When Allison initially reached out, I knew right off the bat that we would be friends and I was SO DAMN EXCITED to work with them. I also may have stalked her website... (so much easier to learn about my new friends when they literally have their own website!) and found that we had so much in common...
Things (she) loves:
Jesus
Hugs
Queso, sushi, pizza, pretty much food in general…
Dance parties
Thunderstorms
Naps
Audrey Hepburn and Julia Roberts
Being near the water
Golden Retrievers
Visiting new places
Reality TV (don’t judge)
Handwritten Notes
I would agree with 99% of those and I'll just let you guess which one's I don't!!
Allison is a Texas wedding photographer so she has seen a lot and let me tell you, her vision was and is a WHOLE VIBE. From the vibrant colors to the grooms cake, to the disco balls... she had thought of every unique detail and I knew that her Zion Wedding was going to be absolutely amazing.
Did you see that unique ceremony set-up? You already know that I'm a huge fan of unique floral altars instead of a traditional arch so major points for that but I also loved the way she set up the guest chairs. This was the first time I'd seen this unique ceremony set-up and she was literally surrounded by her guests during the ceremony. HOW COOL IS THAT?! She had a massive bridal party (15 bridesmaids!) and they all sat with their significant others during the ceremony which meant that all of these beautiful photos are focus on just the two of them and that beautiful Zion Mountain Backdrop.
As your destination wedding planner, one of the tips I recommend is gathering all of your wedding day details together prior to your wedding day so that they're ready for your photographer to capture. Things that Allison included... shoes, rings, invitations, jewelry, perfume, a locket with her grandparents photos, a veil, flowers, and of course personal details from her wedding theme... disco balls. These are just a few of the details that I recommend gathering so that you can get beautiful photos like these!
Now... A MOMENT FOR THE FLOWERS!!! UGHHHH bold vibrant bouquets will forever have my heart and I was obsessed with these! Jocelyns Floral is one our favorite southern utah florists and she knocked it out of the park. You know what else I love? RE-PURPOSING!
I get it, you want allll the beautiful flowers but you're not made of money (trust me, I'm not either) so repurposing your ceremony flowers can help bring your vision to life without breaking the bank. See the flowers in the ceremony photo (far left)? That ground arch installment was made of 7-8 different pieces that we used and repurposed in A + A's reception space. Those are the SAME FLOWERS that you see in the photo on the far right of the champagne tower. After the champagne toast was complete, that also turned into the cake table so we were re-purposing left and right like freaking wedding ninjas (as one of my photographer friends so fondly calls us).
There are ton of ways to incorporate lots of wedding flowers in unique ways that don't break the bank and Allison nailed it. Best decision she made when it came to her bouquet? PRESERVING IT.
My heart is so happy when I'm able to take our client's beautiful bouquets home (especially one that beautiful!) and turn them into art. This beautiful bouquet is pressed and preserved into a beautiful frame that she will be able to keep forever and it's so close to being ready to ship home to Allison forever. You are NOT READY to see how vibrant it STILL IS after the drying process. Stay tuned flower friends....
One thing you don't see from all of these incredible photos (Major shout out to Kate Elizabeth Photography for all of these beauties, by the way!) is that the weather was giving us major anxiety in the 24 hours leading up to, and on the wedding day. It was cloudy, y'all. And I'm talking DARK STORMY ANGRY kind of clouds and we were so nervous. We did have a backup plan and in fact, held dinner under a tent just to be safe.
We got SO LUCKY and I swear the storm went around us so while there were definitely clouds for most of the day, the sun broke through at times for Kate to get some really incredible shots. I think it sprinkled slightly but nothing that we couldn't handle and nothing that caused any damage to the decor that we did choose to leave outside.
Moral of the story from a wedding planners perspective--- Have a backup plan in case of weather JUST TO BE SAFE. If we get lucky.,,, Hallelujah. Better safe than sorry!
Every time I look back through a full gallery of photos, I am so overwhelmed with love. Most of my clients work together with out team for 1+ years and by the time your wedding day comes around, I truly feel like I'm helping a friend on one of the most incredible days of their life. We are there to make sure things run smoothly, but mostly... I'm there to make sure that you have FUN. This is a celebration and I want you to have all the beautiful moments and make a million memories on your wedding day and it's an honor to be part of that.
If you're planning a destination wedding or elopement, we would love to help bring your vision to life. We believe that your big day should be a unique expression of your love story so bring on all the quirky inside jokes... let's find a way to bring out your personality in all the wedding details.
Happy Planning, Lovers!
Jacqueline + The SunRae Planning Team