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Offbeat partners: Rey & Izzy
Date and location of wedding: Warehouse 215 in Phoenix, Arizona — December 21, 2016
Our winter solstice wedding at a glance:
Our wedding was held on Yule/Winter Solstice and the night of Ursid's meteor shower. We had a Tea Bar! We didn't serve alcohol, but we had a selection of teas set up in an old apothecary table my mom and I refinished. We decorated and made my bouquet with boughs of herbs. The whole wedding smelled like sage, mint, and rosemary! We used some of the leftover herbs for cooking at home, but the rest we composted into the garden of our new place together.
We went with a Zero Waste Caterer that specialized in eco-friendly catering and environmental efforts. We honored all the family ancestors by setting up family tree wedding photos and artifacts.
Tell us about the ceremony:
My mom, aunts, and cousins who are all vocalists, formed an all-female chorale and performed Holst's “In the Bleak Midwinter” and my mom sang a solo. My uncle performed our ceremony while our friends and family encircled us in the middle of the warehouse surrounded by fresh herbs and dozens of white candles.
Tell us about your reception:
My brother is a jazz guitarist and performed with one of his combos during dinner. My husband's great-aunt led La Marcha, or La Marcha de los Novios, a traditional wedding dance that gets everyone up on their feet and encircles the newlyweds in a twisty train. It's probably one of the most fun wedding traditions ever.
What was your most important lesson learned?
My advice would be to expect lots of your relationships to change when you get engaged/married. In usually healthy ways, but it can be stressful. Even if you and your mom are best friends, you will have weird shifts of relationship. Something that really helped me was setting aside time for everyone close to me during the planning process. Make time for everyone, take someone different along on every wedding errand. It makes people involved, invested, and makes people feel appreciated, which in turn, means people can be happier for you!
Vendors
- Photographer: Kym Ventola
- Floral/Coordinator: Eternal Event Design
- Catering: Atlasta
- Venue: Warehouse 215
Gallery
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I love the idea of a tea bar in place of booze. That’s delightful! I might steal that for a regular party. It would be fun for a cozy new years gathering too.
Please tell me where the dress is from!!!!! It’s beautiful!