John + Lauren | A Vintage Private Affair | Destination Wedding | Bisbee, Arizona

John + Lauren // Hosterman Wedding Story

So there is this tiny little historical mining town in the middle of Arizona called Bisbee. It feels straight off of a Hollywood studio set. The aged brick, old signage, red rock set against ivy-covered vintage inns--I was so intrigued. The moment you drive into the narrow roads you are transplanted into this vibe of a vintage city....I'm gonna let the bride, Lauren, take the story from here.

Bisbee is our favorite place to go. It's where we fell in love, where we got engaged, and it was the perfect place to start our lives together. We loved that you can really see a lot of Bisbee in these photos. They capture the essence of this quirky little town!

Meanwhile, John waited to be led downstairs where he would meet his bride...

VENDOR SHOUT OUT // I have to just make a shout-out to my make up artist, Wendy Fiallo, of Wendy Rae Makeup Artistry worked with me for months prior to the big day. During my makeup trial she put my mind at ease and made me so excited about my big day. She is hands down the BEST makeup artist I know. Book her for your makeup for any event. She'll make you look so beautiful and glamorous!

I loved, loved, loved how personal Laura made each photo time...She truly cared about the little details and the moments with the bride and groom...I loved having this "first look".

the girls loved being girly...

Lauren: I'm so glad John and I decided to see each other prior to the ceremony. Those few moments that we had alone really were special and I loved the photos that were captured. Also, getting to take a majority of our pictures before the ceremony really cut down on the time we were away from guests during the reception. Our whole family kept telling us after the wedding how fun taking pictures was! This is something I've never heard before! I've been to weddings and I've always hated waiting around for pictures. Laura made the entire process so much fun though and everyone enjoyed it! 

People made their way upstairs to the private level of Cafe Roka where the small, intimate ceremony took place

I loved getting away with Laura and my groom during the cocktail hour. We feel like Laura really captured the essence of the wedding and of Bisbee in our shoot. When I look at the pictures, I feel like I'm reliving each moment over and over again. 

Laura was so spontaneous! She saw opportunities for great photos and took them...After a few moments of images in the streets of Bisbee, Laura turned and asked if we wanted to take an extra 10-15 minutes to get some even better shots and drive to the outskirts of Bisbee for some last memories....and it was SO worth it! 

We have to take moment for a solid shout out to the entire staff at Cafe Roka! Fred Miller, the banquet manager at Cafe Roka, worked with me for 7 months on every single tiny detail of our ceremony and reception. There were countless emails that he replied. Room measurements he took, menu changes, photos he sent... all of the effort he put in made us feel so at ease with having our wedding at Roka.

Rod, the owner and chef at Cafe Roka, was also a freaking rock star! The day before the wedding, we showed up to decorate and he bent over backwards to ensure everything got set up the way we wanted. He fed us his 5 star food for lunch and dinner the day before the big day AND made the most incredible food for our reception. Our guests kept gushing over how amazing the food was. I've never seen so many to go boxes being used at a wedding before! No one wanted to waste any of the deliciousness! Also, the wait staff at Cafe Roka took care of our guests so well. Huge thank you to them!

John + Lauren, thank you for inviting me into this sliver of your to capture a collection of memories that will be on your walls and in your hearts for the rest of your lives!  You guys are pretty darn special yourselves! | LKM

VENDORS

prep location: Letson Loft Hotel // ceremony & reception location: Cafe Roka // wedding dress: Norman's Bridal // bride's shoes: Dillards // flower girl dresses: Dillard's // make up rtist: Wendy Rae Makeup Artistry // hair: Erica DeFevers // photography: Laura K. Moore Photography

Texture Tuesday | Random Desert Weeds...

After the Tiggas Family session last week, i was driving home and the evening sunbeams caught these weeds on the side of the road. Wanted to share a few of them just because :) 

Oh, and hey, happy cold weather Tucson. We're pushin' mid 70s over here folks. Grab a parka! | LKM

so as i was wrapping the edits of these few textures, my husband Lawson insisted i take that first weed and make it a hard core black and white.... they are the exact same image.... which is your favorite? 

Bryce + Caroline | El Chorro, Scottsdale, AZ Wedding | Inspiration: Glamour, Peach & Mint

At the fiesta reunion the night before the their wedding, friends and family began to trickle in from all over the country, pre-game and celebrate Bryce and Caroline. A year prior at our initial consult, Caroline and her Mom knew that it was the people at her wedding that would be her most favorite part. Mine too. 

The word dovetail means "to join or fit together compactly or harmoniously." That one word describes this wedding. This family has branches and life-long friends and stories and connections that reach for generations and through a whole lot of experiences. I'll keep words to a minimum for this wedding story. 

VENDORS

Prep Location: Scottsdale Plaza Resort // Hair Stylist: Candace Dunn of Spa Lamar  // MakeUp Artist: Meleah Roadarmel // Bride's Dress: Destinys Bride // Bride's Accessories: Last Chance Phoenix  // Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom Scottsdale // Flower Girl Dress: Target // Bridesmaids Gifts: Tucson Gem Show // Groomsmen's Engraved Pocket Knives: Things Remembered // Groomsmen Tuxes: Mr. Formal AZ // Ceremony Location: El Chorro // Caterer: El Chorro // Cake: Ruze Cake House // Florist: Butterfly Petals // Reception Entertainment: "Best Band in Phoenix" The Hamptons Band 

While the girls had a blast getting ready and sharing memories, the boys relaxed, took things slow, started off with some football and gift-giving.

Both parties made their way to El Chorro where Bryce + Caroline had a super sweet first look. The way she walked...you could TELL she felt gorgeous. And the way he watched her...she absolutely was. 

A friend of the family loaned their restored fire-engine red, super sexy thunderbird...

The day was warm and El Chorro has a variety of locations both indoors and outdoors to keep the wedding party comfortable. The girls grabbed a few glasses of champagne and toasted to freedom and friendship. While the guys watched soccer...

We made our way out to the front of the beautiful property to snag some memorable wedding party formal pictures :) These can typically be boring. standard. ho hum. OR...you can get a party of friends like this willing to laugh and dance a little...

Finding reprieve in the bridal room, the wedding party waited for the ceremony to begin while guests trickled in...

Favorite moment of the ceremony was the way they looked at eachother coming back down aisle. married. happy. excited...

While guests enjoyed a classy, cheerful cocktail hour, the newlyweds took a little skip around the venue as sunbeams burst through palo verde trees and desert brush.

During cocktail hour people just laughed and reunited. There was a real atmosphere of "we are all family here"... 

Once the guests were let into the reception hall, people immediately gushed over the centerpieces. The bride's mom, Diane, had spent the last several month designing these jeweled potted succulent arrangements. Real life. Well-watered. Multi-colored textures and sparkly sand...they were incredible and so unique.

Thank you for trusting your wedding day and these precious memories with me to me and my team!

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Post Edit: From the bride.... When we were hunting for a photographer we were looking for somebody who was fun, nice and captured amazing photos. LKM's customer service was excellent! I could not have found a nicer person to work with! She was fun and easy to work with l. She was willing to travel to Scottsdale and the pictures turned out amazing! Everything! Everything looks beautiful, detail oriented and really captured our day perfectly! There were no low points! It was all perfect. I will always refer Laura! Hands down, best photographer ever! 

Desert Bridal Portraits | Scottsdale Wedding Photography | Texture Teusday

We're branching away from plants and letting this beautiful bride take stage for Texture Tuesday. Bryce & Caroline's Scottsdale Wedding at El Chorro is being featured tomorrow but for now...here are a few textures and a couture dress and newlywed romance that just make me feel all warm and sparkly inside. Amid Palo Verde trees and Ironwood blossoms, these two snagged some beautiful sunset portraits immediately after their ceremony... 

Check back tomorrow to see their whole wedding story... :) | LKM

Tucson's Red Bird of Paradise | "Our Little Desert Peacock" | Arizona-Sonoran Wildlife | Texture Tuesday

As everything shrivels a little in the heat of desert's summer, this fancy plant is cheerful, resilient and so very stubborn. 

I really like these flowers. 

And to get a bit nerdy on y'all.... the Red Bird of Paradise is scientifically dubbed Caesalpinia pulcherrima and part of the pea family. It also goes by Pride of Barbados, Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Dwarf Poinciana, and Flamboyan-De-Jardin (translation: Flamboyant Garden).  

Charlie + Ronika | El Presidio / Tucson Museum of Art Wedding

Charlie & Ronika's Wedding Day Story 

The Details, Behind the Scenes, Memories and Vendor Highlights that made this day extraordinary 

Prep began at the bride's parent's home, surrounded by ladies she loved. The weather was bizarre and stormy. Bridal portraits were done in parent's backyard. Giggles and Fireball whiskey were passed around before the caravan headed downtown.

Downtown at Tucson Museum of Art, the ladies waited while crowds arrived across the street. Katie McClain of Posh Petals arrived with the flowers...

I have never had a favorite flower but thanks to Pinterest I was able to get an idea of my dream bouquet. Katie’s passion alone had me entranced, so fun and bubbly with so much knowledge and advice. She was helpful and determined to help me create the perfect bouquet. The bouquets turned out beautiful looking perfectly spring filled. Charlie and I wanted to stick by our native plants choosing cacti and succulents for the centers pieces. Everything was absolutely beautiful. 

Bridal party enjoyed some fancy poses until dad arrived and he saw Ronika for the first time...Their wasn't a dry eye after...including myself...

Charlie had started the day off right, breakfast with his best bud, then a man trip to the club for some hot tub and steam room time. As the day went on he worried about is bride to be with the unpredictable weather, was she freaking out? All he wanted to do was comfort his bride. As he kicked back some Manhattans with the guys, she was still lingering in his thoughts. From putting on the crazy socks, a Ware tradition, to tying the dress ties and swallowing the last gulp of Manhattan Charlie was ready to greet his bride. The boys walked form the historic Hotel Congress to the ceremony they passed a few guests driving past them. It was awesome to be cheered be passing guests, with lots of whoops and whistles. 

The weather was cloudy skies and as we drove to the ceremony it started to pour in that moment I surrendered to God knowing Charlie was the man for me and how our outside day of events would somehow be nothing short of perfect. The time had come and it may have been sprinkling rain as I walked down the aisle arm and arm with my dad but no one could have wiped the enormous grin from my face. It was happening now and I was determined to be in this moment and I was. All I could register were Charlie’s eyes.

Charlie could hardly stand the suspense now he could slightly see his bride sitting in a turquoise restored 1960 Impala. He watched her walked toward him and just before she was to handed to him he jumped the gun and reached for her hand before it was given. ( that was a super cute moment during the ceremony. see below...)

Family stayed behind and lingered in the El Presidio Courtyard while sunbeams came out with a fanfare full of joy. Family portraits were a blast. Everybody just laughed and laughed. Family Formals are always a little like herding cats but mix in a bit o' humor and funny uncles and a spirit of "best day ever" and you get some pretty wonderful moments...

Downtown sparkled with dew and celebration. While the wedding party wrapped up their show at favorite restaurant La Cocina, bride and groom stayed behind to take a few more pictures alone. 

Megan Crain of MC Events helped design and coordinate Charlie & Ronika's wedding day. Here are some of their thoughts about her role in their wedding day...

Charlie and I decided we wanted to celebrate our wedding with everyone we love. We saw our wedding as a day of celebration and wanted to be the best celebration/ party ever! With our guest list reaching near 300 people I wanted to get the best deals and explore all my options when it came to food entertainment and décor costs. When we met with Meagan it was a no brainer that she would be worth investing in. Meagan directed me with all the essential guidelines as far as questions and timelines I needed to answer and create. She worked hard for me to get the best prices so I could stay within my budget. 

And then the party began. Guests got settled in, wedding party introduced, and bride and groom came rejoicing in, danced and dinner...

Caterer Carte Blanche was willing to be creative giving us a traditional Mexican menu with a exotic modern twist. Prickly pear meatballs and veggie stuffed quesadillas for the cocktail hour. I loathe the time between a ceremony and reception with no food. Everyone’s thinking whose table is going to get served first, so I insisted on hefty appetizers during the cocktail hour. Our experience with Carte Blanche was awesome and I love their promise that there will always be more than enough food. It is pricey to feed 300 guests but Carte Blanche made it possible to feed my guests a delicious appetizers and meals until their tummies were stuffed, all while staying within budget. 

During consults the year preceding wedding time, Charlie & Ronika MOST talked about their day being relaxed, natural, uncontrived, non-cheesy, celebratory and totally 'them.' When the floor was opened, people danced...and danced...and laughed...and danced. I even got off the clock and was invited to stay and hit the floor too! 

We wanted to party the night away dancing with all our favorite people. DJ Andrew Wagner of Tucson's Muse DJ learned our taste in music and really listened to all of our requests. He set up a sharp sound system and provided us a never ending selection of tunes!

Of course every bride wants to look fabulous on her wedding day and look back at the pictures in awe. Well Laura K Moore Photography was my top pick. She is able to get people to come out of their head while in front of a camera. I knew she would be able to capture the best shots. Turns out I was right the photos are ridiculously amazing; from happy, to sexy, to goofy and precious we got every emotion of that spectacular day captured--so full of life and real emotions! I got my dream wedding photographer. Enough said.

Overjoyed to share this story. To know these people. To consider them friends. Thank you for letting me be part of this whole process of planning and delighting. You guys are awesome :) 

If you want to see more work or keep tabs on what LKM is doing... click on the follow tabs in the right column. | Joy, LKM

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VENDORS

Dress: Alfred Angelos // Bridesmaid's Dresses: Alfred Angelos // Bride's Shoes: Dillards // Hair Sylist: Gaetanas Salon // Groomsmen's Suits: Jos A. Bank // Catering: Carte Blanc // Florist: Posh Petals // Coordinator: Meagan Crain of MC Events // Photography: Laura K Moore Photography // Ceremony Location: El Presidio Court Yard // Reception Location: Tucson Museum of Art // DJ: Andrew Wagner of Muse DJ // After-party Location: La Cocina

P.S. And just for fun, if you missed Charlie & Ronika's precious, casual, stupid-sexy engagement session, go here

"Freckled Aloe" | Texture Tuesday

This weekend I was asked to share one of my texture pieces at our church as part of creative worship. This is the one i chose and you can read the thoughts behind it HERE. 

"Aloe Nutbakeri" | Tucson Succulent | Sonoran Desert Museum 

Lantana Bush | "Wild Type Spanish Flag" | Sonoran Desert Plant | Texture Tuesday

ruth be told, one of my most recent desert textures is called "the wild type spanish flag." No joke. I figured it only appropriate...Lots of things happened for Spain last week...(and it's not just Chile's fault.) 

This bush is right outside our apartment. The sun sets behind it perfectly. Almost every evening I'm out near it, smelling the its rich, thick honey waft while kids ride their bikes in the courtyard.

My condolences Spain...here is a hug. a historical salute. a solid handshake. a bouquet of wild spanish flags and a solid dose of honey air. If I knew how to send you a gift, i'd send someone important and symbolic a gift...a fine art canvas large and glowing like a bouquet of remembrance and transition. | LKM 

"Honey Air" by LKM | Lantana Bush | "Wild Type Spanish Flag" | Sonoran Desert Plant | 16 x 20 Giclee Canvas Print: $150

Charlie + Ronika: Tucson Palo Verde Desert Wash & Sunset Bike Ride Engagement Session

Charlie & Ronika are so chill and made my job was painfully easy. I realized that much of their ease would allow me to hush up and let them breathe together. Pre-wedding craziness is at a high and this evening together seemed to be progressively more of a detox "i-love-you-so-much" interlude. And the reminding grace that "oh-my-gosh-i-want-to-be-with-this-person-forever" seemed to wash over them in moments of sweetness and sunbeams...sunset bike rides. I am beyond excited for their wedding at the Tucson Museum of Art. Game on baby. | lkm

EDIT // I asked Ronika for some of the backstory for her and Charlie's wedding day and she gave the sweetest proposal story that i had to add...

Its beginning: The modest rumble of a triumph motorcycle, led me to you that night. I made my way to the door to thank you, Charlie, for the two colorful assorted bouquets. I found you at the end of the steps looking hesitant but sexy in cowboy boots, fitted jeans, button down gray shirt covered by a brown vest. I walked toward the man who I had desired since a young girl. By our third date I realized he was the face I had tried so hard to imagine, a man full integrity, love and a need for adventure. I opened my arms and you embraced me, I felt the slightest trembling running through your skin. You grabbed my hands and looked up at me with a big determined grin and said, “Ronika a year ago today I asked you to hangout and today I wanted ask if you would hang out with me for the rest of your life!” . The man of my dreams took one knee and asked me to marry him. I was altogether beside myself unable to keep tears of happiness from ruling my entire face. My dreams had become a reality this is a moment I shall always remember....Shall we always to choose to love.

Andy + Autumn | Cowboy Meets Cowgirl | Tucson Engagement Session | Arizona Wedding Photographer

{Andy + Autumn | Cowboy Meets Cowgirl | Tucson Engagement Session | Arizona Wedding Photographer | Make Up & Hair Artist: Dana Buchanan} Autumn specifically contacted me because she said, 'i loved your website! it was clean. simple. and your images were beautiful.' AWESOME SAUCE. I've been processing brand identity behind the scenes for awhile now. I'm keeping things clean and simple until i figure it out. And apparently that's just fine because i got to meet, greet and laugh with two awesome little love birds who were precious to shoot. Her gentleness with him was my favorite part. Autumn adores Andy. And I can just tell it makes him walk 10 feet taller. He adores her back. And it makes her eyes dance like a million sunbeams...(grin)...too sappy for you? feast your eyeballs then and swoon later. | lkm

(above) she made those cute little placks herself. so crafty. i'm pretty jealous of craft people ya know. :) (below) Seriously. Her skin is flawless! I went to go do air brushing...and i was like, "uhm...well, i guess i could...nope. not really..."... this next series in the orange trees are some of my favorites. he just holds her...and she drinks in his embrace. a boy and his gun...and his girl. :) Andy is going to be deployed soon. Not sure where. Not sure when. Not sure for how long. But by golly, this will just have to be their FIRST of many sweetheart shoots...one day we're gonna have ourselves a WEDDING! Love you guys! | LKM