Jake and Becca’s fantasy themed wedding in the woods was the nerdy celebration of their dreams. Their main sources of inspiration were The Lord of the Rings and Dungeons & Dragons. The entire wedding party, along with almost every guest in attendance, dressed up.
For those of you who might not be familiar with the depth of my nerdiness, let me fill you in. I fell in love with The Lord of the Rings genre when I was in 5th grade. It all started with The Hobbit and then found out a year or so later that there was a whole series continuing the story.
I taught myself how to write the Elvish letters and wrote notes back and forth with my friends in our new “secret code.” This was the beginning of my love and fascination with languages. Over a decade later, I’ll never forget timidly sharing this nerdy secret with my soon-to-be husband. “That’s it then,” he said, “We’re going to New Zealand.” And on a 14-mile climb up and around THE Mt. Doom, he proposed.
“We really want a photographer who’s as excited about our theme as we are,” Becca told me when she first inquired. I think I fit the bill, don’t you? From the outfits to the music to the tasty mead, I was absolutely blown away by all their unique touches.
An Elven Princess and a Medieval Knight
I could not have prepared myself for what Becca and Jake would wear. Months ago at their mini golf engagement session, Becca showed me a photo of the dress she had bought. I literally gasped. It was a Lord of the Rings wedding dress through and through. Add in the fact that their wedding would take place on the edge of the woods? Take me to Lothlorien!
Becca’s hair is shoulder-length, but she had massive extensions put in for her wedding day. I loved her long, romantic braid! Jake seemed very impressed by it.
A Dungeons and Dragons Wedding Party
Tucson was still experiencing pretty warm temperatures. But up on Mt. Lemmon, we were enjoying much cooler fall weather. Not only did Jake and Becca’s wedding day take place in October (the spooky, fun month of the year), but the Oktoberfest festival was also happening that same weekend. It seemed completely natural that all of their guests were in costume!
Their wedding party had full creative freedom to dress up as whatever they wanted. Each one of them looked totally different! Even their parents dressed up, which was so fun to see. Didn’t they all look incredible?! Want an awesome group of Adventurers for this real-life fantasy themed wedding RPG!
Their Fantasy Wedding Ceremony in the Woods
Becca quickly fell in love with the town of Summerhaven when they moved to Tucson. When she and Jake heard about a wedding venue available there, they immediately decided to host their wedding there. The ceremony space was the perfect size for their small, intimate wedding.
The couple chose to keep their ceremony short and sweet, saving their private vows for the epic, romantic views of Windy Point.
Private Vows and Sunset Portraits
It had been super sunny most of the day. As it got closer to sunset, heavy clouds started to set in. After grabbing a quick bite to eat at the reception, we headed down the mountain. We all kept our fingers crossed that the clouds would lift.
Becca and Jake aren’t fans of being in the spotlight. So it was only fitting that they share their vows privately. And, of course, they had them written in a beautiful leather-bound book with “The Inn of the Prancing Pony” inscribed on the cover.
As Jake and Becca finished sharing their vows with each other, more and more Windy Point visitors started arriving to watch the sunset. These two quickly got a lot of attention and their outfits were a hit!
To our surprise, as the sun got closer to the horizon, it broke free of the thick clouds and gave us some beautiful colors in the sky!
What a way to end their portraits, right?!
After we drove back up the mountain to the Mt. Lemmon Community Center, Jake and Becca changed into more comfortable (but still on theme) outfits. They spent the rest of the night exactly how they imagined: hanging out with friends and family, sharing laughs, and playing board games.
Becca and Jake, you two lit my nerdy soul on fire! I wish you two all the happiness in the world and I know you have found a strong, unbreakable fellowship within each other.
WEDDING VENDORS FROM THIS FANTASY THEMED WEDDING
Ceremony | Mt. Lemmon Hotel
Reception | Mt. Lemmon Community Center
Photographer | Christy Hunter Photography
Dress Shop | Etsy
Chainmail flowers | Ravensburg Chain Maille, Steven Dalton
Florist | She’s Pretty Crafty, Corina Mauss
Hair and Makeup Artist | Charlene Melissa
Caterer | Sawmill Run Restaurant
Bartender | Drinking Horn Meadery
Nice pictures! It felt like I was watching a movie.