Desert Formals at Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Sara and I went to university together and met in the same program. She is an amazing photographer, and I was honored to photograph her wedding to Josh. We shot their formals at Boyce Thompson Arboretum. I love this location for its unique variety of desert orange, palm trees, and surprisingly lush greenery. It helped that their wedding took place in December, so we avoided the Arizona heat a bit. If you have your formal wedding photoshoot coming up, click here to read my tips for how to prepare for your photos, no matter the weather.

Like many of the couples I work with, Sara and Josh wanted a combination of film and digital for their gallery. I love both mediums, so you will see film photos mixed throughout the images below. Keep scrolling to see more of these desert arboretum formals and Sara and Josh’s garden wedding.

Religious Ceremony at The Gilbert Arizona Temple

Sara and Josh are members of the LDS Church, so their first wedding ceremony took place at a temple in Gilbert, AZ. This stunning building was the perfect transition between venues. It bridged the desert tones of their arboretum formals to the bright florals of their garden party reception beautifully.

Intimate Ceremony at Schoenberg Gardens

Before this welcoming garden filled with guests for their reception, Sara and Josh had a small ceremony. With a white picket fence in view, vine-covered archways, and a harpist playing, everything reminded me of the film Father of the Bride.

Garden Party Reception at Schoenberg Gardens

As the ceremony wrapped, we took some time to capture wedding party photos before more guests started to roll in. The rest of the evening felt like a lovely picnic. With classic sodas in glass bottles, string lights, and a wildflower covered wedding cake.

To make sure every part of your wedding day is captured, down to the smallest detail, click here. I would love to work together to create a wedding gallery that is everything you dream of!

Other Vendors

Makeup – Painting You Pretty

Dress – Paper Doll Designs

Rentals – Native Events Co

Film Lab – The Find Lab