Picture it: a sunny October day, dancing with loved ones on a mountaintop overlooking the entire city, boogieing down as the sun sets over the horizon before breaking out glow sticks and partying alongside your forever partner. That’s what Kate and Ryan did for their wedding.
Kate and her bridal party had a private suite with a balcony overlooking the gorgeous nearby mountains, and they took full advantage of it, sipping cocktails as they took turns getting ready with hair and makeup. Sun shined through the balcony window, the perfect backlight for Kate’s vintage-inspired lace mermaid-fit dress. It caught the fabric and made it shimmer. Nude heels made sure that nothing would distract from the dress, while emerald jewelry gave a pop of color and matched Kate’s wedding colors and the bridesmaids’ dresses.
Meanwhile, Ryan was at their condo, getting ready for one of the biggest days of his life. His excitement was clear as he pulled on his jacket and fixed up his tie: Ryan was ready to tie the knot. As he left the condo to make his way to Kate, he couldn’t stop smiling. He’d been ready for a while, but postponing the wedding–making sure it was safer during the pandemic–only heightened his anticipation. It was time.
Held at the spectacular-yet-rustic Rustler’s Rooste atop Phoenix’s South Mountain, the wedding was an appealing mix of comforting and elegant, a down home backyard feel with an amazing view. Instead of flowers, succulents accompanied with a single candle each adorned the tables. White linens brought a classic tough, while golden bulbs strung all along the ceiling created a warm glow to hug the room. Grills with sizzling food outside filled the room with the intoxicating smell of home cooking.
Plus, photos of Kate and Ryan carefully placed throughout gave a sweet glimpse of these two throughout the years as they grew into their own independent people while becoming closer and finding each other. It was such a sweet touch!
Ryan stood at the altar as the wedding party lined up, marching past him to take their places. When Kate walked through the doors, a stunning vision of the perfect bride, we could see that Ryan was taken aback: he was really about to marry the love of his life, and she looked gorgeous. As Kate was given away, she took Ryan’s hand, and the two of them held on as Ryan mouthed to her how beautiful she looked, his eyes full of joy.
Their kiss was met with cheers.
The song Kate chose for their first dance brought her to happy tears, and when it was over, it quickly shifted to something more upbeat to get the party started. All the wedding feels were there, plenty of smiles (and a few quick runs to the bathroom for post-cry makeup fixes!). The first dances with Kate’s and Ryan’s parents were such sweet moments with their children–they always get Jo choked up.
As the sun set, Kate showed off her stars-and-moon hairpiece to match the night sky, dancing among her loved ones and getting her groove on. The wedding party even busted out glow sticks, and Kate enlisted everyone–including us!–to make bracelets out of them, adding bright splashes of color to the fun.
It was such a fun wedding, and Kate and Ryan seem ready to take on the world. Congrats, you guys!
Love,
Jo + Alli
