Jess & Justin tied the knot on Saturday at Inspirador in downtown Chandler.  Now I know what you’re thinking – why would anybody get married in the middle of July in Arizona?  Well, the date of their wedding had a lot more to do with their honeymoon plans than it did with the weather in Arizona!  As I’m writing this, the happy newlyweds are enjoying their time in beautiful San Diego for Comic Con!  Yep.  They’re just that awesome!  We’ve really gotten the chance to get to know this great pair over several dinner dates, their engagement session, bonding over a mutual love for Apple products and lots and lots of facebook commenting!  We couldn’t feel more blessed to have been there to capture their very special day.  Jess & Justin are the perfect match and their wedding was so much fun to shoot!

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

Jess’ wedding dress was gorgeous – classic and beautiful, just like Jess :-)

She rocked this cute pair of gold sandals.

The beautiful florals were created by the ever so talented Amy of Amy’s Floral Design!

Such a stunning bride.

While I was over with the girls, Ryan was hanging out with Justin.  Since it only took him about 5 minutes to get ready, they had plenty of time to goof around for some portraits.  Silly, silly boys :-)  These two crack me up!

Inspirador is such a unique venue, and in this case, it was just perfect for a wedding on a hot day because both the ceremony and reception sites were indoors.  We really loved the cool contemporary spaces and modern details.  Among our favorites were the modern light fixtures and the love quotes that line of floor of the Poet’s Lounge, where the ceremony took place.

I absolutely love both of these shots we grabbed just before the ceremony.

Here comes the bride!

Justin was one happy man as he watched his bride come down the isle.

This one makes my heart all warm & fuzzy inside :-)

Mr. & Mrs. at last!

Since it was like a billion degrees outside, we shot most of their portraits in the Tryst Gallery.  The exposed brick and fun art pieces served as a great backdrop.  The bridal party was small, but a good looking bunch nonetheless!

Gotta say, Justin was all smiles the whole day!  So sweet :-)

Rockin’ the gallery in black & white.

LOVE this shot Ryan took.  It just might be one of my new favorite images :-)

Couldn’t choose between these next two.  Loved them both so much!

Jess & Justin really wanted their afternoon reception to feel fun and laid back.  They chose a summertime theme and the guests got to enjoy the music of well known Percussionist Paul McDermand on the Steel Drums.

There were lots of laughs (and a few tears too) as the maid of honor, best man and both their dads toasted the newlyweds.

A sweet and touching moment with Jess & her dad as they watched a slideshow of family photos.

We snuck away for a couple shots of the rings.  Don’t you just love Justin’s custom designed ring?

Instead of a cake, they opted for yummy cupcakes made by The Cake Cafe! Good choice!

And a bubble filled exit wrapped things up rather nicely :-)

For more photos from Jess & Justin’s wedding, click on the view slideshow button below!

To the happy couple: you guys ROCK!  We had so much fun spending the day with you and can’t wait to watch what God has in store for you both in the future.  We look forward to many more hang outs and a long friendship :-)  Hope you guys are having so much fun in San Diego!  Thank you for choosing us to share in such a wonderful day!

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Ryan’s cousin Steven has always talked about how much he admires our marriage.  Being a part of our wedding day at a fairly young age made a big impression on him I think.  He saw the kind of love that we share and knew that he wanted the same for himself someday.  After spending some time on Saturday with he and Chantel, his bride-to-be, I’m very certain that he’s found the one.  Chantel & Steven are one of those couples that you spend a little time with and you can’t help but say to yourself, “Yep.  These two were made for each other.”  Chantel is definitely the jelly to Steven’s peanut butter :-)  They compliment each other so well.  We had so much fun finding out what an amazing woman Chantel is and seeing the romantic side of Steven.  He’s no longer just our smart and silly cousin, he’s a man in love.

(Please sign the guestbook if you’d like to be notifed when the rest of their photos are online.)

Their engagement session was actually a gift from Steven’s mom Linda (also known as our fabulous aunt), so we actually knew that we’d be hanging out with them even before THEY did!  These two met at the dorms at Arizona State University so that’s where we headed to start the session.  This first one was taken right outside Steven’s old dorm room where they had their first kiss.  So cute!

We were a little worried that Steven would feel weird being all cute in front of us, but we found out pretty quickly that wouldn’t be the case.  They were affectionate the whole day!

Our second stop was a beautiful and serene garden in another part of the campus.  There’s just something about Chantel’s playful feet that makes me love this one.  I know . . . I’m weird.

Steven: you scored yourself one gorgeous gal!  Well done!

You’re not lookin’ too bad yourself there cuz!

This is one of my favorites from the whole session :-)

There were so many fun backdrops to shoot on campus!  We had a blast wandering around together and hearing all their fun memories from each place.

Next we headed to downtown Phoenix to relive a few engagement night memories with the lovebirds.  And as you probably already guessed, I was super excited when Chantel whipped out these AWESOME yellow heels!

The night Steven proposed, they went to see a show at the Orpheum Theater and then took a walk down to the Arizona Center.  In this very spot just a week earlier, they stood underneath the thousands of sparkling lights, and he asked her to marry him.  And of course, she said yes!  Our little Steven is such a romantic!

Just love the emotion in this shot.

I couldn’t decide between these two – I just love them both!  And for the record, we didn’t ask Chantel to run around downtown without her shoes on.  It was actually her idea after walking a few blocks and they just happened to make awesome props for the photos!

Brilliant colors to compliment a equally, if not more brilliant couple :-)  If you’ve never had a chance to check out the Orpheum Theater before, you should.  It’s an amazing 1920′s building with incredible details and architecture.

A-dor-a-ble!

This one is probably my absolute favorite.  There’s just something about the whole scene that is just perfect.

Couldn’t pass up the chance for a little silliness too!  Now THAT’S more like the Steven we know!

On our way back towards the car, we arrived at this intersection just in time to do a couple quick shots as the Light Rail sped past.  Love the motion of the train.

Click the slideshow button below for more images of this GREAT couple!

Steven & Chantel: we had a blast hanging out with you guys!  Thanks for letting us capture your sweet love for each other :-)  Can’t wait to watch you two become man & wife and enter into the most exciting journey of your lives.  We love you guys!

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If you missed PART I of the adorable wedding of Amanda & Caleb, make sure you CLICK HERE to go back and check it out!

Now where did we leave off?  It was something pretty important, right?  Oh yes – the kiss!  And not just any kiss, but Amanda & Caleb’s first kiss together!  There were many tears AND cheers from the friends and family (and us) that got to witness the joining of these two very special people.  How cute are they?

They were all smiles as they took their first walk as Mr. & Mrs. Thompson!

Nothing like making up for lost time!

Amanda: you’re adorable!  I believe this expression was her response to one of her girls asking, “So, is he a good kisser?”  LOVE it!

As the guests began to head to the reception, we took a little stroll up to the hilltop for a few post ceremony portraits.  How cool is it that CCV has its own little mountain?  What a view!

Sun flare = some very cool sunset portraits :-)

We decided to head down the hill and leave the lovebirds for a few quiet moments to themselves, but Ryan just couldn’t help grabbing one last shot of such a perfect scene.  (Don’t tell them we were spying, ok?)  Ha ha!

The reception took place in the backyard of Amanda & Caleb’s brand new house!  They closed on it about six weeks before the wedding and have been working tirelessly ever since to get it ready to host 125 people.  How cool is it that their first home together will also hold the memories of such a special day?  They did a great job creating a really beautiful setting.

Outdoor wedding rule #1: lots of lights are essential for great ambiance AND awesome photos!

The first dance: this one makes my heart happy :-)

It was so fun to watch these guys interact with their families.  Lots of love in this group!

A sweet moment from the father daughter dance :-)

Caleb & Christabel had their very own father daughter dance too!  What father daughter dance is complete without a little acrobatics here and there?

Time to party on the dance floor!

Sparkler exit = awesome!  So much fun!

A little sparkle for the road and it’s off to Sedona for the honeymoon!  They were literally driving away when Caleb grabbed this.  Way to make an exit Thompson’s!

To see more photos from Amanda & Caleb’s wedding day, click on the “view slideshow” button below.  And don’t forget to leave us some love in the comment section at the bottom of the post!

To Amanda & Caleb: from the moment we met the two of you, it was clear that you guys were something special.  I doubt we’ll even forget that excited text message from you after our first meeting ;-)  You guys ROCK!  We are so honored that you chose us to be a part of your day.  Now it’s time to relax and enjoy being married!  May God bless you abundantly and always remain the source and the center of all that you are!  We heart you guys!

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