Wedding Flashback: Vanessa & Scott Miller

For my first Wedding Flashback, I would like to introduce Vanessa and Scott Miller. They were married on March 22, 2008 at Villa Siena.

Vanessa is my kind of girl - she likes to plan ahead! She hired me almost 15 months before her wedding. My other favorite thing about her is that she knows what she wants! That is always fantastic and so much fun! She told me in our initial meeting that she wanted the color theme to be hot pink and brown with accents of green... and we started with that concept and this is what we created:

The day started out with the girls getting ready in the comfortable bridal suite at Villa Siena.

It was a beautiful March day so the weather was perfect! I was totally blown away by the amazing work of Leslie Lejcar and Shawna Yarbrough of Lasting Images. This was the first time I had the privilege of working with them and they were such a pleasure. They were on time all day long and as you can see, they got some really amazing shots! Here are some of my favorites of Vanessa. She was such a beautiful bride!

Here is a shot of the ceremony site. The flowers were provided by Tyler's Custom Design. She dressed up the fireplace with lots of hanging amaranthus... my favorite!

Here are some more detail shots of the ceremony.

This shot is of the Best Man. He was so funny... He told me he was a "professional groomsman" so he could be trusted to walk more than one bridesmaid down the aisle at once. He had been in something like 7 weddings... He was cracking me up all night long!

And this shot is so adorable... I think this might be the cutest flower girl of all time. I mean, is it just me or is this a bridal magazine cover waiting to happen?:

Here are a handful of detail shots from the reception. The cake was provided by Bamboo Bakery and the linens were provided by Elegant Presentations.

All of the guests enjoyed the create-your-own pasta station. It was such a treat and the aroma in the room was amazing! The occasional flames from the saute pan created a really fun buzz in the room as well.

Vanessa was so excited about her pink and brown candy buffet table! The containers were purchased at TJ Maxx and the galvanized scoops were from CostPlus World Market. We had personalized pink paper bags for the guests to fill up and take home... and at the end of the night there was hardly a piece of candy in sight!

Vanessa & Scott - It was such a pleasure working with you and your family! I hope that you are enjoying life as newlyweds! I wish you all the best for your future!

Wedding Flashback: Austin & Charlie Fairbourn

Austin and Charlie Fairbourn were married on March 14, 2009 in a beautiful and intimate ceremony at Brophy Chapel and their reception was held at the very hip, very urban Bentley Projects downtown.

This was one of those occasions where in the first phone call with Austin, we just clicked. Austin's best friend and Maid of Honor, Bailey and I met at the January Bridal Fashion Debut. Bailey was doing some reconnaissance on Austin's behalf since Austin currently lives in Denver. Bailey told me she would pass my information onto Austin and sure enough I received a call from Austin the following week.

As I mentioned, Austin and I had an immediate connection and within days she made her decision to hire me as her day-of coordinator. At that point we began working very closely together for the next few months, pulling together the final details of her wedding day.

Austin has impeccable taste and the vendors she had selected were all top-notch! It was a pleasure to meet some new vendors, and a delight to work with the ones I already know.

Below are a handful of my favorite pictures taken by one my new favorite photographers, Kirsty Edwards of Kirsty Edwards Photography in San Francisco. We found that we not only share the same last name, but also the same exact birthday! We dubbed ourselves "Team Edwards" and I cannot wait for another opportunity to work with my new found friend!

Below are some of the details of the day. The flowers were designed by Tamara at Petal Pushers and I could not have been more impressed. She is not only a talented designer, but one of the hardest working people I have ever met. It is obvious that her heart and soul goes into everything that she does. Just take a look at her handiwork:


I love this shot of Austin. So elegant, so chic, so glamorous:

Here are a few shots from the ceremony. I just love Brophy Chapel!

Isn't this a cute shot of the girls?:

And I love this shot of the guys:


The reception details came together beautifully. Austin and Charlie had a theme that was centered around bridges and the symbolism of what they stand for. I loved the way that the natural elements in the centerpieces and the earthy colors of brown and green were a really warm balance for the modern, urban art gallery.

The amazing menu provided by Santa Barbara Catering (led by the invaluable Melissan Falcone) was made up of down-home comfort food including Pulled Pork, Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Fried Green Tomatoes and Cornbread. And to top it off: Pie ala mode. Mmmmm!

The guests enjoyed a fun evening filled with music provided by Nick Kraintz of NDK and an Old Fashioned Photobooth provided by A2Z Photobooth. It was truly a magical evening!

Congratulations Austin & Charlie! You were a delight to work for and it was a pleasure to get to know you. I wish you all the best that life has to offer - you deserve it!


For more photos from this wedding, please visit Shoot Retouch Design's Photography Blog!

Wedding Flashback: Stephanie & William Hodder

This Wedding Flashback is definitely a blast from my past. Stephanie and William Hodder were married on FIVE years ago today on November 13, 2005 at Sassi Ristorante in Scottsdale. I really enjoyed working with this couple and we were all very happy with how the details came together.

Stephanie was a beautiful bride:

And the bouquets were actually white calla lilies that we tinted a soft peach:
The ceremony was on Sassi's beautiful lawn. The live harp music created a romantic ambiance and the desert view made for a gorgeous backdrop:
The bridesmaids bouquets were also lovely and a nice compliment to Stephanie's:
The reception details were warm and intimate, just like Will & Stephanie:
Thanks for walking down memory lane with me.  Even after all the weddings that Your Heart's Desire has produced, each wedding still remains clear in my mind. They are each unique and special to me and I feel blessed to be in this business.

Best wishes Will & Stephanie... May you be blessed with many more years of love and happiness!

Photos Provided by Nelsons Weddings

Wedding Flashback: Donna & Al Morrison

Donna and Al Morrison were married on September 27, 2008 at their private residence in Fountain Hills. This beautiful home overlooking Firerock Canyon Golf Course is actually their new winter getaway from Calgary, Alberta.

They hired me in May of 2008 and we got to work right away creating a warm and unique event. They really did not want a lot of formality and structure -- They wanted a fun cocktail party atmosphere for their 70 guests, mostly from out of town. So, our overall theme was to bring in the elements of the desert and southwest.

For the food, we decided to serve a Mexican inspired cuisine provided by Seasons Gourmet Catering, including Mini Tostadas, Quesedillas and a Salsa Bar, among many other tasty items. The staff was phenomenal and owner, Stuart Kramer went well above and beyond as usual!

For the flowers, we went with an array of proteas. They are huge exotic flowers and Tyler's Custom Design used at least 5 different varieties to create some truly breathtaking arrangements. They were not only a gorgeous addition to Donna's existing decor in the house, but they were a perfect compliment to the desert landscape in the back yard as well.

To create the perfect ambiance and add an additional southwest flair during the cocktail hour, we surprised the guests with a captivating performance by Flamenco Dancer, Linda Machado accompanied by her husband, Ricardo de Cristobal, playing acoustical Spanish guitar.

And of course, without the incredibly talented work of MelissaJill Photography, we would not have been able to capture the essence of this event in the way only she can. For some additional photos and her take on the event, I recommend visiting her very popular and addicting blog.

After dinner and mingling, the party began! Michael Broening, our Master of Ceremonies, had the difficult task of trying to make a very diversified group of dancers happy... and from what I saw it was a success! In fact, come to find out, the bride was one of the teachers in Van Halen's video "Hot for Teacher." So of course we had quite the cheers when Michael played that one!

Last but not least, I must share a YHD first!!! Half-way through the evening, about 30 guests, including the bride and groom, decided to jump in the pool, evening-wear and all! Their little dip only lasted about 15 minutes, but during that time I raided the house for every dry towel I could find. One guest asked me as I handed out towels whether this was part of my job description. I just laughed and replied, "It is now!" It was just good, clean, spontaneous fun and a wedding I will be talking about for many years to come!

Thanks Donna & Al for hiring me to be a part of such a spectacular event! My best wishes for you and a blessed future together!

Wedding Flashback: Natalie & Felix Carroll

Let me introduce to you, Natalie and Felix. They were married on December 1, 2007 at the beautiful Villa Siena in Gilbert.

Natalie will be the first to tell you that she didn't think she needed a wedding planner, but decided just to check it out anyway. I was surprised when they shared those feeling with me later, since they hired me on the spot at our initial consultation!

I guess love at first sight doesn't just apply to romantic love... because the feelings I had for both Natalie and her mom at that initial meeting, were completely mutual. It wasn't long before I met Felix as well, and we also hit it off.

Planning their wedding was such a treat! Natalie knew both what she DID and did NOT want, which was a dream. They were very laid back and had impeccable taste. I looked forward to every meeting we had together because they always made great decisions and were so much fun to be around.

I have selected a handful of my favorite images of the day, shot by the super-talented MelissaJill. I could not possibly fit all of my favorite images in this post, so be sure to check out the entire album design when you get a chance.

Here is a shot of Natalie having her makeup done at the salon:

Natalie and Felix chose to see each other before the ceremony for pictures, and they shared a very emotional first meeting:



Natalie was such a beautiful bride:

I love the variety of dresses on the girls. Each one suited their individual styles and personalities:

Here is one of my favorite bouquet shots of all time (...I guess that is obvious when you look at my website, huh?):

So as it turns out, December 1, 2007 was one of those rare Arizona days where the rain would not let up. I kept crossing my fingers, saying little prayers and practically willing it to stop with every fiber of my being, but no such luck.

But if you absolutely have to use the inclement weather option at a venue, Villa Siena is the place you want to be! Below is a shot of what we had to do instead of the original plan to have it outside in the courtyard:

It was absolutely breathtaking. When Natalie's mom arrived at Villa Siena, she came to me with a pleading look in her eyes and asked me if there was ANY chance we could still have it outside. With limited time before the ceremony was ready to begin, I told her that we had to move it inside, but that I had an amazing alternative. Then I walked her down to the room shown above, she looked at me with tears in her eyes and gave me a huge hug.  She was speechless.

Here are some additional detail shots from the ceremony:

I loved the romantic glow of the fireplace behind them as they exchanged their vows:

The dining room was warm and inviting. Here is a shot of one of the tables and the cake:


Thanks again Natalie and Felix! You are such a charming couple and I wish you a long and beautiful marriage together!