Krizia & Marios had always loved the look of traditional weddings and knew they wanted their day to be timeless and elegant. Coming from Mediterranean families, they were inspired by the Tuscan architecture of their venue - THE COUNTRY CLUB AT DC RANCH in Scottsdale, Arizona - and the ability to dine under the stars ‘al fresco’ with their guests sealed the deal. Hosted in an intimate cobblestone courtyard under bistro lights, the romantic ambiance of the space ensured an enchanting evening for them and their guests. SAJE PHOTOGRAPHY captured their beautiful celebration.

HOW DID YOU MEET? We are true high school sweethearts, having met in our sophomore year Spanish class. By junior year we were officially dating and have been together ever since.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: La Jolla, California has always held a special place in our hearts and we’ve spent several summers walking up and down the beach there. We always stop under Scripps Pier to admire the beauty of the water as it meets the pier’s concrete columns. It was here during a Sunday morning stroll that Marios dropped to his knee and proposed.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: Trying on wedding dresses was everything I’d ever hoped it would be and more. When I tried on my wedding dress - a style that was completely different than anything I’d ever considered - I was surprised, shocked and completed overjoyed.

DID YOU HAVE ANY DIY ELEMENTS? We DIY’d several paper elements of our day from the ‘Cards and Gifts’ sign to Menus. However our favourite DIY aspect of our wedding was the favours. ‘Bonbonniere’ are a staple favour at any Italian wedding so we sat together one night as we wrapped 5 Jordan almonds with tulle and an ivory ribbon embossed with our names and wedding date.

DESCRIBE YOUR WEDDING FLOWERS: To coordinate with our neutral colour palette, our wedding flowers were made up of up various shades of soft white florals and greenery.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: From Pinterest inspiration to reality, we loved the idea of a statement floral arrangement at our guest escort table. Our florist was able to bring the idea to life and we couldn’t have been happier.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? Use the time during your engagement period wisely to accomplish a little each month. Having a month-by-month to-do list on our phone helped us from getting overwhelmed. The list allowed us to jot down any new tasks and we looked forward to the satisfaction of checking a completed item off the list.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Our most memorable moment was sitting at our sweetheart table and looking out at our guests dining. We leaned in and whispered to each other in disbelief that we were actually at our own wedding.

WHAT ASPECT OF THE WEDDING WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND? The reception was a very important aspect to us. From the table arrangements to music, we designed it in an intimate way so that we could take advantage of the only time we’ll likely have with all our favourite people in one place.

ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? Having been together for over nine years at this point, we’ve always dreamt of what it would be like seeing each other at the altar. For this reason, we opted out of a first look. Walking towards him at the altar we anticipated nerves but instead were overcome with joy and certainty.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR HONEYMOON: Our honeymoon took us to the beautiful islands of Hawaii. We enjoyed our two week stay by exploring the islands Oahu and Kauai were we hiked, swam, experienced local cuisine and cruised along the breathtaking Napali coast.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE OR DO DIFFERENTLY? We are grateful to say there isn’t anything that we’d do differently. Being type-A’s we’re both thankful we were able to take the advice of friends and family who advised not to sweat the small stuff. We made it a priority to enjoy the day and never lose sight of the purpose of it all.