This was a simple but spectacular wedding in so many ways. Tracee and Chance were married at the Avi Resort and Casino in Laughlin, NV last month. Everyone was from out of town, including us (mostly Utah) and the wedding had a bit of a vacation feel to it. It was so relaxed, heartfelt and incredibly sweet. I met Tracee and Chance face to face for the first time on their wedding day and fell in love with them immediately! We actually ended up staying with the couple and wedding party out until late that night. You can’t really say you’re close to the bride and groom until you’ve had pancakes with them at 2am!
Their son Harper was the life of the party and danced the night away. Man does he have the moves! He was also slightly obsessed with the cake but, to be honest, I can’t really blame him because it was delicious.
Also, a wedding isn’t complete unless there are sugar gliders involved… just sayin’.
Here are some of my favorites from a recent trash-the-dress session with Keri & Nino in Laguna Beach. Sometimes you think you have an idea of how a session will go before even starting. I had an idea of what photos I wanted to capture and the feeling I wanted to portray. The ocean had other plans!
First, we arrived to the beach that Keri had chosen and, well… there wasn’t much of a beach. Even during high tide there should have been something, but because of hurricane swell the waves were just incredibly huge (seriously – look!). They completely swallowed up the private little alcove! But it turned out not to be an issue for us. Everyone was really relaxed and having a good time. We spent the next 45 minutes searching various little access points and either the beach was nonexistent, was about to become nonexistent or was way too crowded. After much searching we finally settled on a nice little sandy spot that had some texture and wasn’t enveloped by the ocean… yet! The silly mood had started before we even started taking any photos because of the craziness of the situation.
As soon as the first wave touched Keri’s toes she was all grins! I think even in the most serious of moments you can catch her trying to hold back a smile. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in any photo session I’ve done! It was so much fun! We all ended up sandy and wet and absolutely delighted.
We had fun time in Sedona with Devan and John despite the oppressive heat! This location was chosen not only for it’s beauty, but on the assumption that it would be quite a bit cooler than the Phoenix area. For some unlucky reason it was just as hot in Sedona that day! But we had a great time; it was such a relaxed session since this couple had a nice chilled vibe.
Devan and John were actually the lucky winners of a free engagement session that I gave away at the Arizona Bridal Show! At the next show in January I will be doing the same giveaway! They were naturals in front of the camera.
This special wedding gets the honor of being my first post on my new blog! Melissa Wright Photography has just had an overhaul and we decided it’s time that I finally keep a blog! Haha! Better late then never right? I appreciate and love each and every one of my couples that I work with but I’ve known Hannah and Chris now for a few years. I knew them before they were even a couple! It has been a beautiful thing to see and I felt so honored to be given the task of capturing moments from their wedding day. These are a few of my initial favorites!
Isn’t she a stunning bride?
This was the couple’s first dance, just after sunset. It was amazing.
And that’s it for now! Please please bookmark this site and I’ll be posting lots more wedding, portrait, commercial and other photography, and if you’d like to book me for something, just use the CONTACT link and get in touch! Thanks for stopping by!