In Awe Weddings & Events

Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens Wedding

2011-04-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

Chelsea and Drew were married last October in the beautiful setting of Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens. There is nothing like this venue in the valley and you truly do not feel like you are in Phoenix.

Chelsea's mom helped in the planning all along the way and she did it long distance! I so enjoyed getting to know her and had so much fun planning with them.

SO cute signs were placed all along the pathways to direct the guests. We ordered from Etsy.

Chelsea's colors were gorgeous and perfect for an October wedding.

Best wishes to you both!

Thank you Emily Estfan, EME Photography for your amazing photography talent!!!

Montelucia Wedding!

2011-01-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

Sheree and Brandon were married in July at Valley View Bible Church in Paradise Valley and held their reception at the beautiful Montelucia Resort and Spa.

The Flower Studio's amazing centerpieces!

The look of the reception was really imporant to Sheree and it all came together beautifully.

Thank you Sheree and Brandon for allowing me to share in this special time with you.

Special thanks to David DeDios for sharing these photos!

L'Auberge de Sedona Wedding

2010-07-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

Julie and Joseph live in California but they wanted a destination wedding in Arizona. They knew they had made the perfect choice when they selected L'Auberge de Sedona and Meghan and Kara are so wonderful to work with there.

The red rock views from the hillside ceremony location are so beautiful and Kitty and Craig of Twin Lens Images captured the day with their amazing artistic talent perfectly. I have never worked with photographers who carried and use so many cameras!! I greatly enjoyed working with them, they are so fun, thanks for sharing these awesome photos!!

Julie wanted a traditional look but with a rustic mix, as you can see that was accomplished on the gorgeous reception tables which were set by the creek. A mix of different sized mason jars were used on the dinner and cocktail tables. Sherrie Husband of Flowers with Flair did an amazing job.

Beautiful paper products from Kelsey Murrietta of Flossy Stylish Design.

I didn't get to see Julie and Joseph too much during the planning process since they live in California but Julie and I kept our keyboards hot with emails to each other and when we did get together in person we packed a lot of planning into those meetings. Julie and Joseph became so special to me, they are 2 amazing people, I truly miss them.

Their wedding was selected by Style Me Pretty as a post in the real wedding section. Be sure to check it out to see many more amazing photos. Thanks Julie for the sweet things you wrote, you truly made my day!

The Raven at Verrado Wedding

2010-06-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Carina and Scott ~ wow I don't even know where to begin. These are 2 of the most beautiful people, inside and out, that you will ever meet. I was so honored to assist them in planning their wedding day.

Both of them are local TV broadcasters and have crazy schedules to coordinate around but they always found time to plan this important day together. I love it when couples put a lot of effort into planning a meaningful ceremony and Carina and Scott definitely touched their guest's emotions.

See I told you they are cute!

Their ceremony and reception was at The Raven Golf Club in Verrado, the mountain views are goregous.

The Flower Studio's amazing talent, thank you Christine!

Their guests wrote blessings for them and tied to this tree.

The adorable ring bearer!!

Carina and Scott, you are both so special to me. I am so thankful God blessed me with your friendship! All my love to you both!

Thanks Emily Estfan, EME Photography, for sharing these photos and your wonderful talent.

Sunridge Golf Club Wedding

2010-05-17T21:20:00.001-07:00

Lisa and Bill went to high school together then become reacquainted at their high school reunion, what a fun love story! They were equally fun to assist in planning their wedding.

Lisa's beautiful bouquet.

Lisa and Bill wanted a laid back tropical feel, and that was evident in the beautiful flowers from Flowers with Flair. Thanks Sherrie for all your hard work and creativity.

Their wedding cake was adorable, I love the lace artwork on it by PJ at La Dolce Pesca.

Their ceremony and reception took place at Sunridge Golf Club in Fountain Hills. I do not think there is any other location in the Phoenix area that has views as amazing as Sunridge. Brian and his staff are amazing to work with as well.

Lisa and Bill's new family, so cute.

Thanks Emily, EME Photography for the beautiful photos.

All my best wishes to you both!

Montelucia Resort and Spa Wedding!

2010-05-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

Julie and JD live in Chicago and wanted a beautiful and fun location that all of their out of state guests would enjoy for their destination wedding. Once they saw The Montelucia Resort and Spa, they just knew it would be the perfect venue. As you can see they were a picture perfect bride and groom as well!!

Julia Baker Confections designed this beautiful cake, the bride purchased the amazing broaches that were so gorgeous!

Custom runner for the ceremony aisle with the couple's monogram.

Julie recently sent a recommendation for me to another bride and I wanted to share her sweet words :) I would not only hire her again to help plan any event for me, I hope to keep in contact with her as a friend. She went above and beyond and made the days of my events and wedding run smoothly and without flaw. She is so worth her weight in gold! If I could give any advice from one bride to another, hire Sandy and cut somewhere else if she is not in your budget.

Ahhh, thanks Julie, you totally made my day!!

The day was centered around an "Old Hollywood" theme, the red carpet runner at the entrance to the cocktail hour on the Valencia lawn was so perfect.

This typewriter guest book was placed at the end of the red runner and their guests typed sweet messages to the bride and groom.

Congratulations Julie and JD, what a great day, all my best wishes for an amazing new life together!! Can't wait for you to visit Phoenix so we can have lunch!

Desert Botanical Garden Wedding

2010-03-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful day Colleen and Brad had for their wedding at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix last weekend! After all the rain which seem to hit every weekend this winter it was SO nice to have such great weather. And if anyone deserved a nice day this awesome couple did!

Colleen and Brad just returned from their honeymoon and she sent me this...I can't say it enough - thank you so much for all you did to make our day run so smoothly. We have gotten so many comments, emails, phone calls etc about what an amazing day it was... and it was that way because of you. You are so awesome and I just loved having you by my side for the past 18 months! (yes its been that long!) Thank you Sandy!

How cute is this photo of Colleen and her bridesmaids?! Love it!!
Cristi Owen was the talented photographer and as you can tell she captured the day amazingly.

Colleen surprised Brad with this cute bobble head cake topper in their imagine. It was quite a hit at their reception.

Once again my talented daughter, Kelsey, Flossy Stylish Design, provided cute paper products.

Colleen was one of the most organized brides I have ever assisted, as well she and her mom were so fun to work with. I miss them already.

Best wishes Colleen and Brad!!!

Bride's Choice Award!

2010-01-25T21:19:00.001-08:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that In Awe Weddings and Events has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for wedding and event planners.The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds. In Awe Weddings and Events is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. “We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.” We are happy to announce that In Awe Weddings and Events is among the very best wedding and event planners within the WeddingWire Network, which includesWeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards.

Jenna and Michael

2009-08-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

Jenna is one of the most beautiful girls you will ever meet that is truly beautiful inside and out. I LOVED assisting Jenna and Michael in planning this special day that began with an amazing and spiritual ceremony at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Tempe.

The photo below is one of my favorite photos, Jenna and Michael are so loved that all the toasts were such a tribute to their loving personalities.

The tables were a variety of different sizes and shapes, it looks so amazing!
The apple green toasting flutes are so cute.
Once again, my amazing and talented daughter, Kelsey Murrietta of Flossy Stylish Design designed all the great paper products.

This is hilarious, I love it!!

All my love to you both for a long and happy marriage!!

Thanks Kristen, Grinnell Photo for sharing these great images

2009-06-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to let everyone know that we have been nominated one of Arizona Bride Magazine Best of 2009. There are three nominated for Best Wedding Planner with the results being announced this month.

My extremely talented daughter, Kelsey Murrietta of Flossy Stylish Design was nominated in the invitation category. I am so proud of her as she has only been in business a short time so it is obvious how awesome she is at all she does! It is so great to have her working with me on weddings as well, I don't tell her often enough how much she is loved and appreciated.

Even if we do not win we are so honored to be nominated, and give a tremendous thank you to everyone who voted for us!

A note from Julia

2009-05-19T22:03:00.001-07:00

After I published Julia's photos she emailed me this sweet note....
You did an amazing job on our wedding and it wouldn't have been the dream come true wedding that it was without you and Kelsey! Thanks again for everything!!

Also, she sent me her website link since they just got it running yesterday. I have added the link so just click on Short N Sweet and your stomach will be growling in no time. Thanks Julia, best wishes in your new business, I have no doubt you will be a huge success!!!!

Julia and Mike!

2009-05-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Julia and Mike's wedding was held at the Scottsdale Country Club last November. Their fun personalities came out in every aspect of their wedding as you can see in the details below.

The cute escort cards were designed by Kelsey of Flossy Stylish Design.

Julia is one of those people that make you smile the minute you see her. Thank you Renee Bergmen for the great photos.

Julia recently has started her own cinnamon roll business, Short N Sweet. Her retail location will be opening sometime this month in Tempe. For now you can find them at these locations, yummy stuff! Her website is now up and running so check it out.

7-Eleven‎ -
8410 E Mcdonald Dr, Scottsdale, AZ‎ - (480) 948-7363‎ (McDonald and Granite Reef)

7-Eleven‎ -
1310 E Broadway Rd # 101, Tempe, AZ‎ - (480) 966-5510‎ (Broadway and Dorsey)

Shell Gas Station‎ -
6502 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ‎ - (602) 277-6269‎ (7th St. and Maryland )

Ventura Market -
9261 E Via De Ventura Scottsdale, AZ‎ 85258-(623) 826-0002 (101 and Via de Ventura)

7-Eleven‎ -
485 W Warner Rd, Tempe, AZ‎ - (480) 785-1947‎ (Kyrene and Warner)

Mary Coyle Ice Cream Yogurt‎ -
5521 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ‎ - (602) 265-6266‎

2009-05-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

2009 Bride's Choice Award

2009-02-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that In Awe Weddings and Events has won the 2009 Bride’s Choice Awards™! In its inaugural year, the Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and honors vendors from the WeddingWire Network that demonstrate excellent quality of service, responsiveness, professionalism, value of cost and flexibility. This year’s recipients represent the top three percent of WeddingWire’s vendor community, which includes over 100,000 wedding vendors from across the US. That means In Awe Weddings and Events is one of the very best wedding planners. Unlike other awards in which winners are selected by the company, the Bride’s Choice Awards are determined exclusively by recent newlyweds through surveys and reviews. “We are excited to launch this annual award program to honor high-performing vendors based solely on the experiences of our WeddingWire community,” according to Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s recipients have set the bar high, exhibiting excellent service and expertise in the wedding industry.” Sandy Walker and Kelsey Murrietta would like to thank our past clients for speaking on our behalf and helping us win the 2009 Bride’s Choice Award!

Danielle and Nick

2008-12-15T18:57:00.000-08:00

Danielle and Nick just have to be the sweetest two people I have ever met. Their ceremony and reception was held at Bentley Projects in downtown Phoenix and it was all a reflection of them and how much fun they are.

The wedding colors were black and white with a touch of red from the flowers, the linens were alternated between a floral pattern on some of the tables and black on the rest in which the vases were lighted and varied as well.

The brick walls of the gallery were gorgeous for photography purposes!

A graffiti "LOVE" theme was carried into all the details, from these escort cards to a guest sign in to pillows and on and on, so cute! Thank you Kelsey of Flossy Stylish Design for all the fun paper products.

The Flower Studio designed the unique vases and beautiful centerpieces and all of the personal flowers. Special thanks so Emily of EME Photography, I know she had fun photography this one!

I miss planning with you Danielle, it was so fun!

Mary and Patrick

2008-12-15T18:40:00.000-08:00

This is one of my most favorite photos, Mary looks so beautiful as the finishing touches were put on her.

Mary and Pat were married at a church in Tempe then had their reception at Tempe Mission Palms Resort this past October. Almost all of their guests came from out of state so it was a fun weekend with numerous events planned for them.

Mary and Pat met on an airplane so their cookie favors also served as each guest's placecard.

The Flower Studio designed beautiful fall centerpieces that made the reception room come alive with color. Mary's bouquet was amazing as well.

Congrats to a wonderful couple! Thanks Emily Estfan once again for sharing your wonderful talent in photography

Keisha and Darrin

2008-12-15T18:11:00.000-08:00

Keisha and Darrin were married on October 3rd at Keisha's grandparents home in North Scottsdale. Their home is amazing and makes for a wonderful wedding location as you can see by the photo where the ceremony was held.

Arizona Taste prepared a fabulous meal for the dinner reception. The beautiful table decor was provided by Sherrie Husband of Flowers with Flair.

Thank you Emily Estfan of EME Photography for your truly wonderful photography to document the day!

Keisha and Darrin live in Texas but it was so fun to plan with them even from far away, best wishes Keisha and Darrin!!

Julieann and Michael

2008-10-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, this wedding was actually my first wedding in 2008 (January). Julieann was so sweet to send me these pictures a few days ago so I wanted to share them with you. They wanted their ceremony in a circle which was perfect for the ceremony location at the Biltmore Resort and Spa.
Julieann and Michael following the ceremony. Julieann was lots of fun to plan with, she was really busy with her job so when she had time to work on wedding plans she got a lot of things accomplished in a short amount of time!
The ballroom was gorgeous! Once again Sami Hansen was the amazing florist. The beautiful chocolate linens and chair covers are from Chair Covers and Linens, my local contact is Debbie Polley, she is so great!
My talented daughter, Kelsey of Flossy Stylish Design designed the invitations and paper products. Thanks Kevin King Photography!

Dot and Chris

2008-10-05T18:57:00.001-07:00

Dot and Chris were married this past July on a very warm day in Arizona. Despite the heat they had a fun day. Their wedding colors of tiffany blue and strawberry red were perfect for the season and made the reception venue look so amazing! The linens and sashes were from Chair Covers and Linens, thanks Debbie!

Cute little candle favors that said "something blue"

Congrats to a cute couple!!

I love this photo of Dot's dress so beautiful. This was my last wedding of this past season. Thank you Reeves Photography for the great photos!

THIS season started this weekend and I have vowed to post those weddings as they happen weekly!! Watch for cute photos of Keisha and Darrin in the coming days.

Thank you Jenna!!

2008-10-01T21:47:00.001-07:00

After I had posted Jenna and Travis' wedding to my blog, Jenna emailed me this fabulous review I just have to share it, thanks so much Jenna!!

Sandy Walker you are a dream come true!
When Travis and I got engaged we knew there was no way around it – we had to have YOU planning our wedding.
After watching you do a fabulous job with my sister’s wedding, we knew there was no one better suited for the job.

Not only were you always organized and creative, but your vendor recommendation lists were top-notch!
It seemed like every vendor we met with would say how they would love to work our wedding, because you were our wedding coordinator. Those comments say a lot about you and the positive way you run your business, and that made us more than confident for a beautiful wedding!

With Kelsey by your side, we couldn’t have dreamed of a more successful team!

You truly made our wedding wishes come true!
Thank you so much!

Jenna & Travis Wodiske

Jenna and Travis!

2008-09-29T21:23:00.001-07:00

Wow, I love this couple!! Jenna and Travis are the best. I met Jenna's family when I coordinated Jenna's sister's wedding, Michelle a few years ago and their whole family is amazing, along with Michelle's husband Jason. SO, I was so excited when Jenna contacted me to assist in her planning. Jenna at the time of our planning was an event planner in the corporate world so she brought lots of fun ideas.

I have a lot in common with this couple. Travis had just graduated from Veterinary School and was accepted into the surgical graduate program at Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. My husband also graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at KSU. And we now have the same wedding anniversary, June 7th!
Jenna and her dad heading up the aisle.
My friend Sami Hansen once again was the amazing florist, I think I will go to New York and drag her back to Phoenix.
The bridal party had a ton of fun on a golf cart!
Best wishes Jenna and Travis in cold Kansas, we will be feeling really badly for you this winter :)
Thanks Kevin King for the wonderful photography.

Missy and Austin

2008-09-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

Missy and Austin's wedding was in Sedona so they had an amazing backdrop for their wedding. The fact that the 2 of them and their families are adorable also made for some great photos! You can enjoy more pictures in the gallery of my website. Sami Hansen, now of Bella Fleur in New York, was the wonderful florist, I really miss that girl! Thank you AGAIN, Emily Estfan, EME Photography for making the trip with us to Sedona, wasn't it great to NOT shoot in the desert for one wedding!

Katie and Stephen

2008-09-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Katie and Stephen were married on a beautiful day this past April at Troon Country Club In North Scottsdale. Katie doesn't live too far from me so we had some fun times of planning since it was easy for us to meet. You can see more pictures in the gallery on my website, but these are some of my favorites.

Katie also can sing beautifully and sometimes sings the National Anthem at
the Diamondbacks games. Katie looked so amazing!

I love this picture, everyone is so cute. Thank you, photographer Emily Estfan for another great wedding.

Stephanie and Jon

2008-09-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and Jon are family friends so this was a fun wedding for me. Stephanie wanted an Old Hollywood feel to her reception and with her decor it all came together for a very fun evening. Guests greatly enjoyed having their picture taken in a photobooth from Arizona Photobooth Company.

Sherrie Husband, Flowers with Flair was the florist, and designed a different centerpiece for each of the guest tables, so fun. Thanks Emily Estfan for sharing these photos and being such a great photographer!!

Kelsey was a bridesmaid, she and Stephanie are so cute!!

Kirsten and Alex

2008-09-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

Kirsten and Alex were married in April of 2008 in this beautiful church in Scottsdale.
The ceremony was followed by a fabulous reception at The Royal Palms, the room looked amazing.
What a cute and fun couple!!

Kirsten and Alex also had a Korean ceremony at Royal Palms prior to their reception, you can see their photo in Korean clothing in the gallery section of my website. Thank you Hollye for sharing these great photos!

Kristen and Tracey

2008-09-28T21:43:00.001-07:00

Kristen and Tracey's guests had about the most fun I've ever seen at a wedding. Their ceremony and reception was held at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. Truly that location is magical, everyone is really awed by the surroundings and at night it is gorgeous. I LOVE this photo of the flower girl!! You can see additional photos on the gallery page of my website but I just wanted to comment on here as well. Thank you Emily Estfan of EME Photography for the amazing photos~

Dara and Steve

2008-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Dara and Steve's wedding was another amazing event at Troon Country Club. Dara is an art teacher and loved color so it was fun to see her creativity come out as the planning progressed.

Thank you Scott and Calah of
Life in Focus Photography!

Summer and Jason

2008-06-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Summer and Jason are a very special couple to me. Jason is my daughter's (Kelsey) brother in law and Kelsey and Summer are very close so at this wedding I had the pleasure to coordinate and attend as a guest!

Troon Country Club in North Scottsdale is such an awesome location, and one I absolutely love to coordinate weddings at. These photos taken by Emily Estfan of EME Photography show just how beautiful this site is. Sami Hanson now working in New York was the very talented florist.

Summer is so cute!!

Summer and Jason are now living in Washington and we miss them so much.

Kelsey (Flossy Stylish Design) also did all of their paper products. The escort cards were hung from a crystal chandelier. Kelsey designed the programs which hung on each guest's chair at the ceremony site.

Tarah and Brandon's Wedding

2008-06-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Tarah LOVES pink, so her pale pink wedding dress was perfect for her and she looked amazing, as did the groom Brandon!!! Their February ceremony and reception held at Sun Ridge Canyon Golf Club in Fountain Hills, has a breathtaking view and the food is fabulous.

The cupcakes baked by P.J. from La Dolce Pesca are so yummy. The pink champagne are my favorite in the world!! This is one of my favorite photos and I had it enlarged to hang in my office.

Beautiful mountain views for the ceremony.
Tarah has a great relationship with her mom and she presented her mom with her bouquet in a special presentation during the reception, it was so sweet.

Much happiness to these two, they are such an awesome couple!!

Thanks Emily Estfan, EME Photograhy

Laura and Kevin!

2008-06-27T19:24:00.001-07:00

Laura and Kevin's February wedding was held at the beautiful Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens. It is one of my favorite places for weddings as there is nothing else like it in all of Phoenix. Tasha is the event coordinator there and she is a doll!!

The centerpieces doubled as the guest favor. Individual pots of orchids were used then the guests took them home at the end of the night. A fun look for a greenhouse wedding.

Sami Hanson was the florist and she has since moved to work at a fabulous new floral job in New York. She is so talented and I so miss her!!!!

The eggplant linens and ivory sashes were a perfect compliment to the apple green pots and the foliage of the greenhouse, thank you Debbie Polley of Chair Covers and Linens!

The greenhouse in full view, so beautiful.

Thanks to Emily Estfan of EME Photography for doing her always amazing work and sharing these photos.

Congrats to a fun couple!

Maeghan and Nick!

2008-06-04T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was so honored to assist Maeghan and Nick with their wedding planning, what an amazing and cute couple! Their May ceremony and reception was held at The Boulders Resort in Carefree Arizona. Thanks to Jane Jordan Photography for sharing these great photos.

Maeghan's maids of honor were her 2 cousins, they were so cute in their J Crew dresses.
Their colors were the colors of an Arizona sunset, it was gorgeous, The Flower Studio did an outstanding job. Orange toasting flutes with a copper napkin and chocolate linen tied in the colors of this beautiful flame calla lily centerpiece.

All the paper products were designed by Kelsey Murrietta, my very talented daughter and business partner. Kelsey has her own invitation design business, Flossy Stylish Design.

In Awe Photo Shoot

2007-06-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hi, I have been thinking over if I wanted to have a blog and decided it would be a great way to share recent weddings and happenings in our business without having to wait for website changes. Kelly Ashworth of Kelly Ashworth Design set this blog up for me, she is an amazing graphic designer and recently designed my new logo and website. She also has designed custom invitations and paper products for some of my brides, what a talented lady she is! Thank you Kelly!!

The photos above were taken by the extremely talented photographer, Emily Estfan of EME Photography. I recently had cute BRIDE tanks designed and asked a few of my brides to model them, as you can see they are all adorable! A special thanks to my bride models, Katie,Kelsey, Lindsey, Summer and Jenny.

Special appreciation to Emily for her amazing photography, Tasha at the Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens for opening up their fantastic location, Ben Molnar an extremely talented make up artist and Meghan Lunn my forever favorite first choice hairstylist! Thank you all so much!

Sandy