We’re sharing today on the blog. It’s a gorgeous wedding that’s so glamorous and beautiful; I can’t wait for you to see it!
Steven & Aidelni were married in Tucson, Arizona, with a beautiful outside ceremony and courtyard reception at the Stillwell House.
Laura K. Moore, LKM Studios, captured their day in her signature romantic and candid style.
Aidelni, in a strapless gown featuring a mermaid skirt with side-swept waves and a tiered mermaid style skirt, looked like a Hollywood superstar as she walked the aisle. (Wait until you see Steven’s face!)
The decor, which was chic and sweet with floral centerpieces on chalkboards, honeypot favors, and a guestbook, was a garden-themed affair.
Enjoy this real wedding on a Friday! Get the kettle going, grab some chocolate, and relax.
Wedding Day Snapshot
Our Love Story
Steven met Aidelni at a local bar/restaurant called Union.
Steven had gone to say goodbye to some friends, and Aidelni was enjoying her evening with a friend. Aidelni, her friend, and the two last seats were taken at the bar. Steven’s friend swapped seats with Steven so that Steven could sit next to the beautiful woman.
Steven blew it when he asked her if she liked her meal because the fish smelt awful. Aidelni was eager to leave but found his honesty endearing.
When she heard that he rode his bicycle to the bar, she asked whether it had pegs. He could then cruise her all over town.
After a few hours of talking, they realized that this was a relationship worth continuing and exchanged phone numbers. Steven couldn’t leave without showing her the real bike, but unfortunately, there were no pegs.
The first night of a beautiful love story ends with a fitting conclusion.
The Inspiration
Hollywood Vintage in a rustic style. Our colors were sage and blush petals.
Three words to describe our wedding? Intimate, Romantic, Vintage.
The Ceremony
A close friend of Steven performed the ceremony in a traditional Christian style.
As we left the wedding, a harpist played “Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay.
Our daughters were included in the sand-pouring ceremony. The music was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” played on violin and harp.
The Photographer
Laura was referred to us by a close friend. We met her at Starbucks one evening to discuss the wedding and her career.
Her positivity and energy were evident from the moment that we sat. Her kindness and desire to learn our story was noted.
She never made us think that she was selling herself, but rather, she made us feel as if it was an honor for her to perform our wedding.
Her talent alone made her an obvious choice, but working with this woman was a blessing.
It is easy to say that she never felt like a vendor but rather a friend telling us the story of a very important day in our lives.
Advice to other couples
Steven’s biggest advice would be to support your future wife. Understand that the wedding season is stressful for brides, no matter how much you get involved.
Aidelni used Pinterest to find ideas for her designs. By talking to vendors that we had already chosen, we were both able to find the perfect complementary pieces.
We met with all the vendors before selecting them and trusted our gut instinct on which ones we felt would best enhance our wedding.
We wanted to find the best service providers and cut costs by not using the service.
The Venue
The venue is unique in its downtown desert city.
It was great that the wedding was held in one location, which made it easy for guests to come from out of town and also locals. They handled the catering, and the staff on-site helped at every stage.
We felt no pressure to make decisions because we had the freedom to personalize our wedding.
Decor & Details
We purchased 1.5 oz honey jars from Etsy and wooden dippers.
A Fine Line created the tags and wooden diapers for us. We tied them and placed the table names atop the jars to create a unique table seating and gift idea.
Posh Petals decorated the venue with vintage green mason jars on top of wooden circular pieces. The forum provided linens.
Each guest signed and left their thumbprint on a tree purchased from Etsy.
Refreshments
The venue hosted a formal sit-down dinner with a Prickly Pear margarita, and we had a three-tiered cake consisting of one layer of chocolate fudge and two layers of rose champagne and lemon cake.
Budget
Initially, we looked for more rustic venues outside of the city. However, having everything in one location was a great value to us and our guests.
By choosing a Friday over a Saturday, we were able to save money as many of our guests arrived a few days earlier.
Although we did not hire a videographer, the photographs captured all the important details of the wedding.
Honeymoon
Our honeymoon was a few weeks after our wedding.
The day after the wedding, guests from out of town were in town. We invited them to our house for a BBQ.
We had a great time in Hawaii on our honeymoon.
