Every so often, a wedding graces my screen and my breath is caught in my throat. The pure beauty of an event can do this to me without warning – when it’s as utterly gorgeous as this soiree, sent our way by Signature Events, LLC. Filled with romantic and personal details, the entire day, captured by Erica Velasco, was magic unfolding in every image. And every magical image was put into a gallery where you might just lose track of your morning!
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On our thirteen month anniversary Dan and I got engaged at the Magic of Lanterns Exhibit at Montreal’s Botanical Gardens. We were walking along when a mime suddenly popped in front of us, holding champagne, flowers and a box of Kleenex. The tissues certainly came in handy, as through tears of joy I watched the love of my life get down on one knee and propose! After enjoying the weekend in beautiful Montreal, we started planning our dream wedding with a focus on creating an extraordinary day filled with love, laughter and a unique sense of who we are as a couple. Since for the majority of our guests the Scottsdale, Arizona venue would be an out-of-town destination, it was also really important that we showed our family and friends an amazing time.
Dan and I incorporated a number of personal elements into our wedding day. For my “something blue”, I had my bridesmaids write a message to me in blue ink on the bottom of my shoes. Dan LOVES the color orange and so it was represented in his socks and tie as well as the all the socks of all of the groomsmen. To honor my late grandfather, I attached to my bouquet a fused glass charm he had designed years before. As a symbol of our first date at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, guests were greeted at the ceremony with two groomsmen dressed as concessionaires, passing out candy and peanuts. At the reception, our escort cards doubled as frames that our guests could use for their photo booth pictures and every one of our tables represented a favorite place of ours, with an image of each location in the background. We also incorporated a late-night taco bar since we enjoy ending our nights out with Mexican food. And, to ensure our guests were well-fed, we had both a popcorn bar (Dan’s food of choice) and a cookies-and-milk bar (I love all things sweet!). Lastly, the delicious chocolate cake was iced with a number of words chosen by us to reflect special aspects of our relationship as we know and love it.
The Four Seasons had the intimacy and privacy we hoped for. We were blown away by the resort’s beauty, both inside and out. Immediately upon seeing the ceremony spot, I could envision myself walking down the aisle to join Dan in this gorgeous desert environment. On our wedding day, the setting was even more magical than I had dreamed as we stood hand-in-hand under the chuppah, getting married in front of our closest family and friends. The reading of our vows was the very best part of our wedding day and I love that we completed them while sitting next to each other the night before.
As a girl who thought much more about finding Mr. Right than the wedding where I would marry him, I surprised myself with how much I loved the process of creating our special and memorable day. And, in the end, it was a truly perfect event … not because of the planning, detailed spreadsheets or hours of research but because I married the love of my life and best friend.
Photography: Erica Velasco / Event Planner: Charlee L. Geisler of Signature Events, LLC / Venue: Four Seasons Resort, Scottsdale / Chairs & Linens: Classic Party Rental / Photobooth: Shutterbox Entertainment / Florist: Flower Studio / Ceremony Music: Lyra / DJ: MT Sounds / Cake: Four Seasons / Invitations: Invitations and More / Wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses and hanger: Lillian Lottie Couture / Popcorn: Poppa Maize Gourmet Popcorn / Popcorn stickers: Sticker Divas / Popcorn Vase Labels: Sweet Talk Designs / Groomsmen Name tags: Curly Girl Designs via Etsy / Table cards: Erickson Design, Sticker Divas / Videographer: Serendipity