It’s always exciting to be in a magazine and we’re beyond thrilled to have so many photos in the 2013 edition of the Arizona Bride Resource Guide!  Thanks to our wonderful couples who were willing for us to share their gorgeous weddings and the wonderful vendors we work with that make these weddings so beautiful!

We met Ashli two years ago at a bridal fair in Flagstaff.  She has one of those personalities that light up a room, so full of life and joy.  When she asked us to photograph her and Joe’s wedding, we were so excited!  This couple chose the outdoor venue at the Sedona Golf Resort for their ceremony and their reception at the Sedona Hilton Resort and Spa.  Ashlie loves New York City, and flew up to Kleinfield’s to enlist the help of Randy to help her find the perfect gown.  He steered in in the direction of a mermaid gown, which looked gorgeous on her!  The ceremony, led by the lovely Suzanne Loo-McCoy at Intimate Sedona Weddings was sweet and reflected Ashli and Joe’s devotion to one another.   It was definitely a perfect evening and we were so lucky to have been there for them.  Congrats you two and we hope you have a lifetime of love and happiness! ~ Melissa

Wedding Vendors:
Ceremony Site: Sedona Golf Resort
Reception Site: Sedona Hilton Resort and Spa
Officiant: Suzanne Loo-McCoy of Intimate Sedona Weddings
Wedding Gown: Alfred Angelo
Bridal Bouquet: Events by Showstoppers
Wedding Cake: Sedona Cake Couture
Photography:  Tangled Lilac Photography

We are over the moon excited about this latest feature in Aspen Bride Magazine of Samantha and Stephen’s mountaintop wedding at The Little Nell Resport in Aspen, Coloardo.  We just took some screenshots from the Aspen Bride website of the ten page spread and can’t wait to show you the actual magazine when it comes in the mail.   It was wonderful working with some local Flagstaff vendors; Glamorous Occasions  who did the wedding and reception design and floral art and Ann’s Alterations  who redesigned Samantha’ coutour dress to perfection.  We also got to make so many new wedding professional friends up in Aspen at The Little Nell!   Thank you Samantha and Stephen for choosing us as your photographers!  ~ Melissa & Kristen

Sylvia and Steven were married on the deck of the Arizona Snowbowl Resort surrounded by family and friends, and the oh so gorgeous scenery that only 8000ft altitude can provide. Monsoon clouds blanketed the skies and the meadow was literally carpeted with wildflowers! Beautiful details were everywhere, from the handmade strawberry jam favors made by the couple to the beautiful flowers at the ceremony. As guests arrived for the event, they signed into a book crafted by Steven. He also made the wonderful wine box the couple used during the ceremony. Sylvia walked down the aisle in a gorgeous A-line gown which suited her to perfection. After the ceremony, we spent time in the beautiful meadow and aspen grove that surrounds the property. It was a perfect day and evening and we felt so fortunate to have been able to be there for the couple. Congratulations Sylvia and Stevan! ~ Melissa

Wedding Team:
Ceremony and Reception: Arizona Snowbowl Resort
Wedding Planner: Northern Arizona Wedding Planner
Officiant: Reverend Simone Shepherd
Wedding Cake: A Touch of Sugar Bakery
Floral Art: Mountain High Flowers
Hair and Makeup: Carrie’s Day Salon
Favors: Strawberry Jam handcrafted with love by the couple
Photography: Tangled Lilac Photography

We met Katie last winter when she came into our Flagstaff studio to talk about her Memorial Day weekend wedding.  And, at the end of the meeting, when she promptly said she wanted to hire us as her photographers, we were very excited!  Katie is one of those ladies you meet where you become instantly friends, she’s that welcoming and has an infectious laughter that makes you feel part of her family.   We anxiously looked forward to her wedding weekend, and loved getting to know both of their families and friends.  Katie and Rob were married at the always gorgeous L’Auberge de Sedona.  Katie and the ladies got pampered in the Creekhouse where the expansive doors open up to the beckoning sounds of Oak Creek.  It truly is a magical place.  Katie choose a beautiful Liancarlo Couture gown from Destiny’s Bride in Scottsdale, and it fit her to perfection.  We think it was truly the perfect gown for her!

Katie had a wonderful and talented makeup and hair stylist team in Faith Hare and Michele Lee.  All the ladies looked perfect and Katie was such a stunning bride!  Going down to the creek is one of our many favorite things about photographing at L’Auberge.  Katie’s bridal portraits under the trees were so beautiful!  Katie has one of the most dramatic and gorgeous veils we’ve every seen and the way that the wind down by the creek moved her veil around ever so slightly made for a perfect photograph!

We loved the Monique L’huillier bridesmaid gowns!   And, we loved how Katie’s sister, the Maid of Honor, had a special aubergine color gown.  The platinum gowns looked amazing alongside!

Katie and Rob have a child, well, a four legged one named Spanky.  We were delighted to find out that Spanky would be a part of the wedding party.  We think it’s a perfect choice to include all the family members on such an important day!   Spanky wore a gorgeous wedding day collar adorned with the colors of the wedding day of orange, purple and green.  Rob’s boutonniere was made from his favorite flower, a Bird of Paradise.   Petal Pushers made him a special variation of the flower that suited his artistic side.

The ceremony, on the Spiritsong Terrace, was a perfect mix of smiles and tears.  Jake Hanson delivered a sweet and sentimental ceremony that had us all teary eyed.  When it came time for the vows, there was not a dry eye in the house!  Even little Spanky got caught in up the vows

L’Auberge‘s ballroom opens up to a beautiful grassy area perfect for the cocktail hour and looks just gorgeous during twilight.  Petal Pushers adored the ballroom with artistic displays of flowers at every turn.  It was spectacular!

Katie and Rob opted to see each other for the first time as Katie walked down the aisle.  So after the ceremony, we walked down to the gorgeous creek to get some great photographs of the two of them together, for the first time, as husband and wife.   We love these first moments together for the bride and groom, and they are definitely always our favorites of the day.

Congratulations Katie and Rob!  We loved being there for you and wish you a lifetime of love and happiness! ~ Melissa and Kristen

Vendors:

Ceremony and Reception Site:  L’Auberge de Sedona

Bridal Gown Designer and Boutique:  Liancarlo gown and Destiny’s Bride of Scottsdale

Bridemaids Gowns:  Monique Lhuillier

Floral Design:  Petal Pushers

Hair Stylist:  Faith Hare and Michele Lee

Makeup:  Michele Lee

Entertainment and DJ:  Desert House Productions

Invitations:  Ali Ink Custom Designs

Videographer:  Everly Films – Jay and Chelsea Worsley  Check out their video here!  It’s fantastic!

Kristen and I have been waiting to share some exciting news with all of you about our new partnership and our new name Tangled Lilac Photography! Effective April 1, 2012, our partnership was effective, but we’ve been waiting on legal papers, logos, website changes, our new Facebook page, Twitter account, and countless other items that seem to keep adding up on our “to do” list.   Although some of the items are still on hold, we just can’t wait any longer!

While we’ve both known we’ve always wanted to be business partners, one element we were having a hard time with was our name.  We brainstormed with our husbands, families, friends and co-workers and nothing every seemed to mesh with us.  We wanted it to reflect us somehow, and still be unique.  I wish I could have kept some of our brainstorming papers, the things we were coming up with were pretty comical.  Our name ultimately was created by one of our clients turned friend, Jeannine, who, from no where, just belted out, “What about Tangled Lilac Photography?”  I’ll never forget Kristen’s face as we locked eyes…it was perfect!    While we grew up on opposite coasts of the nation (Kristen in California, and myself in Georgia) we both had lilac bushes in our yards when we were little.  And, as we’ve grown together as a photography team, we feel that the best parts of our styles, knowledge and techniques have meshed (or ‘tangled’ so to speak) to give our clients the very best of each of us.

We hope you like the new name just as much as we do!  Special thanks to Stephanie McCarthy of That’s Smart Designs for developing the perfect concept for our new brand and for hanging in there with us while we decided on a name.  You’re the best Steph!

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement, support and love along our journey towards our partnership.  We truly feel the best is yet to come! ~ Melissa & Kristen