Arizona Wedding at The Wigwam by Iron + Honey Photography

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Chicago with all of my heart. However, there are definitely moments where you just need to get away and go somewhere different. Somewhere warm and sunny for a change, especially as the months get colder and colder. This past November, I had the opportunity to capture such a beautiful wedding for Lauren & Jace in the sunny state of Arizona. I packed up my bags, hopped on a plane, and landed with so much excitement it was almost too hard to contain it. L+J’s Arizona wedding at The Wigwam is definitely one for the books and I am BEYOND excited to be sharing it with you today.

How They Met

Lauren & Jace met a few years back when Jace was playing ball in Birmingham, Alabama. Specifically the White Sox’s Double-A Affiliate team. At the time, Lauren was working for the team and they were introduced by a mutual friend. Once the season was over, they both went their separate ways… but wait! The next year they reconnected and the rest became history. The two have been inseparable ever since and even share a sweet two-year-old, Hayden.

Getting Ready & A First Look

Now you may notice, that the scenery in Arizona is vastly different from up here in Chicago. Down there you are surrounded by cacti, sun, and tons of open land. I arrived at Lauren’s suite at The Wigwam early that afternoon and was greeted by Lauren and her closest family & friends. We spent that time photographing details, chatting, and all of us getting to know each other while Lauren finished up with her hair & makeup. Lauren wore this absolutely beautiful form-fitting dress with a deep v-neck and cutouts along the sides. It was truly a sight to see and she looked drop-dead gorgeous. After finishing getting ready, Lauren and I made our way outside to do a first look with her father. Such a special and intimate moment between the two of them and I always get so teary-eyed during these times.

Arizona Wedding at The Wigwam

As I said before, Lauren and Jace got married at The Wigwam. The Wigwam is an intimate luxury resort in the Sonoran Desert and brings together casual elegance with southern charm. Lauren and Jace really wanted their wedding to be fairly intimate, so this wedding venue was the perfect option for them. This resort is perfect for any couple looking for an Arizona wedding venue that truly brings out Arizona’s rich culture and has a ton of amenities. Such amenities include 331 rooms, 3 dining venues, a golf course, 3 pools, and a 26,000 sq. ft. spa. It truly emulates the term “luxury”.

The garden area of The Wigwam where the ceremony took place was just perfect. At the end of the aisle were Jace and his son, Hayden, waiting for Lauren’s arrival. As soon as she walked out, you could immediately see the excitement and joy overcome both Jace and Hayden. Lauren walked to the end of the aisle to be joined by her sweet little family and it was utter bliss.

One of the most important things that Lauren and Jace stressed to me, was that they really wanted photos of their family and all the cultural elements they incorporated during the ceremony. As the ceremony was being performed, I made sure to sneak in a few candid moments of some family members being completely mesmerized by their love. A perfect memory to look back on and I am so glad that they wanted these special moments to look back on. Before we knew it, the ceremony was over and they were officially Mr. and Mrs. Fry! YAYY!!!!!

Arizona Wedding Portraits

As soon as the ceremony was over, I snuck Lauren and Jace away for some wedding portraits. The two of them were complete models in front of the camera. Since it was Arizona, the weather was just perfect for it being the middle of November. We were surrounded by palm trees and sunny skies and really the weather couldn’t have been better for us. Lauren and Jace even got a golf cart provided by the resort to zoom away in, so naturally, we had to get some photos in that. As the sunset, the sky turned the color of cotton candy and I decided at that point… I was in heaven.

Reception

When we finished taking some portraits, the sun had basically set. We took that as our cue to head back to make the grand entrance for their reception! The overall theme of Lauren and Jace’s wedding stuck to a romantic/intimate desert garden party. Pulling from traditional Arizona culture, there was a ton of greenery throughout the decor and in between were filled with white flowers. They really wanted their love to be the center stage of their special day, so really as long as they had each other nothing else mattered.

The skirt on Lauren’s dress actually came off to reveal her second outfit for the night! This is the outfit that you see throughout the entire reception and it was the perfect outfit change. They both headed to the dance floor as they did their first dance together as husband and wife. A moment that they had been looking forward to forever and it finally came.

Cake Cutting & Heated Pools

While the usual wedding reception traditions happened, such as cake cutting and first dances it’s what happened at the end that was unique. Before the day of the wedding, Lauren expressed to me that she and Jace really wanted to jump into the pool. With all of their clothes still on as kind of the last big hoorah. Luckily for them, the pools at The Wigwam were heated so… Lauren and Jace without hesitation jumped into the pool. Some of their wedding guests even joined in as well! Now if that’s not a great way to end your wedding day, then I don’t know what is.

Lauren and Jace were so incredibly amazing to work with and I am beyond honored that they gave me this opportunity to photograph their Arizona wedding at The Wigwam. Arizona was a great escape from the chilly Chicago weather and quite honestly… I almost canceled my flight back! Forever grateful that this is what I get to do every day and I can’t wait to see Arizona again soon.

If you loved this Arizona Wedding at The Wigwam, then you’re going to love this Wisconsin Wedding at Lake Geneva!

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