Sydney & Brian by Amy Bluestar Photography

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…

Brian and I met in Raleigh, NC, many moons ago while working for the same company.

We have 2 dogs that were adopted from our local SPCA named Cheddar & Ashe. And despite their unbelievably bad breath & mass exodus of fur, are our absolute pride and joy. Brian’s favourite pastime is anything related to mountain biking while mine is finding cute patios for cocktails after work with my friends. Then we meet in the middle over a semi-healthy home-cooked meal.

Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…

We knew even before getting engaged that we didn’t want a wedding; Why stress about something that’s supposed to be the happiest time of your life?! Our original thought was to elope at our local courthouse, but ultimately decided to make a trip out of it instead! The Grand Canyon was on both of our bucket lists – So two birds, one stone, right? After a few quick google searches, I found a handful of photographers who specialize in destination elopements which is how we found Amy. From there, we wrote down all of the beautiful places we wanted to see and Monument Valley made the short list! Along with getting hitched, we had a handful of activities we couldn’t wait to do! We camped in a houseboat on Lake Powell, mountain biked a Mesa, struggled with my fear of heights at Horseshoe Canyon, navigated the wavy walls of Antelope Canyon, and felt really small taking in the views of The Grand Canyon. We also ATV’d , and Hot Air ballooned our way through Sedona!

Tell us about your main outfits:

I still get questions to this day about why I chose to get married in a green dress. The easy answer, I didn’t want to wear white! More importantly, who says you have to? Nothing about our day was traditional anyway, so use this as encouragement to break free from the norm too! … Do you! My dress can be found online at Reformation. They offer many different colours (including white). But that green, those orange rocks, and that man by my side … Ahh, I swoon! Brian rocked a navy blue Tommy Hilfiger suit with a matching green tie & a boutonniere that I crafted from pieces leftover from my DIY bouquet.

What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?

The most immediate memory was how dry the air was in Arizona. Our lips were raisins & he kept getting nose bleeds (he got the biggest nose bleed right before saying our vows, LOL!). My other favourite memory was getting back to Page, AZ and finding the sleepiest town – Practically everything was closed aside from a local diner. We stopped in and ordered two cups of coffee with a slice of chocolate cake to celebrate the final moments of such a successful day. 

Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?

A lot of couples tell me, “I wish I could have eloped, but my family would have been so upset.” Or my favorite, “I feel like I wasn’t able to fully enjoy my day because I was too preoccupied with things not going as planned.” This day is about you & your partner. Everyone & everything else is just background noise. Do what makes YOU happy! Breathe in your love, remember the 20 minute nose bleeds, and make out in front of total strangers with the most breathtaking views behind you. It’s worth it, AND HEY, you also get to skip the debt!

Photo Amy Bluestar Photography Ceremony Location: Monument Valley, AZ Celebrant: Mark Planner: Photographer, Couple and Celebrant Flora: The Bride Dress: Reformation Suit: Tommy Hilfiger