Brittney and Trevor in golden light at Little America Hotel in Flagstaff

Little America Hotel | Flagstaff, Arizona

Brittney & Trevor

A rainy Flagstaff wedding that got its window.

Behind the frame

Familiar faces, Flagstaff pines, and one very well-timed break in the weather.

I’ve photographed several weddings for this family over the years, which is one of the best compliments I can get. There’s something really meaningful about showing up on a wedding day and seeing people I’ve photographed before. It starts to feel less like walking into a job and more like being trusted with another important chapter.

Also, the groom’s name is Trevor, so obviously I was rooting for him.

Wedding rings photographed in black and white
Black and white getting ready portrait before the wedding
Brittney with bridesmaids in emerald dresses
Brittney getting into her wedding dress
Trevor adjusting his watch before the wedding
Brittney getting ready near the window
Bridesmaids reacting as Brittney gets ready

Palette

Rain-washed greens, ivory, champagne, and sparkler gold.

Before the clouds broke

The day started with details, emerald dresses, and everyone watching the sky.

Brittney and Trevor were married at Little America Hotel in Flagstaff. If you know Flagstaff, you already know why that matters. Tall pines, cooler air, mountain light, and that feeling of being just far enough away from the Phoenix heat to breathe a little.

The one small problem was the rain. Most of the day felt like a weather negotiation. Do we move the ceremony inside? Do we wait it out? Do we trust the forecast? Do we trust the sky?

Brittney fixing Trevor’s suit before portraits
Brittney and Trevor in a black and white portrait
Brittney and Trevor together before the ceremony
Brittney and Trevor framed through soft greenery
Brittney and Trevor walking through Little America Hotel grounds
Brittney and Trevor standing among the Flagstaff pines
Brittney and Trevor smiling in the trees
Black and white portrait of Brittney and Trevor
Groomsmen joking with Brittney before the ceremony
Brittney with bridesmaids in emerald green dresses
Brittney and her bridesmaids laughing together

Right before the ceremony, the rain started drizzling again, because of course it did. Wedding timelines love a little suspense.

The ceremony window

Then the chairs dried, guests sat down, and the sun showed up.

From what I could see, it looked like there might be a break for a couple of hours. Not a guarantee. Just enough of a window to make the outdoor ceremony worth a shot. So everyone decided to go for it.

Just before Brittney and Trevor walked out, the clouds opened up. The rain stopped. And then the sun came out beautifully, like it had been waiting for its cue.

They got the outdoor ceremony they had planned. They got the trees. They got that clean, rain-washed light that only happens after the weather makes everyone sweat a little first.

Outdoor wedding ceremony setup at Little America Hotel
Family group photo before the ceremony
Guests wrapped in jackets during the cool Flagstaff weather
Trevor before the ceremony in Flagstaff
Brittney walking with her father before the ceremony
Brittney and Trevor at the ceremony
Brittney and Trevor during their outdoor ceremony
Guests smiling during the ceremony
Wide view of Brittney and Trevor’s ceremony in the pines
Brittney and Trevor portraits after the rain cleared
Brittney and Trevor in warm light after the ceremony
Brittney and Trevor walking after the ceremony
Brittney and Trevor in golden light after their outdoor ceremony

Portraits and reception

Calm after the chaos, then straight into the party.

After the ceremony, we made portraits in the woods around Little America, and the whole thing had that calm-after-the-chaos feeling I love on wedding days.

The reception moved inside, and the party was exactly what I expected from this family. Happy. Easy to photograph. The kind of room where people are actually present and having fun instead of waiting around for permission to enjoy themselves.

Brittney and Trevor under dramatic Flagstaff skies
Brittney and Trevor entering the reception at Little America Hotel
Brittney and Trevor first dance inside Little America Hotel

The table photo dash

One song. Every table. No time for boring poses.

During the reception, Brittney and Trevor did one of my favorite fast-paced wedding ideas. They picked a song, then ran from table to table so they could get a photo with every guest group before the song ended.

Each table had to be ready with some kind of pose. When we arrived, everyone jumped into it, we made the photo, and then Brittney and Trevor were off to the next table. It was chaotic in the best way, and it gave them something way more fun than a stiff grip-and-grin with every guest.

After that, we pulled everyone together for one big group photo before the dance floor really kicked off.

Brittney and Trevor posing quickly with a reception table
Brittney and Trevor laughing with wedding guests at a table
Brittney and Trevor with guests during the table photo dash
Wedding guests posing with Brittney and Trevor during the reception
Brittney and Trevor with a lively reception table group
Brittney and Trevor with friends during the table photo dash
Reception table posing with Brittney and Trevor
Brittney and Trevor with a large group of wedding guests
Wedding guests posing around Brittney and Trevor
Brittney and Trevor surrounded by reception guests
Guests making a playful pose with Brittney and Trevor
Brittney and Trevor with another reception table group
Final table dash photo with Brittney and Trevor and guests
Large group photo before the dance floor opened

The dance floor and exit

Bright, a little wild, and a pretty perfect ending.

The night ended outside with cold sparklers, actual hot sparklers held by guests, and Brittney and Trevor walking down the driveway at Little America through all of it.

That’s one of the things I love about real wedding days. You can plan everything carefully, and you should. But sometimes the day asks everyone to adapt a little. Then, if you’re lucky, the clouds break, the seats dry off, the sun shows up, and you get the ceremony in the woods after all.

Brittney and Trevor, thank you for trusting me with the day. And to the rest of the family, thank you for letting me show up with a camera again. Seeing so many familiar faces meant a lot.

Bridesmaids laughing on the dance floor
Wedding guests celebrating with Brittney and Trevor
Dance floor celebration at Little America Hotel
Guests dancing during the wedding reception
Wedding guest dancing during the reception
Guests laughing and dancing at the reception
Black and white dance floor photo from the reception
Guest dancing with dramatic reception light
Black and white dance floor celebration
Brittney being carried on the dance floor
Brittney and Trevor surrounded by guests on the dance floor
Brittney and Trevor with cold sparks at their wedding exit
Brittney and Trevor walking through sparklers at Little America Hotel

Planning something similar?

Send the date and location. We’ll start there.

You do not need to have every detail figured out before reaching out. If you have a date, a place, or even just a maybe, that is enough to start.