Julianna and Thaddaeus became husband and wife, surrounded by just their closest family and friends, at the beautiful Japanese Friendship Garden in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It was enriched in cultural tradition and meaningful touches. Upon arrival guests could say a prayer over the bride and groom’s wedding rings. The couple’s unique guest book was a set of stones for guests to sign, as historically, stones are used as metaphors for strength, permanence, stability, and refuge- all characteristics we desire to emulate in our marriage. Once the ceremony began, couple exchanged vows and rings, as well as a hand fasting ceremony in honor of Julianna’s Irish heritage. To incorporate Thaddaeus’s French culture, he participated in a sabrage, which is basically cutting the end of a champagne bottle off WITH A SWORD. No, I’m not joking, but it sounds awesome!

“We knew we wanted our wedding to take place in downtown Phoenix.” Julianna began.

“We love the downtown vibe, plus most of our guests live in that general area and we felt that keeping things close by added to the intimate, no-fuss feel we wanted for our big day. The ceremony was at the Japanese Friendship Garden, which I loved because the setting was beautiful and low-maintenance. The price was great too because you are basically just paying them to unlock the gate and set up some rows of white chairs and you don’t really need to add decor when your guests are already surrounded by trees, flowers, and a pond with a waterfall. ” She explained.

“The reception was a 5 minute drive down the road to a funky spot called The Duce. We kept things really budget friendly by only reserving the patio, keeping the rest of the venue open to the public. Again, no decor was needed as they already had bright flowers and unique retro gadgets placed throughout the space.”