Vendor Review: Sedona Sounds

Bobby Russell of Sedona Sounds has got to be the best DJ on the planet…

Ok so I’m probably slightly over exaggerating, but he’s a damn good DJ that’s for sure. He was simultaneously respectful, clever, witty and generally incredibly good at reading a crowd. He mingled with the guests asking for suggestions but was never hard to find. He always had a smile on his face, even when we were faced with the threat of monsoon (it didn’t monsoon by the way).
He did an amazing job learning our processionals to play on acoustic guitar. Both our processional songs were untraditional contemporary/alternative rock pieces that he played BEAUTIFULLY.
 

His price tag of $1800 may seem a little steep, but he is truly worth every penny. I would recommend him up and down to everyone and anyone. He is professional, courteous, and very responsive to calls and emails. Plus he gets the whole crowd bogeying down!

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AZ in August: The Details

These are some of my favorite “detail” shots from our wedding, we were truly blessed having our wedding in Tlaquepaque because it is so beautiful! We were lucky enough to have the problem of narrowing down all the gorgeous places for photos, so here’s what we came up with!

Ok so I must admit something, that even though I love the photo above with our rings on the tile… the next set is by-far-and-away my favorite of our ring-shots. I didn’t think of it, but my lovely and talented Sister in Law did and I said “Go for It!” And she did… and it was awesome.

Don’t our rings look gorgeous in the offering hands? And to think I would’ve passed that little stone monk by! What’s your unexpected favorite wedding photo?

Couple’s First Christmas

We’ve all seen the adorable “First Christmas” ornaments for newlyweds, but what really gets me into the Holiday spirit is Christmas Cards! What better way to go, as newlyweds, than to make personalized Christmas cards with wedding photos? Shutterfly makes it easy, fun and affordable. But just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with the standard photo only card, they have traditional Folded Greeting Cards that you can easily write your messages in.
I love the easy to use picture editing page, which is super easy for a non-graphic designer. The “soft focus” really gives your photos that romantic glow, but they also have a saturation feature which makes the photos very vibrant, or even a black and white option to inspire that vintage feeling.

The Card Editor is very user friendly and you can easily switch between the front of the card and the top and bottom.

But what I love most about Shutterfly’s card editor is the fact that you can change the layout on the inside of the card. We’re not talking minor changes look at all the options. I decided to go with three of my favorites from our wedding.

But let’s not forget your new Mr. & Mrs. address labels, and wouldn’t you know it, they have matching designs! It really ties the whole project together.

The selection is great for Christmas, Chanukah, or simple and beautiful happy holidays… the problem is picking the best one for your first holiday card!

So what are you doing for your oh-so-important first Christmas or Chanukah? Our final card...

Holly Frame Christmas 5x7 folded card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

AZ in August: Mis Familias

O ur family photos were much like herding cats, but it was worth it in the end, take a peek..

 
I think the side profile of my mother and myself is easily my favorite, but mainly because I hate head-on photos. Anyone else notice my niece's beautiful red shoes? She had to match mine…

Next up the beautiful detail shots that Dawna & Daniel captured before the wedding.

AZinAugust: Reception

Sorry for the hiatus folks, but the truth is that I’ve been dealing with the flower fiasco. You all thought it was over, and I did too. I’ve been told 3 times that my refund check is in the mail and once they even refunded it back to my credit card, which is no longer in service since I’m married and I changed my account. OY! Anyway let’s dwell on some more entertaining things…

Our reception came out perfectly as planned, despite the flower fiasco, my hair, and our makeup artist situations. We trucked it over to the Patio de Las Campanas and made our grand entrance…

We got to look down at everyone and the beautiful setup….

 

Then of course there was the first dance… During our first dance the clouds kept moving producing some beautiful shots.

 

Then everyone boogied down… and had a fabulous time! 

   

The night ended with an after party at my In Law’s place. I don’t have any photos but it was the most fabulous night I have ever had. I couldn’t have been happier. Up next I’m going to share some family photos and some of my favorites of us.

AZ in August: The Ceremony

So this is what I’ve really wanted to share with you all. The beautiful chapel where we got married 46 days ago. Yes I did the math darnit. I should preface this by saying if you have a gorgeous venue you needn’t add much. This chapel with it’s hand painted fresco and beautiful architecture needed nothing. That being said I rented the altar candles and had the florist sprinkle petals, the rest is there naturally and I can take no credit.

 

You may now kiss the bride… 

And because our Pastor is an equal opportunity minister he opted for a “Now you may kiss the groom”      

With that the ceremony was over and Phoenix’s “1901” came blaring on and I looked at Mr. AZ as my husband for the first time.

I really got a kick out of the “equal opportunity” bit in our ceremony. I wasn’t expecting it, and I think I giggled as I grabbed Mr. AZ to lay another big smooch on him. Did your officiant throw in anything fun?

AZ in August: Getting Ready

Because of all the fiascos that took place on our wedding day, we weren’t able to get those classic/picture-esque “getting ready” shots. But what we did get was really beautiful and amazing photos that showcased our personalities and meant more to us. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally bummed I didn’t get the “putting on the shoes” picture, but in the long run is that what I need?  No, instead this is the gem I treasure the most…

That is Mr. AZ’s infamous Grandma Peggy. The Grandmother who upon my meeting her (approximately 5 months into dating Mr. AZ) proclaimed I was not allowed to leave. She is the Grandma we spent endless hours playing Bananagrams with and the active-on-the-go Grandmother I hope to be one day. We also got some hilarious, funny-face photos…
The above shot is Mr. AZ dealing with yet another crisis, or at least that’s what I recall. And below is Mr. AZ making his “dapper Dirk” face, which makes me giggle!

We also had some awesome shots of our beautiful bridesmaids chillin’ in the Bridal Suite. I love their dresses, they photograph so well.

Yes I realize this next photo makes Mr. AZ look really weird and me all in shadow, but I love how my shoes popped, so whatever it’s being included even though it’s not really flattering.
 

Then I began getting choked up and close to crying. It was really starting to sink in that in less than 30 minutes we would Mr. & Mrs. AZ.

Should I mention that only one of the above photos was taken by one of our “professionals”? I really love candid photos because I don’t freak out. These are from our good friend’s camera. She and her husband have known Mr. AZ for approximately 15 years. The husband served as a groomsmen and a really awesome candid photo-taker as well. Up next: the ceremony!