Brandie and Austin

1. How did you two meet or what was the proposal like?:

Like many people, we actually met on Bumble, a dating app where both people swipe right if they like each other and then the female has to be the one to initiate the conversation!

Shortly after we started talking, we went on our first date in December 2017. We connected right away about our experiences living in big cities (Brandie lived in NYC for 8+ years and Austin lived in London, Bankok, & Chicago) working at fast-paced startups, and growing up with fathers in the construction world who actually ended up knowing each other!

Austin proposed a year later on Brandie's birthday and the rest is history :)

2. Were you happy with the venue?:

Absolutely! Our wedding day at McDowell Mountain Golf Club was everything we'd hoped for and more! We had an outdoor ceremony and a relaxed dinner under the bistro lights overlooking the valley with the most unbelievable sunset. Shanna, the venue coordinator, was incredibly accommodating throughout the entire planning process and went above and beyond to ensure everything went smoothly day-of as well. Can't recommend this venue enough!

3. Describe the theme or color scheme of your wedding, and what you chose for your table setting at the reception:

The theme was a rustic-chic wedding with long farm tables decorated with eucalyptus garland on top of white table runners, brass candlesticks, and marble hexagon tile placecards with calligraphy.

The wedding colors were white, black, and gold with touches of greenery, burgundy and navy. The bridal party attire was boho-preppy with mismatched burgundy bridesmaid dresses and navy suits for the groomsmen.

4. What piece of advice would you give other couples planning their big day?

While it may not be doable for everyone, we're so glad that we decided to have a short engagement! That way you are forced to be more decisive about what you want and can focus on bringing your vision to life without overthinking every detail. Even with a 4 month engagement, I managed to accumulate so many things for the wedding. I can only imagine how many times I would have changed my mind or ordered more stuff if we'd had more time! That said, I'd imagine a 6-month engagement would have been less overwhelming, but we really wanted to have our wedding outside, which means before mid May in Arizona!

For us, we first focused on our must-haves to help us narrow down our venue - plated meal, open bar, outdoor dinner option, preferably Saturday in late Spring 2019 date available, and most importantly, affordable (for wedding venues). MMGC was able to work with our budget and was very accommodating in terms of our meal and beverage preferences.   

Once the venue was secured, we focused on the band next, which was another top priority for us! I actually found our photographer on Instagram. I loved her pictures and sent her a DM to learn more! She was the one who recommended our amazing florist too. What I love about both of them is that they're so passionate and artistic with their work.