Kayley + Johnny | Elegant Desert Wedding in Paradise Valley

Wedding

Jan 13

Kayley and Johnny’s Paradise Valley wedding was desert elegance at its finest! Their outdoor ceremony beneath the mountains and evening reception under the stars was a dream in every way. The only thing as beautiful was the joy that Kayley and Johnny had the entire day!

Kayley and Johnny met during their Junior year of college, and like many young college couples, they did *not* hit it off right away. They describe their first meeting with mutual friends in the school library as friendly, but a complete miss. But as in every good love story, it didn’t take long for these two to reconnect (over shots of Jack Daniels!), realize that they were meant for each other, and fall head over heels! Kayley and Johnny dated through the rest of college, and then on a special hike that Johnny organized with Kayley’s family, Johnny proposed to Kayley at a beautiful location in the Superstition Mountains. After the hike, they arrived home to a surprise engagement party of their family members and closest friends, all so excited to celebrate their love!

In keeping with their engagement, it was completely fitting that Kayley and Johnny’s wedding was held beneath the beauty of another one of Arizona’s stunning mountains. Their venue was the beautiful and spacious El Chorro event space in Paradise Valley, Arizona. This desert wedding location is a photographer’s dream! The space itself is natural elegance - with its classic white stucco exterior, simple-yet-elevated details, and gorgeous ceremony lawn. The raised stone platform where Kayley and Johnny said their vows is set against the backdrop of the Camelback Mountains - simply breathtaking to say the least! The natural beauty of the desert gets me every single time, I truly cannot get enough of my desert weddings!

Everything about Kayley and Johnny’s wedding day was effortless elegance, and the decor was perfection! Arrangements of eucalyptus and neutral-hue roses adorned the wedding arbor and the reception tables. The natural beauty of the venue’s garden paths created such lovely space for guests to mingle, and (I must say) was the most idyllic photography backdrop at golden hour. Kayley and Johnny’s reception was held at sunset, and the outdoor dance floor with bistro lights strung above was the perfect setting for a post-ceremony party. And what a party it was! Kayley and Johnny danced the night away with their family and friends, and it was impossible for my camera to not capture their joy! These two were literally all smiles all day and all night, and the love in their eyes when they looked at each other was just so beautiful.

Kayley and Johnny, you simply outdid yourselves with the beauty of your day in every way! Congratulations! What a joy to photograph your elegant desert wedding and celebrate with you.

For more desert wedding inspiration check out this blog!