Nicole and Sean’s wedding at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale was intimate, sleek and centered around having a really good time with the people they love.
All of their guests wore black, which gave the entire celebration such a polished look without making the day feel overly formal. Their families and wedding party were lively, fun to be around and completely ready to celebrate these two.
Nicole and Sean also cared about their photography, but they didn’t want their wedding to feel like one long photoshoot. They wanted beautiful photos while still being present, spending time with their people and actually enjoying the day.
Which is exactly how I like it.
A Talking Stick Resort Wedding in Scottsdale
Talking Stick Resort gives you a different side of Scottsdale than some of the more traditional desert wedding venues.
The property has indoor and outdoor event spaces with views of the surrounding Sonoran Desert and mountains, along with the golf course right there on the property. For guests coming in from out of town, everything from hotel rooms to dining, golf and the spa is also in one place.
Nicole and Sean held their ceremony outside overlooking the golf course with the mountains in the distance. Their floral arch was covered in white roses, which looked so good against the greenery and Arizona landscape.
With everyone dressed in black, the white florals and natural backdrop really stood out.
An Intimate Wedding That Still Felt Like a Party
One of the things I loved most about this wedding was that intimate didn’t mean quiet.
Nicole and Sean were surrounded by people who were genuinely excited to celebrate with them. Their families and wedding party brought so much energy to the day, and there was a lot of laughing, celebrating and just enjoying being together.
That energy is always fun for me to photograph because I don’t have to manufacture it. I can let people enjoy themselves and photograph what’s actually happening.
Nicole and Sean gave themselves room for both. We had time to create the portraits they cared about, but they also had time to be with everyone they brought together for the wedding.
A Pretty Incredible Scottsdale Sunset
It was cloudy for much of the day, so we really didn’t know what sunset was going to give us.
And then the sun started peeking through.
The sky opened up with these vibrant Arizona colors, and we were able to sneak away for a little bit with Nicole and Sean while the light was at its best.
I love doing this when the timing works because it doesn’t need to turn into a huge production. We can step away from the celebration for a few minutes, give the two of you a little time together, make some incredible photos and then get you right back to your people.
For Nicole and Sean, it was absolutely worth it.
Their Talking Stick wedding had such a good mix of everything. A beautiful outdoor ceremony, a sleek black and white look, mountain views, a fun group of people and one seriously good Arizona sunset.
Most importantly, Nicole and Sean got to enjoy it.
And I got to photograph them doing exactly that.
