Sierra + Austin's Prescott Wedding | Arizona Wedding Photographer

Sierra + Austin's wedding day in Prescott Arizona was absolutely beautiful!! They had their ceremony and reception at the gorgeous Van Dickson Ranch. Sierra was glowing the entire morning and once she was in her dress, she took my breath away!! One of the things I love about wedding days is seeing the girls with their best friends and the guys with theirs! It's fun to see the different relationships and all of the silly and tender moments before the biggest day of their lives. These two are truly blessed with some amazing friends and family!!

Austin gave Sierra a very special gift before the ceremony and I love the meaning behind it. I asked Sierra to share the back story and why it was so special!

"In the beginning of our relationship, I was working in the Construction Management computer lab one night at NAU, and George Straight’s song “Check yes or no” came on the radio. The lyrics inspired me to think about mine and Austin’s relationship. As I sat there in the place where we had first met and become friends, I wondered what he was feeling and where our relationship would go. I already knew that I was falling in love with him, so I decided to be a little silly and write him a note like we were back in grade school ourselves. Consequently I wrote on a piece of paper:

“Do you love me do you want to be my friend
And if you do
Well then don't be afraid to take me by the hand
If you want to
I think this is how love goes
Check yes or no”

Then I had my friend and then roommate, Dyanna, show me how to make an origami heart. Still feeling a little silly, I hid my note in one of his textbooks where I knew he would eventually find it. A short time later I found my note in my backpack, but this time the “yes” box had been checked and in addition were some handwritten song lyrics of his own:

“To the world
you may be just another girl
but to me
Baby, you are the world”

Though we faced many obstacles, like our age gap, long distance, and our own stubbornness, we always managed to find our way back to each other with our handwritten notes, folded into origami hearts, and of course we always checked yes. Fast forward 3 years to our wedding day, I was deeply touched to receive another heart shaped note from Austin. This time he wrote of his love and his excitement to begin our new journey as husband and wife. He ended the note with, “last chance to run… Are you ready to be with me Forever and Always?” and of course I checked yes. We are both so stubborn, but because of this, we never give up on each other. I know that our love is strong enough to last, and that we will continue to check yes for the rest of our lives."

Throughout their whole ceremony, from the beginning prayer, to the stories shared, I can see why God has brought these two together. They are the perfect match!

Sierra and Austin, thank you so much for choosing me to capture your wedding day!