“Our love is like Cotton.
Grown from a seed, soft to the touch,
and at the mercy of the wind.”
This past Saturday, was Dawn and Steven’s Big Day! I had met and booked Dawn through an e-mail mailing and we hit it off right from the get go. She is as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. This is not just me talking either, I have never seen such love for a girl. Dawn had mentioned when she first booked us that she was not only looking for a wedding photographer, but a lifelong friend, someone she could turn to for all her upcoming family’s photography needs but also to chat and shoot the bull about a bunch of unrelated things. So we befriended each other on Facebook, and as they say, the rest was history. It was on Facebook that I noticed just how many friends and how close and tight knit she is with all those friends. They are constantly talking to her in the months leading up to her wedding and asking her how she is, telling her how much they love her, etc. etc. It really was touching to read and I am not just saying that. Anyway, we had talked back and forth and it came up that her and Steven had gotten engaged in San Diego. We mentioned it was one of those places that we keep saying “we got to get to” and never do. So with that in mind, we mentioned to them that we could meet them there and do their engagement shooting there. We flew into San Diego and stayed in a hotel and the next morning we met in the lobby of our hotel and took off and did the shooting. It was posted here on our blog back in June, so please take a peek if you haven’t already seen it. That just further cemented our connection and I have to say I really love these guys. She had been telling me all about her plans for the wedding as the time got closer, but she never told me how simply gorgeous her wedding details were going to be! First, she was in some of my favorite colors, hot pink, lime green and orange! Things just popped in the tent and with the girls!
.jpg "the invite")
And, being that we are new to all the reception halls out here in Arizona, each wedding we have booked is in a different type of location and has a different flavor. Their’s was at a mansion in Buckeye called Nardini Manor (www.nardinimanor.com).
.jpg "Nardini Manor")
It was gorgeous. It looked like a big southern plantation house complete with iron gates and pillars out front flanked by lions on the steps! Inside was a mix of Victorian antiques and furnishings and we had the place completely to ourselves. There were so many photo ops we didn’t know where to begin. Dawn had also expressed to me that she wanted video and just wasn’t finding what she was looking for in Arizona. I mentioned that we have a team we work with exclusively back in New York, Bill and Marie of Wildrose Video (www.wildrosevideo.com) and she booked them on just my word! Bill flew out on Friday night and we met him and we all arrived Saturday morning to meet Dawn flurrying about with her hair all done, checking and re-checking all the details, just to make sure everything was running right on time and was perfect. Steven was mingling in another part of the gardens with the groomsmen, completely calm and excited for the day to begin!
.jpg "Steven and two of his groomsmen")
.jpg "Steven getting ready")
It was also exciting to meet one of Dawn’s bridesmaids who has since booked us for her October wedding out there, Cassie. She is adorable and we had also never met in person, only on Facebook, and had already started our baseball bantor back and forth as they are Red Sox fans and well, you all know, I am a serious Yankee fan, should make for an interesting summer, LOL, with Cassie and another, Steven! Steven likes to rib me big time, but hey, I can take it, nothing new with having two Red Sox fans already in my family! But all kidding aside, they are just as cute a couple and I enjoy their friendship!
.jpg "Cassie and Steven, our October 16th couple!")
We were then ready for Dawn to put on her beautiful lace strapless gown so up to the manor house we all went. It was so pretty and her choice of gown fit the place perfectly. We don’t get an all lace gown too often so it was beautiful to see something different. It had a satin tie that wrapped around her waist and had a big bow in the back with satin streamers that flowed to the floor. There was a bit of craziness to get the bow just right and Dawn had videotaped the session in the gown store of just how it was supposed to go! Check out her and her sister, Rosemary, reviewing the mini tape recorder……too funny, never had seen that before, LOL!
.jpg "Dawn and her sister, Rosemary, the maid of honor review the tape!")
She wore the most adorable hot pink satin shoes with a bow on the toes and a rhinestone. Did I ever tell you how I just LOVE colored shoes on a bride! It is like a bit of the unexpected 
.jpg "the shoes!")
.jpg "the shoes with the flowers")
Her girls wore hot pink silk chiffon tea length dresses, with bouquets of mixed flowers all in the same colors by Rita’s Floral Designs (rfdesigns@gwestoffice.net) and carried hot pink parasols for some of the photos, simply gorgeous! The flowers were breathtaking….
.jpg "Dawn looking out the door")
.jpg "Dawn and the maids!")
.jpg "the girls on the front lawn")
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.jpg "Dawn with a parasol")
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Can you tell that we liked those parasols!!!! The ceremony took place in a gazebo in a garden adorned with tall pine and cyprus trees.
.jpg "the ceremony program")
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All the guests were arranged in a semi-circular fashion around the gazebo. The ring bearers, three, walked down the aisle except for the smallest one, who rode a tricycle down the aisle! How cute is that?
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.jpg "the ringbearers rode in on a tricycle")
.jpg "Dawn and her mom, come down the aisle")
.jpg "the ceremony scene")
Their vows, which they wrote themselves, got all of us a little teary-eyed.
.jpg "Steve during the ceremony")
.jpg "Rosemary gets emotional during the ceremony")
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There was a comedic moment during the sand ceremony. We have had them a ton of times, but this time was a tad bit different, as Steven’s sand kind of took over the vase! Usually the couple alternate sand and make a swirling pattern of colored sand. But, nope, theirs came out with a blob of pink sand on the bottom only to be finished off with Steven hogging the vase and making the top 4″ only black sand! Too funny and the minister remarked which only made all the attendants burst out with laughter.
.jpg "the sand toast!")
.jpg "the swirling sand in the vase, NOT!")
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When it was time to leave the gazebo and get this party rolling Eric, the DJ at Got You Covered!, (www.gotyoucoveredmusic.com) played “Tonight’s Gonna be a Good Night” by the Black Eyed Peas and the bride and groom danced their way back down the aisle as did all the groomsmen and bridesmaids!
.jpg "Dawn and Steven dance back down the aisle")
.jpg "the attendants danced as well!")
.jpg "our couple share a few quiet moments following the ceremony")
.jpg "Steven, our groom")
.jpg "Bill shoots the guys")
.jpg "Steven and the guys, jump!")
.jpg "Steve and the best man, Garren")
.jpg "Garren takes a jab from Steven, LOL")
.jpg "the wedding party on the front lawn of Nardini Manor")
.jpg "Here comes the wedding party....")
.jpg "and closer and closer....")
.jpg "Dawn and the guys")
.jpg "Steven and the girls!")
.jpg "our ringbearer watches all the fun")
We did some family groupings and then took Dawn and Steven next door to a beautiful cotton field ablaze with light from the magnificent sunset. Check out this photo, is this not gorgeous, seriously, with all the mountains in the background and rows and rows of cotton????? It wasn’t an easy trek to get down and into the field, but I think both Steven and Dawn will agree, it was well worth it!
.jpg "Dawn and Steven play in the cotton field")
.jpg "Gorgeous!")
.jpg "Love it!")
.jpg "So pretty.....")
As we were leaving the cotton field, the sun was just setting across the street on this big field of trees, so we hurried over and shot these…..
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.jpg "by the tree...")
Then the reception was held in a tent in the back of the premises, so pretty. When it came time to enter the reception, the guests were escorted down a little path to a secret garden complete with lit lanterns and a trellis with name cards all decked out with flowers. In the center of this garden, were benches to sit a spell and their sign-in book of engagement photos we had taken and a fountain with cool water trickling into it. So pretty.
.jpg "the seating cards hung on a trellis in the garden")
.jpg "the secret garden as you approached the tent")
.jpg "the sign in book with our photos that we took of them in San Diego")
Inside, Ginny Solis of All About Catering (www.allaboutcateringco.com) and Rita’s flowers made the room as did all the different sized lanterns, and the color coordinated menu, ice tea and lemonade bar, and set up candy bar.
.jpg "inside the tent")
.jpg "the menus")
.jpg "the centerpieces up close")
.jpg "lemonade anyone?")
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.jpg "the candy bar")
.jpg "the tented reception")
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On the table, lay a hat box with little note paper and a flower pen for guests to write their “words of wisdom” to the couple as a keepsake.
.jpg "little notes for Dawn and Steven filled with advice on marriage")
The food was scrumptious with different stations each out performing each other. Ginny, helped make the room look fantastic, with the lighting that set the mood for the festivities to come. It was completely romantic. In the corner was the magnificent cake created by another Facebook buddy, Lanette of the Cake Contessa (www.thecakecontessa.com) and I can attest as I had to have a piece, and I can assure you, this cake was YUMMY! The smell of the fresh cake, filled the corner of the room. Lanette you outdid yourself for sure!
.jpg "the cake")
.jpg "another view of the cake")
.jpg "the ringbearer said it was real yummy")
.jpg "close up of cake")
.jpg "cake anyone?")
Dawn and Steven gave each one of the bridesmaids and groomsmen, their own decorated drinking glass.
.jpg "their glasses")
Eric had them enter the tent to “Party Like a Rockstar” by Shop Boyz. It was crazy as you can imagine, with them all doing their own version of how to enter a room!
.jpg "1st dance")
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Then the guests were told to come up and show Steven and Eric just how to do that kiss when the glasses get a clanking! One group would out do the next, too funny!
.jpg "a couple shows Steven and Dawn how to do a kiss their style!")
Another thing which isn’t done in New York and was really funny we thought, was a question and answer game that Dawn and Steven had to take part in. They were told to remove their shoes and switch shoes with one another all the while they were sitting in two chairs that were placed squarely in the center of the dance floor, back to back. Eric would throw out questions such as “who wears the pants in the family?” and they would have to raise a shoe, either being Dawn’s or Steven’s, in response to who they thought “wore the pants”. It was so funny to watch their answers and see how many they agreed on and we all had a big laugh, very cute you guys! (P.S. some times you cheated Dawn and held up both shoes :-0 !!!!!!!!!!!)
.jpg "questions and answers")
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They had many cute things included in their wedding, such as the Dollar Dance, whereby guests get to come up and dance with the happy couple for a dollar and the asking of guests to guess why their particular table was named what it was and it’s pertinence to Dawn and Steven, etc. Some of the “maids” gave them an “IOU” for a dance, how funny is that?
.jpg "one of the table names")
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.jpg "the dollar dance")
But to me, one of the funniest highlights was a dance arranged by two of the bride’s maids, whereby one of Steven’s good friends, completely oblivious to Steve, would go up to him, sit him in a chair and do a lap dance of sorts! Steven’s face turned FUCHSIA in color! I thought we were going to die with laughter!!!
.jpg "Steve gets a lap dance!")
.jpg "Dawn and her girlfriends")
.jpg "Dawn and the ringbearer share a kiss")
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And, then things wound down and it was time for our couple to say their goodbyes as they were heading out to the Caribbean island of Jamaica the next day for a week of fun in the sun! Hope it was all you hoped for, Dawn and Steven, we had a great time.
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. It is the place where we update our photos and tell you bits and pieces about our life with three kids. So, check out our galleries, drop us a comment (cause you know we just love to hear from ya) and, yeah, don’t be a stranger.
Rosemary: WOW! I love them so much. Thank you for everything! you both are amazing! November 20, 2009 1:11 pm
Cassie Hinz: FABULOUS!!!! ABSOULUTLEY FABULOUS GIRL!!! The wedding pictures are amazing to say the least and Dawn was the prettiest bride ever:) November 20, 2009 3:46 pm
Kim Woodall: These pictures are absolutley beautiful! I was saddened not to be able to attend Dawn and Stevens special day, however, looking at these pictures still made me cry as if I were there. They are for sure priceless!!! Verdi photography did an awesome job and thank you for sharing. November 20, 2009 8:38 pm
Tara: A beautiful wedding full of laughter and more then enough love to go around. Congrats Dawn and Steve! it's time to start your happily ever after :p November 20, 2009 8:56 pm
Ashley Thomas: Dawn always tells us girls to look at your website when there are new wedding photos up. We would always talk about how hers would turn out and it wasnt suprising that they turned out amazing! A picture perfect of my two best friends. November 20, 2009 9:00 pm
Amanda: I always check out your photos - they are so beautiful... but this time ... OMGosh!! These are my favorite... so AMAZING! November 20, 2009 11:59 pm
Randy Roethler(Papa): I absolutely love everything you guys did for all the great photos! It's nice to have pro's that aren't all snooty and stuck-up and rigid in how "they" want to do it! Thank you for all the hard work and the willingness to work with ALL of us, and all the little extras that made it all look so GREAT! As for my daughter and newest son-in-law they are great kids who work very hard at everything they want to accomplish, and I know that here's a couple that will need you guys for their 50th anniversary bash! November 21, 2009 9:36 pm
Cicely Rocha.Miller: Great post and pictures sharing their amazing day. Thank you so much for sharing. :) Cicely November 23, 2009 1:54 am
Dawn Gallagher/Eldridge: Just got back from my honeymoon late last night, and we had to stay up to see the wedding pictures. I LOVE them so much. You guys captured everything :) Thanks so much! November 23, 2009 12:21 pm
Carrie Roethler: The pictures look absolutely AMAZING and you really captured the love between my sister and Steven... I am so grateful that their special day was captured in such a special way! I love you sis and bro - you both are beautiful people inside and out and you will be great together for decades to come! November 23, 2009 7:11 pm