Well, for those of you that don’t live in the middle of the sweltering southwest desert, let me tell you, we are smack-dab in the middle of an Arizona summer here in the Valley! Arizona is kind of a unique place to be as far as the wedding industry goes. We actually have TWO wedding seasons. But right now isn’t one of them : ) While the rest of the wedding photographers in the nation are happy snapping away outdoors, we have to find some creative ways to beat the heat during our summer months.
The heat in Arizona is so intense this time of year (we’ve already hit 115 degrees) that very few brides dare to brave it. And I don’t blame them! But there are some really stunning places in Arizona where you can escape from the heat into the glory that is central air for a gorgeous wedding! One of these locations is the Wrigley Mansion in Phoenix.
I was lucky enough this past Friday to shoot an engagement shoot at the Mansion with Kathy and Bill. Kathy is a stunning, blonde beauty who is braving the desert heat to have her wedding at the Wrigley in late July. Indoors - thankfully!
I met Kathy, and her fiancé Bill, in the library of the mansion to discuss our shoot and just to get to know them a little better (check out last week’s blog about the benefits of an engagement shoot to learn more about why I think this is such an important part of wedding photography!) I learned that Bill travels all over the world and that he was actually a concert pianist in his previous life : )
Kathy’s face softened as she beamed about one of their early dates at the Wrigley Mansion. She confided in me that the staff had actually let Bill play the antique Steinway in the grand room of the mansion, and that he had serenaded her with a beautiful song during that romantic evening.
The shoot for these two was unique. Kathy brought her two children along, which ratcheted up the fun factor. But overall, the setting of the mansion is dramatic and vibrant. The rooms of the old building are decorated in saturated colors and the large windows create some really stunning directional light.
Settings like these tell stories without much work on the photographer’s part. We captured some stunning shots of Kathy and Bill in a gilded mirror in the grand room, and they posed in gorgeous directional light on the balcony just above the lobby.
The whole family even agreed to brave the heat of the evening and trek down to the garden with me for some outdoor shots (really, in the shade it wasn’t that bad). The Wrigley Mansion is a fantastically historic and unique setting for a wedding. I can’t wait to capture these two in their formal finery on the big day in late July. Stay tuned for more drama!
