Tonight we are transported to the foothills of the Desert in Phoenix Arizona, for the wedding of Kelcie and James captured by the talented Shannon Rock, a Northern California-based wedding and lifestyle photographer from Preserve Studio
Speaking to Kelcie about how she met James she tells us: "We actually went to high school together. I had class with his younger sister, and we had lots of mutual friends but never actually interacted much. James was two years older than me, and I honestly thought he had no idea who I was, but it turns out he he did! It wasn't until we were both out at the same bar with our respective friends, a few years ago and ran into each other, that James and I actually started talking to each other and as they say the rest is history!"
When it came time to propose, Kelcie tells us "James chose to do it while we were doing the final walk-through of our new house. When we got to the kitchen there was a beautiful rose bush with the ring sitting in it and when I turned around, James was down on one knee. It took me by complete surprise, but both of our families knew what was happening." We asked the happy couple what they love so much about each other and James replied with, " I love Kelcie for her sharp wit, her unshakable authenticity, her honest smile and the remarkable beauty of her body and soul." Kelcie says, " I love James because he makes me feel safe, loved and understood, but most of all because my heart still skips a beat when he smiles at me from across a room.
When it came to planning their wedding day the couple both envisaged a classic, romantic wedding in the desert. Not wanting to have a traditional religious ceremony they asked their best friends to marry them and immediately started to look for a relaxed venue that was full of character and close to the desert vistas they wanted as part of their photographs.
They knew they had found the one, when they encountered the Desert Foothills. Located on a private property in North Scottsdale a short 10 minutes from major resorts for their guests with the capacity to cater from between 50-1500 guest, this spectacular venue had it all from the stunning desert vistas to the wide open spaces to capture the full force of the Arizona sunsets. The couple fell in love with the natural beauty of the property and the surrounding desert and with the help of Lara and the team at Laki Events + Design kept the decor simple utilising a colour palette of Ivory, Gold, Burgundy and a lot of Greenery.
When we asked them what their favourite moment of the day was Kelcie tells us that it was definitely their first look, explaining "choosing to do a first look alleviated so much nervous tension, I was so worried about stumbling and tripping down the aisle being so full of emotion at seeing James for the first time and being able to have that quite private moment before everything began was not only special but it calmed us both down, and made the ceremony a breeze." The most anticipated moment for the couple was the first dance, with James brother and one of the couples friends (who is a talented musician and on ITunes, Dylan Pratt) performing an acoustic version of "Have a Little Faith in Me.
The couples advice to others currently planning their big days is to; "Factor in a 'day of' or 'month of coordinator' whilst I had no problems planning the wedding myself, it was such a relief to let go and not worry about anything the day before and the day of the wedding. It's so easy to get caught up in the excitement and miss or forget the little things. Be prepared for things to not go totally to plan, guest just don't notice, so take a deep breath relax and remember the whole reason behind the day and know that at the end of the day regardless what happens, you still get to marry that one person that matters above all else."
We invite you to sit back and relax as you enjoy the images from this incredible wedding and don't forget to check out the list of vendors below and follow the links to discover some serious talent and inspiration for your big day!
MEET THE TEAM:
Photography: Preserve Studio
Event Design & Coordinator: Laki Events + Design