I figured I’d kick off this season’s blogging efforts with my first wedding of the fall… even though it doesn’t feel like fall quite yet here in Phoenix, I think that this gorgeous El Chorro wedding was the perfect beginning to what’s going to be a great season of love! Aimee & Erik’s peach and patina wedding was one of dreams! Where do I begin? I guess at the beginning…

From the minute Aimee and I spoke on the phone the first time, I knew she was special. Joy just radiates from her, so I knew anyone that she was choosing to spend her life with had to be as wonderful as she was. This suspicion was confirmed the minute I met the two of them back in April when they flew in from San Francisco to do a walk through of their El Chorro wedding venue. Stephanie with A Day to Cherish Weddings was so kind to offer for me to tag along so that I could see the venue and hear their plans during their visit. I immediately fell in love with not only the two of them, but Aimee’s dad Woody too! They had me laughing until my sides hurt, so I knew they were my kind of people. And Stephanie, she was so wonderful, I could tell how excited she was to make their day perfect.

Needless to say, I’ve been looking forward to their wedding for a long time. It was my first El Chorro wedding, which is an absolutely gorgeous venue that sits at the base of Camelback Mountain, this gem of a spot is absolutely breathtaking. And there were so many fun aspects to their day, like Archer, the flower dog, peaches everywhere (’cause she’s a Georgia peach), and a surprise toast by the Maid of Honor and Best Man in the form of a song and rap performance, ending in a flash mob by all the guests! But what took my breath away wasn’t the amazing views, the fun that was had or this stunning couple, it was the intensity of their love for one another. How can I describe it? I can’t. But here are nine sentences, one paragraph that encapsulates the profound love that these two share, that came in the form of Erik’s vows:

“When I began to think about our marriage I had to reflect on where it all started, and how my life changed after our first kiss. I know you remember that moment. You said you felt sparks fly…well for me, time stopped. It’s a funny thing to say, ‘time stopped’. It sounds cliché, but how can you describe a memory that is so vivid and yet so focused on one thing. I honestly can’t remember anything in that moment but you. I feel your lips on mine, I see the smile in your eyes, and I am filled with the same love I have now. I carry the memory with me. That moment we will share forever, it’s our speed.”

This was the beginning of Erik’s vows to Aimee. And as I walked around, capturing their ceremony, I was so moved, it took my breath away. I did everything I could not to cry, but words like that, they are more than perfect. They are so raw, so true, so intense, I couldn’t help but be moved to tears. It made me think of my own husband and how much I love him, and all the moments that we’ve shared that I can see as vividly as Erik described memories of his own. What a profession of love! I can’t wait for these two to add to their endless list of loving memories together!

Aimee & Erik, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to capture your story, the beginning of your life anew as a married couple! You reminded me why I love my job so much and how blessed I am to do this for a living! So, here’s to love that is so intense that you can’t breathe without it, so incredible it stops time.

Huge thanks to the creative team that made this El Chorro Wedding amazing!