Christy Hunter Photography is a wedding photographer in Seattle, Washington.

March 27, 2023

A Spring Wedding at Stillwell | Linden + Eric

Linden and Eric have a contagious energy about them. Over the past 9 years of their relationship, they spent a lot time together in downtown Tucson; so finding a venue in that area just seemed fitting. Their spring wedding at Stillwell was the perfect mix of city spirit and romantic garden vibes.

spring wedding at the Stillwell House and Gardens in downtown Tucson

A Hotel and AirBnB Downtown

Both Eric and Linden found places less than 5 minutes from their wedding venue to get ready at in the morning. Linden and her girls were at a cute AirBnB tucked away in a small neighborhood. Eric and his guys chose a more traditional route: a modern and quiet hotel.

custom blue and green vow books surrounded by flowers peach, pink, and coral wedding flowers groom getting ready in simple hotel room

Someone very important made the trip all the way from San Diego, CA for the wedding day: Eric and Linden’s sweet baby boy, Kitty! While his appearance at the wedding may have only been in the form of a decorative coaster, he got to spend the morning with his mom while she got ready. Before Linden got into her wedding dress, we grabbed a quick photo of her with this handsome Russian Blue!

Russian Blue cat with bride in morning playful daises in bouquet simple white and green wedding invitation suite mom helping daughter into her wedding dress

The watch that Eric wore was a gift from Linden on their 3rd anniversary together.

groom getting ready in hotel looking out window bridesmaids with bride in morning as she gets ready emerald green velvet ring box groom sharing a drink with his groomsmen

When having a wedding downtown, I always encourage staying as close as possible to the venue in the morning (if you even need a separate space). Traffic can be unpredictable and add unnecessary stress. Unfortunately, we ran into this exact situation on route to this spring wedding at Stillwell. It turned out, a few roads surrounding the venue were blocked off for a special event! After making a few detours, we all eventually snagged some parking and unloaded. After a little time to settle in and relax, it was time for Eric and Linden to see each other for the first time.

A Private First Look Together

Along with all the excitement couples have leading up to their wedding day, they also experience a fair share of anxiety. They’ve made endless decisions throughout the planning process, all with the intention of having the perfect day. Eric and Linden openly admit that they’re a pretty emotional couple. So they knew right away that they wanted to have a First Look together to ease their nerves and have those few minutes alone to appreciate each other on their wedding day. “We’re so excited to see each other all done up for the wedding,” Linden said, “and get to share that moment privately before everyone else arrives.”

bride standing behind groom smiling before he turns around groom's surprise reaction when he turns around to see his bride for the first time bride and groom holding hands during First Look happy couple during emotional First Look bride and groom checking out each other's wedding attire bride and groom kiss during First Look at spring wedding at Stillwell House

Eric had a little surprise tucked away in his suit: their wedding date!

bride see's groom's hidden wedding day stitched into suit collar

Portraits in the Courtyard

Green is Linden’s favorite color. Naturally, all the greenery in the courtyard was a huge draw for her. Before the space filled up with ceremony guests, we made sure to feature the garden-like setting she and Eric instantly fell in love with.

bride and groom portrait at spring wedding at Stillwell House couple walking together and bride smiling at groom carrying her bouquet groom wearing light gray suit with navy floral tie

The wrap around Linden’s bouquet was made from pieces of her mom’s old wedding dress. Earlier in the day, Linden’s mom also surprised her with handkerchiefs that she had made for them both, also from her own dress.

bride sitting in chair holding colorful bouquet photo of bride and groom in garden courtyard

Would you believe that this isn’t the dress Linden initially picked out? Due to some unfixable issues, she had to find and order a new one less than two months prior to the wedding! It arrived with about one week to spare. After seeing how incredibly beautiful she looked, I’m sure Eric couldn’t imagine seeing her in any other dress.

portrait of couple showing off back of bride's dress couple smiling at each other while walking portrait of bride in garden courtyard couple holding hands walking together in green courtyard groom in light gray suit with vest and boutonniere groom sitting in chair bride and groom in garden courtyard at spring wedding at Stillwell bride and groom holding hands and smiling at their spring wedding bride holding colorful bouquet of pink, orange, and yellow flowers

If you look closely, you can see Linden’s hidden Harry Potter tattoo peeking out from behind her ear. Love it!

closeup of bride with Harry Potter tattoo behind ear bride holding bouquet in one hand and groom's hand in the other wedding party photo in courtyard at spring wedding at Stillwell House groom laughing with his two groomsmen bride laughing and walking with her two bridesmaids groom walking and laughing with his groomsmen groom and groomsmen wearing blue Vans shoes bride smiling at her bridesmaids bridesmaids in slate blue dresses for spring wedding at Stillwell wedding party cheering for couple getting married slate blue bridesmaids dresses with colorful spring bouquets wedding party laughing and walking together in courtyard

Wedding Vows and Wine Box Ceremony

I already knew from Linden and Eric’s engagement session on Mt. Lemmon that they’re huge fans of craft beer and wine. Prior to the wedding day, I asked them if they were doing anything special during the ceremony. Knowing beforehand allows me to be prepared, listen for cues from the officiant, and ensure I’m in the right position to best capture what’s happening! Midway through the service, Eric and Linden did a wine box ceremony.

garden courtyard at historic wedding venue in downtown Tucson groom waiting for bride at altar groom smiling as he watches bride walk down the aisle bride smiling at groom escorted by her parents spring wedding at the Stillwell House in Tucson couple holding hands during ceremony garden courtyard wedding in spring bride and groom laughing during ceremony as parents watch bride laughing during ceremony spring wedding at Stillwell House and Gardens in Tucson, AZ bride reads her vows to groom

Eric warned their guests that both he and Linden would probably get emotional as they read their vows to each other. While I know he was trying to hold back the tears, I love the sincerity in his expression as he listened to Linden.

groom getting emotional as he listens to vows from bride couple holding hands while reading vows to each other groom reads vows to bride parents of the groom smiling as they watch ceremony

In addition to a bottle of wine, Linden and Eric wrote a letter to one another that were locked away in a custom wooden box. On their one year wedding anniversary, they’ll unlock the box, pop open the bottle of wine, and read their letters.

custom engraved box for wine box ceremony at wedding wine box ceremony during vows courtyard wedding ceremony outdoors in spring couple listen to reading from friend during ceremony closeup of groom putting ring on bride's finger as she smiles bride and groom kiss after wedding vows ceremony bride and groom walk down the aisle together after wedding ceremony

The wedding party and parents followed closely behind the newlyweds, exiting through the wooden gate. One of Linden’s bridesmaids approached with two bouquets in hand… Linden was so excited to walk down the aisle with Eric that she accidentally left her flowers behind. Oops! But, hey, look at that smile: pure happiness!

bride with arm around groom's neck as they both smile big at camera

Sunset Portraits Downtown

There are two types of locations surrounding the Stillwell House. One side is simple and features more greenery. The other side is a lot more urban with city traffic and big buildings. Since we had already grabbed portraits in the garden courtyard, Eric and Linden opted for the downtown backdrop. We grabbed a quick photo on the porch and then started off down the street.

photo of bride and groom sitting on front porch of the Stillwell House historic venue

There was still quite a bit of light out on this side of the city and I LOVE the orange glow bouncing off all of the buildings!

bride and groom downtown at spring wedding

One thing that none of us anticipated was the extreme wind gusts coming at us from all sides. The tall buildings and narrow streets exaggerate a slight breeze and turn the area into a wind tunnel. The wind can add some playfulness and energy to photos though!

groom hugging bride from behind as she smiles in front of city building

A Garden Reception full of Spring Color

The soft, bright colors that pop up in the desert were Linden and Eric’s main source of inspiration. Peaches, pinks, and oranges are their favorite. To really lean into that garden feel Stillwell has, they added vines and greenery to the tables, too.

sweetheart table in outdoor courtyard at spring wedding at Stillwell House simple reception guest table setup outdoor reception at spring wedding

What a unique guest book idea for this fun and adventurous couple!

fun guest book idea using snowboards dessert table and wedding cake display wedding cake with churros and macarons couple smiling behind wedding cake after cutting it

Just a few weeks prior to their wedding, Eric got into a snowboarding accident in California and broke his collarbone. Linden was hundreds of miles away in Tucson finishing up some last-minute wedding arrangements. Eric’s mom Laurie shared a quick story that brought tears to my eyes.

Despite how well he was trying to hide it, she could see how much pain her son was in. She said that when Linden arrived home and walked through the door, she saw a look of relief and happiness wash over Eric. These two have been through a lot together in 9 years. Laurie said she feels so grateful knowing that Eric has found someone who brings him comfort and joy even in the most difficult times.

speeches and toasts given by parents and friends at reception bride and groom's first dance at wedding reception bride dancing with dad at nighttime outdoor reception

After Linden’s sweet and low-key dance with her dad, their guests were taken by surprise when Eric and his mom hit the dance floor!

groom dancing with mom at nighttime outdoor reception

During the reception, Eric and Linden requested a nighttime photo on the staircase inside the Twiggs House. I love how it turned out!

indoor portrait at night on old wooden staircase guests dancing on dancefloor at outdoor reception couple smiling on dancefloor with drinks in hand at reception

Linden and Eric plan to take their honeymoon later this summer. Wherever they decide to go, I know that they’ll have a blast together! Their relationship has undoubtedly been an inspiration to everyone around them. I’m so excited for them and to see where life takes them next!

WEDDING VENDORS FROM THIS SPRING WEDDING AT STILLWELL