Amy Griffis Sour Kitty: A Wildly Romantic Wedding in the Arizona Desert

What began as a last-minute “plus one” to a wedding became a forever kind of love for Marian and Mark. And when they began planning their own big day, they knew showcasing the Arizona scenery was a top priority. A soft color palette and natural greens complemented the setting, and Rachel Solomon told the story of the day in stunning fashion.

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From the bride… Mark and I met through my older brothers about 5 years ago, when he moved from the Bay Area to Arizona. We started dating about a year later when he needed a last minute plus-one to a friend’s wedding. My brothers thought that I might be able to suggest one of my friends as a suitable date, but I offered to go instead. I always thought Mark was fun, kind, and handsome – and there could be worse ways to spend a Saturday, right? We had an amazing time together, and the fun hasn’t stopped since then.

Mark proposed almost 3 years later, while we were hiking in beautiful Sedona, AZ. The love of the outdoors, especially the breathtaking Arizona scenery, has been a constant throughout our relationship, and it was the perfect spot to decide to spend the rest of our lives together.

As we began wedding planning, we knew that we wanted to showcase Arizona scenery – especially through the choice of venue. I think we knew the moment we stepped on the Casa Paloma lawn at El Chorro that we wanted to get married there. The venue features a stunning backdrop of Camelback Mountain and the property itself is simple, classic, rustic, and beautiful with wrap-around patios, fireplaces, and an open and airy event space.

The venue is stunning enough on its own, so we wanted the décor to be soft and natural with some rustic details. The florals from Sarah’s Garden featured natural bouquets and centerpieces in neutral whites, creams and blushes with pops of deeper pinks and peaches, surrounded by eucalyptus greenery. We also added some pops of color with rose quartz menus from Minted, paired with rosemary sprigs clipped from a friend’s garden that morning. The head table featured a long garland that complemented the greenery hung in the rafters of the event space.

Letters by Jennifer created stunning calligraphy for our custom signage, seating charts, and escort cards. We also featured some desert-inspired details in our cactus invitation suite, programs, and itineraries from Paperless Post and our custom logos from Snaptag Designs.

For my “something old” my mother created a ring bearer pillow and flower girl basket using lace from the bridesmaid’s dresses at her wedding. And my “something borrowed” was a turquoise bracelet that my grandfather gave to my aunt to wear on her wedding day.

We chose long, flowing, chiffon gowns in a pale blush from Dessy as the bridesmaids’ dresses. Paired with the silk ribbons from Frou Frou Chic, slightly moving in that day’s soft breeze, the bouquets were captured beautifully by Rachel Solomon Photography. Rachel and her team did an amazing job capturing all the moments and details from throughout the day.

And of course, the glue that held everything together was planning and coordination from Andrea Leslie and her team. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our friends and family and the hard work from this amazing team of vendors that created the best day of our lives!