a carefully curated event day flow.

Meagan shared some invaluable advice for newly engaged couples just getting started with their wedding planning. We’re going to go ahead and put it in boldface type because there are just so many gems here :

First, enjoy being engaged… spread the good news and celebrate! This is a once in a lifetime moment and there’s no reason to rush it. Before getting too caught up in the “to do’s” and logistics, come up with a realistic budget with your family and discuss your priorities so you can allocate your budget appropriately. Based on your budget you can move forward with choosing your venue and then vendors. Lastly, choose a venue that matches your aesthetic. It’s really hard to turn a rustic estate into a modern warehouse wedding.

We asked Meagan a few more fun questions to help Desert Dove readers get to know her and her business a little better.

What do you love most about being an event planner?

I love working as a collective team and helping lead the way. I always tell our clients that a planner is like the captain of their wedding ship. All creative vendors have really important jobs to do and, as the planner, we collectively bring all the efforts together to create a memorable, beautiful, successful event day. I also love being a planner because we get to be with our couples throughout their entire wedding journey. We get to plan and design with them for many months and then we get to experience them enjoying every minute of the celebration as they embark on their new marriage. We’re really honored to get to know them and their families and take part in such a huge day in their lives.

How would you describe the style of your work?

Fresh, clean and classic with a modern edge. Personality wise, I always say we are detail-oriented, but laid back. There’s almost never a problem that doesn’t have a solution!

Tell us about something that makes a wedding extra fun for you.

Honestly, the longer I do this the more I realize how much I love the reason why we have weddings in the first place… to celebrate marriage. I also love when clients are intentional about their design choices. We can design all the pretty things, but being able to connect them personally to the client to help tell their “love” story and clue guests into their personalities is really special.

What is the most unique, interesting, or special wedding experience you’ve had?

Every wedding has a special component that makes it memorable for us, but a couple years ago we did two sisters’ weddings about nine months a part. Both weddings were held at their childhood home and their dad put a lot of time and sweat into transforming a pasture into a huge reception lawn. It was really special to get to know their families while creating different wedding experiences for each couple.

Also, I love the Tucson community and am so thankful to get to see some of our past couples at current client’s weddings.

What is your dream holiday or adventure?

I’d love to spend some time in Greece or Croatia. My husband and I also have hopes of a long vacation (sans kiddos) where we get to stay in one of the cute bungalows over the ocean in Bali or somewhere else spectacular.

Tell us something about you that might surprise your clients if they knew.

I’m an introvert and I love to be behind the scenes and never in front of them. I also have an irrational fear of monkeys.

Located in Tucson, AZ, Crain + Co. Events provides full service planning and design as well as wedding day management. Their focus is on creating custom designs and facilitating flawless logistics. 

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

Our first post of 2021 is extra sweet! Today we’re getting to know Jamie Pacheco of Jamie-Cakes, a bakery boutique in Tucson, AZ. A wedding cake artist for over 10 years, Jamie works with each couple to create a cake that is truly theirs, reflecting their vision and personality, while capturing the unique look and feel of their event.

Jamie worked for many years at a “desk job” in federal and state government and felt she was never fully able to tap into her creative side. She’d had a lifelong love of baking and began making cakes and cupcakes for friends and family. As her bakery business grew and grew, she eventually turned her side hustle into a full time career! We interviewed Jamie to find out a little more about her business, her delicious creations, and her work in the Tucson wedding industry.

How would you describe the style of your work?

If you look at my gallery of creations on my website, you’ll see I don’t necessarily stick to one particular style of cake. I really like to work with my couples to make a creation that is unique to them and their wedding. I love meeting new couples and working together to create the cake of their dreams.

Tell us about something that makes a wedding extra fun for you.

I just love to try new things. So when a couple gives me creative liberty over the design of their cake, I have fun experimenting with new and/or trendy styles.

What is the most unique, interesting, or special wedding experience you’ve had?

Living in Arizona, we’re blessed with this beautiful desert landscape and climate. But the desert also brings things we don’t necessarily want at our weddings sometimes… critters of the 4-legged variety! I was recently setting up a wedding cake at a beautiful outdoor venue that was set in the midst of our lovely desert. With a pond in the area as well, a family of about 10 javelina decided that it looked like a nice watering hole to visit. Fortunately their visit was short and they went along their way!

Brag a little about your proudest moment as a wedding professional.

I have built my business from the ground up. When I started going on 11 years ago now, it was from scratch. I had to build a name and reputation for myself in this industry over the years. In the very beginning I didn’t have an advertising budget, so I had a free ad on Craigslist! Now I’m so very fortunate to have a much healthier advertising budget to spread around to local wedding magazines, etc.

What is your dream holiday or adventure?

My husband and I have always wanted to visit Italy! We actually had a vacation in the works to Italy in 2020 but then COVID happened and that has been put on hold. In the meantime, we’ve been stocking up on Italian wines to get us through.

Tell us something you never leave home without?

A snack! Because you don’t want to cross my path when I’m hangry!

Tell us something about you that might surprise your clients if they knew.

For my birthday, I always choose cheesecake over cake! Not that I don’t love cake! It’s probably just because I have an endless supply of cake on hand any given day and cheesecake is a special treat that I only indulge in a few times a year.

What is a TV show or movie that you could watch on repeat forever?

National Treasure! When it was available on Netflix, I literally had it playing in the background almost every day. My family is so happy it’s not available on Netflix anymore! I’m also a big fan of anything zombie apocalypse, so The Walking Dead is another favorite of mine.

Jamie-Cakes Bakery Boutique is located in Tucson, Arizona. Jamie strives to provide a memorable “experience” for her couples, from their initial encounter to delivery of the cake. 

Arizona is such a gorgeous state and there is so much to see and do! I love road trips and before I was able to live in Arizona, I went on a road trip across the state. My trip started at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, a dude ranch where you can experience true cowboy life! After Tucson and a stop in Phoenix for some shopping, the trip continued up North to one of my favourite places in Arizona, well technically it’s more Utah but still… It’s Monument Valley and I absolutely love this place so much. Highly underrated and so worth a visit! From Monument Valley, the trip continued to the gorgeous surroundings of Page. This includes Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Valley. It is so beautiful out there and I can’t wait to visit there again soon!

These images of Arizona as seen by someone exploring the area for the first time remind us how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful place with such breathtaking scenery. It’s easy to see why people come from around the world to see our state, and why so many couples are choosing Arizona for their destination weddings — it’s the perfect place for stunning wedding photos and an adventurous honeymoon!

Thank you to Anouschka for sharing these gorgeous shots with Desert Dove; we look forward to seeing more travel images from Arizona’s talented photography community!

xo,

dd

Photographer: Anouschka Rokebrand Photography

Emily and Katie named their boutique to honor the memory of their beloved best friend, Genna, who had been been there for that first special shopping trip and whose life had tragically and unexpectedly ended; she will forever be part of the dream they brought to fruition. We interviewed Emily and Katie to find out a little more about one of Tucson’s premier bridal salons and about the two of them as well.

What do you love most about owning a bridal boutique?

There are so many things we love about our job, but the most satisfying part of our job is building a woman’s confidence. There is no greater joy in our career than seeing our brides FEEL beautiful. Every woman deserves to feel beautiful and getting to help brides feel that in a wedding dress is so rewarding!

How would you describe your shop’s style?

Our boutique and wedding gowns tend to be more on the classic, romantic side, and very girly and feminine! Our goal was to make our boutique aesthetic timeless and like a women’s dream closet.

Tell us about something that makes your job extra fun?

We enjoy when our brides incorporate a family heirloom into their bridal look. We have been able to help a bride find a gown that complements a 100 year-old lace veil, as well as having a piece of mom’s/grandma’s wedding gown incorporated into another bride’s wedding dress or veil. It is so special to hear about the meanings behind these special treasures.

What is the most unique, interesting, or special experience you’ve had in the boutique?

We received a call from a nurse that used to work with Katie at TMC (she was a tech for TMC children’s ER unit). She was in search of a wedding dress for her aunt whose health was declining quickly and wanted to know if we had and recommendations for her to find an inexpensive dress for a small wedding that would be in just a couple days. They were calling us from Dress Barn and she said it did not feel right having her aunt purchase a simple flower sundress to get married to the love of her life. They wanted this to be a monumental and exciting, last memory for her. Her aunt was extremely sick from the chemo and was having a hard time working up the energy to try dresses on. We immediately told her we would love the opportunity to help and to not even worry about the cost because at the end of the day, being able to provide this amazing memory for her was all the payment we needed.

Her family called us shortly after her wedding to let us know she had passed just a few weeks after. They wanted to thank us for everything because they said seeing her try on the dress she selected was the first time they had seen her smile in a long time and she felt so beautiful on her wedding day. Helping her feel like a beautiful woman on her wedding day, was one of the greatest gifts we have ever gotten to feel.

What is your dream holiday or adventure?

We LOVE to travel! Experiencing new food, traditions, and culture is hands-down our favorite thing.

What’s something you never leave home without?

Our kids!

Tell us something about you that might surprise your clients if they knew?

Many of our clients think we are joking when we tell them we are twin sisters. We don’t look that much alike, so they usually laugh and we have to reiterate that we are serious.

What is a TV show or movie that you could watch on repeat forever?

We have different opinions on this! Emily is definitely a reality show fan, so anything Housewives, Bachelor, Bravo shows, the list goes on and on. Katie LOVES crime shows, like CSI!

J Bridal Boutique is located at 2840 East Skyline Drive, Suite 150 in Tucson. J Bridal is Arizona’s Premiere Bridal Boutique for the feminine and fashionable bride. They offer brides a unique one-on-one experience with a professional stylist to assist with finding their perfect wedding day look.

xo,

dd

Photographer: Christy Hunter

Hair and Makeup: Karina Romero

Venue: Tanque Verde Guest Ranch

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