No one can resist the lure of a rainbow. Rainbows make us think of hope and eternal promise. For bride Alyson, the colors of the rainbow brought to mind the various ways that her friends and family had touched her life. And she incorporated them into her "bright, happy, summer wedding" held in Yuma last July.
Alyson met Tim in December of 2009 on a break from school...
"Tim and I met at a friend's Christmas Party and the
rest of our lives have changed since! After we met, there was an instant
connection. Not only was it obvious between the two of us, but our friends
noticed also.Tim and I had our first date before I left again to go back to
school. Our first date was everything other than a typical ‘date.’ We actually spent
it out on the desert outside of Yuma hunting for deer. We built a deer blind
together so he could go hunt from it for the spring season. Tim and I both love
the outdoors and hunting! It was the perfect beautiful day and date! A few days
after our date, I flew back to Tulsa University [in Oklahoma]. For the next 6 months, we kept in touch and
we developed a very strong friendship and a great communication. Shortly, after
I returned to Yuma, Tim and I went out again and the rest is history! On November
27, 2010 Tim and I returned to the desert for a deer hunt. Tim had a 10 ft banner
made and put the banner up in the same location where we had built the
deer blind. Tim told me “Alyson, you’re my best friend and I want nothing more
than to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” I was
COMPLETELY shocked…because I honestly thought that we were just going hunting
again. Of course, I said yes! And the wedding planning and planning to spend
the rest of our lives together began!"
The couple was engaged for a little over eight months with the bride's mom and wedding planner pushing the planning along. The result was a completely unique, summer celebration - from the bridesmaid dresses to the decor.
Alyson said that her bridesmaids were all different colors in her life. "All of my bridesmaids have been life long friends, but they are all so different and so special in different ways. So to capture that, I wanted them in different colors, since they are different colors in my life." The color that each bridesmaid wore represented something meaningful about her. For example, Alyson's matron of honor (who she's known for 24 years - WOW!) wore teal because her first car in high school was a teal Volkswagen Beetle.
The groomsmen wore vests and ties that matched the girls. Lookin' good boys!
You've heard of the bride changing dresses at the reception, but what about hairstyles? "My husband wanted my hair down and I wanted my hair up...so, we compromised," Alyson said. Sounds like their marriage is already off to a great start! She found the both the perfect veil for her ceremony and a fun feather and pearl hair piece for her up-do at our
boutique.
Alyson says that one of their most important splurges was their videographer. "A videographer was very important to me and I wanted Arizona's best. Therefore I chose
Bella Mia Video and can honestly say it was worth every cent!"
Music was a very important part of Alyson and Tim's wedding. They had a family friend (who also was the best man at Alyson's parents' wedding) sing during their ceremony and then Alyson's dad prepared a very special song for their father/daughter dance. "My dad has an EXCELLENT voice," Alyson said. "He went to a recording studio, had "Daddy's Angel" by T. Carter recorded, and surprised me when we went to have our dance together on the dance floor." No doubt she'll cherish that recording of her dad singing to her for the rest of her life. So sweet! And once the music started, Alyson said her guests stayed out on the dance floor until 1:15 am!
Most stunning of all (to us, anyway!) was Alyson's dress... The elegant gown flattered in all the right places and the sparkling bead work added the perfect amount of bling.
Just reading her story and watching her videos demonstrates the magnitude of Alyson's heart. She obviously has a true affection for her husband, friends, and family. You can see from her smile how genuine she is. Which is why we were so overwhelmed by the nice things Alyson had to say about her dress shopping experience...but we couldn't fit it all here...be sure to check back later in the week to read more about Alyson and her fabulous dress!
Thank you to
Fallbrook Photography (who we can say from our own experience are super professional and sweet!) for providing the photos for this story. You can see more of Alyson's wedding on their
blog.
Inspired by Alyson and Tim's colorful, summer bash? Check out some of her vendors:
Dress, Veil, and Hairpiece - Suzanne's Bridal Boutique
Photographer - Fallbrook Photography
Hair & Makeup - Candace, Kaitlyn, & Johnny at Diesel Salon
Videographer - Bella Mia Video
Music - Mancini Entertainment
Reception Venue - Hilton Garden Pivot Point
Suzanne's Bridal Boutique
480.926.9106
www.suzannesbridalboutique.com
www.facebook.com/suzannesbridalboutique
www.pinterest.com/suzannesbridal
