Hilltop wedding in the mountains of Sedona, Arizona

Sophie and Melisa’s hilltop wedding in Sedona, Arizona, at Agave of Sedona showcased panoramic views of the mountainous Red Rock formations.

Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

We first began our planning journey by finding the location. This was easy! We love everything about Sedona and knew immediately this was where we wanted to get married. Also, considering our wedding date was June 30th, and with family coming from across the pond (England), we did not want them to melt from the Phoenix heat. Agave of Sedona was the only venue we looked at, fell in love with everything there was to offer, and from there we began all other planning. With so many out-of-towners, we felt it was so important to display the positive vibes and tradition that the Red Rocks are known for. We had a Southwest cuisine theme, and frozen margaritas to combat the heat. We aren’t eccentric ladies and love a soft palette of colors and decor. The view of Sedona speaks for itself and we wanted to highlight its beauty at all times!

Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

We had the best time decorating this venue but knew nothing had to be over-the-top. We chose natural greens to compliment our centerpieces of succulents and the soft blush and white flowers. Our biggest DIY project was our seating chart! Thanks to the help of our handy friends, we strolled through HomeDepot to pick out the pipe, chains, and wood. We painted the pipes, drilled the holes, cut and stained the wood, piecing everything together. Our good friend and day-of coordinator have amazing calligraphy skills, so she went to work completing all of the names and the welcome sign. With other small details of local pies instead of traditional cake, arrowheads on placemats, and a hashtag that took way too long to decide on—everything turned out better than we could have ever imagined! #melisandsophslove

What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?

We chose to use the gorgeous Red Rocks as our backdrop during the ceremony and reception. With succulents and eucalyptus dispersed throughout the cocktail hour and reception hall, this kept most eyes on the scenery. Being two brides, our florist did a perfect job with making our bridal bouquets compliment but not match one another. With blush and whites being our accent colors, Foster-Wright Floral Design chose the appropriate amount to incorporate in our bouquet as well as throughout the venue.

Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

Sadly, a week before our wedding, Sophie’s sister, brother-in-law and nephew could not make the wedding from England due to complications with her pregnancy. As heartbreaking as this was for us, we were lucky enough to include them in our special day with help of friends and family. Even with an eight-hour time difference, they got suited and booted in their tuxedos and Maid of Honor dress to FaceTime into the ceremony and reception. Thank goodness for our amazing DJ, as he worked all the way up to the MOH speech to allow us to hook our phone to the speakers so that Casey, Sophie’s sister, could stand in the middle of her living room, wearing her MOH dress, to deliver one of the most amazing speeches ever. There was not a dry eye in the house. This moment, as well as many others, will warm our hearts forever and truly completed our wedding.

How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.

As hard as it was, our dresses were the one area of our wedding we chose to keep secret from each other. We went dress shopping together, but did not see each others chosen styles. We both knew we made some custom changes but, again, kept this secret. I think the photos say it all, because when we had our first look we both immediately thought we picked the same dress! We each chose to add sleeves and make the neckline a sweet heart cut. Both chose lace, although the lace was different on each dress. Sophie’s style of dress was a semi-fit and flare while Melisa’s was a mermaid cut. We knew we wanted to compliment each other, but did not plan how perfectly our looks turned out!

How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

Becoming college teammates together and immediate best friends, our love for each other grew over the period of 10 years. We knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together and did not feel like we could wait another second to be wifeys. So on the afternoon of June 30, 2017, we drove down to the courthouse and got married—telling no one! Having a wedding was something we both always wanted together, so picking our wedding date was easy. Exactly one year after we went to the courthouse, June 30, 2018. Additionally, this day happens to be the last day of Pride Month, which adds to its perfection.

What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

Seeing each other as brides and wifeys! There may not be a happier moment we have ever experienced!

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

Our advice is to surround yourselves with love. There is no perfect destination, venue, flower, color, or dance song that will complete this day unless you have all of your favorite humans surrounding you to enjoy it. If you make all decisions based on the love between the two of you, then all else will fall into place, and the stress levels will be low. Also, find a photographer that you know will capture each moment of your day to your preference. We feel absolute gratitude when we think about the relationship we have built with Jen, and know that each photo will be looked at with joyful tears for many many years. And these memories are priceless!