A Navy and Sage Green Wedding at La Mariposa Tucson | Rose + Patrick

Like many couples, Rose and Patrick had to put their wedding plans on hold for a bit. I met them back in January of 2020 at Tucson Bridal Show just before the shutdown. About a year later, Rose reached out about their wedding at La Mariposa Tucson. With only 4 months before the big day, I knew that these two must have been eager to finally get married. Despite dealing with multiple obstacles both the day before and the morning of their wedding day, these two remained positive and full of smiles. Rose broke into happy tears so many times! She and Patrick were so ecstatic that their wedding day had finally arrived.

Getting to Know Rose and Patrick

How They Met

The High School Years

Rose and Patrick first met each other back in high school. They were both members of their school’s A/V club. It didn’t take long for Rose to notice Patrick, the club president, and how focused and passionate he was. He didn’t take his role lightly and really cared about doing a great job at whatever he and the members were tasked with.

Rose remembers getting assigned to do a lot of jobs with Patrick. Coincidence? Of course not! Patrick had grown to love her company and made sure that they got to work together whenever possible. I guess Club President had some great perks! Over their time together they got to know each other really well. “I remember a football game we worked where we got into some heated discussions about life, how the world worked, etc. It was then that I realized I really liked him: I cared about what he thought of things and enjoyed it when he offered me a new perspective. Plus, he was cute!”

Patrick is a few years older than Rose and that meant that he would be leaving high school before her. He could think of no one better than her to be his replacement and so the training began. “I always thought Rose was out of my league. She was a hot blonde with twice the brain power as me and I was just a video game tech guy. But that didn’t stop me from making up excuses to meet up and do ‘training’ for the club.” During Patrick’s last week at high school, one of Rose’s friends approached him and gave him a little golden nugget of info: Rose had feelings for him, too!

 

Never Letting Go

After graduation, Patrick was still coming up with ways for them to meet up. He proposed a dinner date, strictly business, of course, where they could chat about training the new club members. Patrick remembers exactly how it all went down: “We go to Denny’s and I order way too much food– so we made a bet. If I eat all the food, Rose has to give me kiss. If I can’t, I have to run around the parking lot with my shirt off yelling ‘I couldn’t do it!'”

“I think after we made the bet she realized that I liked her. The thought of that kiss was all I needed to finish my food. On the way home, she kissed me on the cheek and we talked about how we have so much fun together and that we never want to ever grow apart from each other.  Then we finally told each other how we felt. She was so happy that after so long she was able to tell me how she felt. ”

That’s when it all began.

 

Their Proposal Story

Patrick certainly made an impact with how he popped the question to Rose! After Rose had graduated college, he planned a skydiving trip for them. Rose said she thought Patrick might have been up to something, but her nerves were a bit of a distraction. Patrick appeared nervous too, but it was really because he knew what was coming next. Before Rose’s chute opened, Patrick landed and set up a giant banner next to the landing area. Rose heard her tandem partner say, “Ok, you should really look down now.” There was Patrick, waiting on the ground, with the huge banner that read “Will you marry me?”

Rose was never more ready for gravity to kick in! “When I hit the ground and got out of my chute, I ran up to him and said “F#@$ yes! and sorta tackled him. Since then, we’ve done a lot of growing together. We balance each other out. Patrick always has something for me to consider about a situation and makes me strive to be a better person. He’s my other half!”

 

Their La Mariposa Tucson Wedding Day

When I showed up to the venue, the staff was already hard at work preparing all the important spaces for the day. Rose and Patrick were still in their casual clothes, trying to spend as much time together as they could.

Getting Ready

Rose and her bridesmaids were blasting music in the Bridal Suite listening to music that I remember from my high school years. I won’t say how long ago that was! As she prepared to sit down for hair and makeup, I gathered up a few of her bridal details. I shut the door to the suite behind me knowing that the next time I saw her she’d be in her wedding dress!

Patrick and his groomsmen (with a little nudge) got their spiffy suits and ties on, making sure Patrick was perfect for his First Look with Rose. I loved their black and blue color scheme!

Once Rose turned around and saw herself in her wedding dress, she immediately got the “OMG this is so real!” jitters. Rose is definitely a tomboy (like myself) and wasn’t used to seeing herself all done up. It was such a fun moment!

Rose carried a little reminder of her great grandmother with her: a beautiful pearl and diamond ring.

 

The First Look

I always let me couples know about the option of sharing a First Look together before the ceremony. The tradition of waiting to see each other until the ceremony is slowly fading and I am all about it! It gives the bride and groom the chance to spend more of their day together, to have a private moment together on a pretty busy day, and to get all the nervous butterflies out.

After Patrick had taken his spot on the lawn so as to not see Rose walking out of the venue, I went to go get Rose from the bridal suite. As we walked down the stairs towards the double doors, I said to her, “Do you see him out there? He’s waiting for you!” She immediately burst into happy tears, eager to run to her soon-to-be husband in his handsome wedding attire.

I walked Rose towards Patrick, telling her it was ok to take as much time as they wanted together. This was their time together. She just kept saying, “Thank you so much for setting this up! I had no idea this was a thing. I am so excited!” Within a few seconds they were in each other’s arms, hugging tightly. And yes, Rose cried again haha. She loves Patrick so much!

Despite so many obstacles that they faced in the 24 hours leading up to this moment, Rose and Patrick never stopped smiling and having fun together. They had the most positive and encouraging attitudes!

Their Bridal Party

When it was time for me to grab some portraits of the bride and groom separately, I asked which one of them wanted to go first. Without a moment’s hesitation, Patrick volunteered. And can you tell?! I told him that he must have been practicing in the mirror before the big day. He was a complete natural and, I dare say, had FUN getting his portraits taken!

This is always one of my favorite photos to grab of the bride and groom with their bridal party. To me, it encompasses exactly what a bridal party should be: a group of your friends who are there to cheer you on and have a good time. Every one of them was excited to see these two tie the knot!

 

The Ceremony on the Lawn

La Mariposa Tucson offers a few different options for ceremony setups at their wedding venue. Rose and Patrick chose to have theirs on the lawn. A big, beautiful tree arching towards the hill was decorated in florals and drapery creating a stunning and natural frame to the ceremony site.

Rose was literally beaming like this the whole day. Look at that smile!

 

Sunset Portraits

After grabbing some important family photos after the ceremony, I took Rose and Patrick out onto the green lawn that La Mariposa Tucson has to offer its couples– not a common sight in the Arizona desert. The sunset glow was breathtaking and is why I will ALWAYS encourage my couples to have this time of day set aside in their timeline for their first portraits together as husband and wife!

Due to all the rain Arizona has received this monsoon season, the bugs were out with a vengeance! We made our way back towards the venue, grabbing a few quick photos by the ivy-covered pergola before heading in.

 

The Reception

After a sweet blessing from Rose’s grandfather, the Reception festivities were quickly under way!

As the sun set outside, the twinkle lights behind Rose and Patrick’s table began to glow creating a fun and romantic backdrop for them.

I have so many favorites from this father-daughter dance, but this has to be one of my favorites of the night. You can see how close Rose is with her dad!

Patrick and his mom shared a fast, upbeat dance together. They kicked the night off with a bang and immediately got all the guests onto the dance floor!

Since Rose and Patrick’s wedding day was on a Thursday, they had Friday to recover and get ready for their honeymoon! They celebrated their marriage in Durango, Colorado stopping at the Grand Canyon on the way. With the adventurous spirits these two have, I can only image what is in store for them. Rose and Patrick, thank you so much for letting me celebrate with you two!

 

VENDORS FROM THIS LA MARIPOSA TUCSON WEDDING

Photography | Christy Hunter Photography
Ceremony, Reception, and Catering | La Mariposa Resort
Rentals/Décor | Endless Décor 
Flowers | Roses and More
Hair & Make Up | Jennifer Mishko Scott from Hi-Lites Salon Tucson
DJ | John with La Mariposa Resort
Bride’s Dress | a thrift store find!

See more gorgeous Tucson weddings that I’ve captured HERE!