We were so excited when we arrived to the venue for Ashley & Cameron’s wedding! Within minutes of walking in the door, the kids were asking us if we had see the secret rooms yet! It was all hidden doors and passageways. It was hard to believe the Chateau de Vie is nestled right in Chandler, Arizona!
Ashley was such a beautiful bride and I wanted to take a portrait of her in every single room of the venue. The bridal party and family were such troopers when it came to portraits since it was quite the humid day! With a beautiful venue like this though, taking photos inside was easy.
Congratulations Ashley and Cameron! Your wedding was gorgeous!
I was excited to photograph this wedding just a few minutes into meeting Kristie and Mike for the first time! Their wedding seemed to be the perfect mix of classic elegance meets laid back party on the Colorado River! You might not think that those two could mix, but if you’ve ever visited the river then you know its entirely possible!
The wedding was at the BlueWater Resort and we couldn’t have asked for more perfect weather. The ceremony was held on the island with the river and Mohave Desert as a stunning backdrop. Kristie wore fabulous heels and walked down possibly the longest aisle ever. I couldn’t have walked five feet in them! The arch for the ceremony was made by Mike himself! It’s such a beautiful piece of art.I have to admit I’m a tad jealous of his mad welding skills.
The twinkly dance floor was packed for the entire night. Everyone seemed to have the moves, from the toddlers to the bride and groom’s grandparents.
Kristie and Mike still have a trash the dress session coming up and I have big plans for the both of them! I can’t wait to work with these two again very soon.
Congratulations Kristie and Mike, we had a blast at your wedding!
Here’s a fun fact about the Draper family… They were one of the first portrait sessions I ever shot alongside Albert Rovey when I was just starting out. I’m going to guess about 11ish years ago? It was actually their engagement session! Look at them now with three beautiful children! They’re a really fun family and outside of photography I’ve had the pleasure of working with them since they own an apparel design company and they do a fantastic screen printing job.
It really was a joy photographing this family after so many years and had me reminiscing about when I first started out in photography. I’ve been passionate about photography for many many years about it was about 10-11 years ago that I started to take it seriously. I appreciate all the help I was offered by fellow photographer Albert in the early days. He even let me borrow gear for my very first wedding I was shooting on my own! Because of this, I like to take the time to encourage new photographers in their work and help as much as I can (though I won’t be loaning out gear anytime soon). If you’re in my area and have an interest in photography, don’t be shy! I’d love to hear from you 🙂
Candy and Darin were a referral from one of my favorite weddings earlier this year so I knew from the start that I would probably love this couple! I was right! They’re so sweet and their wedding with all the details fit them perfectly. Beer in a bathtub? Check. Vintage lettering? Check. Badass tattoos? Check! The day was really relaxed and easy going. Family and guests were so nice and welcoming. We felt like part of the wedding and not just the hired photographers, which is awesome! Enjoy this little sampling.