Happy Disaster

Ceremony Location: Bentley Projects, Phoenix, AZ; Reception Location: Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ; Cake: Sedona Cake Couture, Sedona, AZ; Caterer: Santa Barbara Catering, Tempe, AZ; Event Planner and Décor: Victoria Canada Weddings & Events, Scottsdale, AZ; Florist: Petal Pusher, Avondale, AZ; Linens: Wildflower Linen, Scottsdale, AZ; Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Phoenix, AZ; Ceremony Music: String Serenade, Phoenix, AZ; DJ: Desert House Productions, Phoenix, AZ; Transportation: Ollie the Trolley, Scottsdale, AZ; Calligraphy: Jennifer Schmitt Calligraphy; Programs: Celebrations in Paper, Scottsdale, AZ; Makeup: Corinna Cooke Make-Up Artist; Videography: Bright Bokeh, Scottsdale, AZ; Photo Booth: The Live Photobooth, Scottsdale, AZ; Photography: Melissa Jill Photography, Phoenix, AZ

Chris Jackson and Breanne Stewart met in Las Vegas at a Sema car show. Somehow, Chris ended up eating Breanne's room service and this happy disaster ended up being the beginning of something beautiful.

After six years together, the couple planned a Hawaii hiatus, although Chris had a different plan altogether. "We were in Maui for our six-year anniversary and it was our second day at the beach," recalls Breanne. "After we had been swimming for a while he sat next to me and asked me to marry him. At first I thought he was kidding, but then he pulled out a ring and I started crying."

Their wedding day started with preparations at The Westin in downtown Phoenix and "Breanne was a sea of calm," remembers photographer Melissa Jill. Obsessed with anthropology, Breanne loves all things organic and clean, and with the help of planner Victoria Canada, tried to infuse that into the décor. Needless to say, when Breanne and Chris arrived at the Bentley Projects to see their ceremony site for the first time, they both happily exclaimed “an urban barn!” confirming Canada's success at fulfilling their vision. Intended as a keepsake for their guests, the programs were a work of art unto themselves, appearing to be a vintage book bound within a map.

To mark Breanne’s arrival with her dad, their flower girl proudly carried a wand down the aisle. A short time later, Breanne and Chris exchanged vows in front of an eight-foot-long boxwood hedge covered with manzanita branches and orchids. Moss spheres hung from the rafters above and the aisle was flanked with custom-designed plexiboxes.

Cocktail hour was in another area of the art gallery and then guests were whisked off via trollies to the Phoenix Art Museum. Continuing their theme, the museum's registration desk was also framed with boxwoods and the escort table featured a custom table built around a nine-foot-tall manzanita tree. Each guest's name was written in calligraphy and placed in a miniature glass vase with various orchid blooms.

When the couple got a sneak peek of their reception before the festivities began, Breanne couldn't bite her tongue, exclaiming: “I feel like I walked into a magazine!” Ten-foot-tall trees were set on long feasting tables dressed in navy linen with bright pink accents and alternating round tables featured centerpieces of orchids, café dahlias and ranunculus. For a personal touch and paying homage to Breanne's love of reading, there were custom moss table numbers set within books directing guests to their tables.

For those that wanted to take a break from dancing or just to sit down for a bit, there was also a lounge area bathed in ambient lighting, which included a one-of-a-kind birch art installation. No detail was left untouched from the hand-painted cake to food stations highlighting some of the couple's favorite foods, miniature pies, made-to-order churros, and even the bar was wrapped in grey suede and featured various signature “mocktails.”

Ceremony Location: Bentley Projects, Phoenix, AZ; Reception Location: Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, AZ; Cake: Sedona Cake Couture, Sedona, AZ; Caterer: Santa Barbara Catering, Tempe, AZ; Event Planner and Décor: Victoria Canada Weddings & Events, Scottsdale, AZ; Florist: Petal Pusher, Avondale, AZ; Linens: Wildflower Linen, Scottsdale, AZ; Rentals: Classic Party Rentals, Phoenix, AZ; Ceremony Music: String Serenade, Phoenix, AZ; DJ: Desert House Productions, Phoenix, AZ; Transportation: Ollie the Trolley, Scottsdale, AZ; Calligraphy: Jennifer Schmitt Calligraphy; Programs: Celebrations in Paper, Scottsdale, AZ; Makeup: Corinna Cooke Make-Up Artist; Videography: Bright Bokeh, Scottsdale, AZ; Photo Booth: The Live Photobooth, Scottsdale, AZ; Photography: Melissa Jill Photography, Phoenix, AZ