Chris & Mary -- Scottsdale Wedding

I love getting to know my clients throughout the course of working with them -- finding out their story, how they fell in love, and a little about what that love looks like. And because I don't have the best of memories, I ask my clients to fill out a questionnaire so I can remember all the fun tidbits about what makes them and their story unique. I enjoy pulling it out of their file right before the wedding, re-reading it, and falling in love with their love all over again.

Chris and Mary were no different.

Mary filled out the questionnaire and as I read the document, I felt this warm, comfortable feeling come over me. Mary remembered the first time they met - that Chris was wearing a yellow shirt and was clueless about wine. She wrote about the time he went hiking with her family in the Grand Canyon, sprained his ankle, and kept hiking anyway. She remembered running their first half marathon together - how fun it was to train together and support one another. She told me about the first time she met his family, about an early (nervous) date at a favorite local pizza spot, and the first time he said I love you. As I read each of her memories I fell in love with their love... and I knew, with a love like that, the wedding day would be filled with a warm, comfortable beauty. I wasn't disappointed.

Chris and Mary were wed on Saturday surrounded by family and friends -- many of whom flew in from the storm-battered east coast. Their wedding embraced the colors of a desert sunset starting with this gorgeous invitation designed by the fabulous Kelly Ashworth of Kelly Ashworth Design:

The girls spent some time getting ready at Chris & Mary's house with the couple's little fur baby Ginger on hand:

Chris & Mary's nieces were in the wedding and stole the show with their cuteness and endless energy throughout the day:

The ceremony took place at St. Bernadette Church in Scottsdale and the Arizona fall weather smiled on us:

Mary looked so pretty in her Martina Liana gown from Mariee as her father escorted her to meet her groom:

Husband & wife!!

After the ceremony, we stopped back by the couple's home for a few portraits with Ginger and their bikes. One of Chris and Mary's favorite things to do together on a Saturday morning is to bike to the nearby Starbucks with Ginger in tow. I LOVE that they wanted to incorporate these personal touches into their day.

Such a cute family:

Next we headed to Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale where their guests awaited their reception. And we were able to grab a few more portraits of the newlyweds there: