My Tucson Wedding

 The history of the wedding cake, believe it or not, goes back to the days of the Roman Empire. During those times it was more like the bread we eat and it would be broken over the brides head. From the 17th century through the 19th century there was a custom of the bride’s pie, with the main ingrediant a glass ring. An old adage stated that the woman that found the ring would be the next to be married. By the late 19th century the brides pies disappeared and the single layer wedding cake we know started to appear. White has been the traditional color for the cake, denoting purity. Symbolically one of the first tasks that a couple perform together is the cutting of the wedding cake. This is one tradition that most of have seen many times. The bride cuts the cake with the help of the groom.The multi-tiered wedding cakes used to be reserved for British royalty alone but today they have become the rule of the day. Saving the top tier for the first anniversary goes back to the 19th century, to be eaten on the first anniversary of the couples wedding. This cake pictured above was recently served at a wedding at Saguaro Buttes for a reception of over 250 people.  

At a recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes, this acappella vocal band which sings rock and soul for the cocktail hour. They did a wonderful job and were enjoyed by the guests. They are called Catacousticgroove.  They have been singing together since 1993. Their web site is www.catacousticgroove.com.  

Patio music during a recent wedding reception, with awesome views of the Rincon mountains at sunset, and with live mariachi music makes for a great evening hour for your wedding guests. This photo was taken at a recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes. 

This is a unique idea that I thought was worth passing on. As guests arrive they take an instant Polaroid picture of the guest or guests. Then placing the photos in a memory book, the guests write notes of encouragement, congratulations or possibly advice to the Bride and Groom. This is a great keepsake for the married couple that will last a life time.

Chris and Sherry were wed at Saguaro Buttes on Oct. 23, 2008 in a cozy ceremony with a few family and friends. Chris and Sherry have known each other for over 20 years as they had met in High School (Sabino).

Their paths crossed years later and brought them back together again. The officiant Nadine Rosin performed the beautiful ceremony allowing the couple to take center stage with her standing off to the side during half of the ceremony. The ceremony was concluded right a sunset.

At a recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes this beautiful chocolate and ivory table setting was enjoyed by all. The optional chair covers with ties added to the dining elegance.

Fall time can be a lot of fun, especially at weddings. These unique pumpkin cakes were perfect for this Fall wedding of Alyssa & Joseph Downey at Saguaro Buttes.

A Moss Green linen provides  a great backdrop for this beautiful display.

This Fall Wedding was done in various colored attendants dresses. I thought it was  beautiful with the bouquets complimenting the dresses with Fall colors.

The veil can be traced back to Roman and Greek times when it was a complete head to toe cover. The Veil, which was yellow in ancient Greece and red in ancient Rome, was to prevent the groom from seeing the bride. Wearing these bright colors also served to ward off evil spirits and demons which the Bride was fearful of in those ancient times.  Since thicker colored veils obscured the vision of the Bride this led to another tradition, having the father walking the bride down the aisle.

Arranged Marriages

Arranged marriages were common in those times, and many times the groom would not have even seen the Bride’s face until the veil had been lifted. Talk about surprises. If the bride was not the most attractive it might prevent the groom from running. But everyone knows there is no such thing as an unattractive bride. She is either “very pretty” or “absolutely gorgeous”.

Meaning Changed

Over time the costume and meaning of the veil changed. The veil developed into a symbol of chastity, as white wedding attire came into style to represent the virginity of the bride to be, the white veil followed as well.

Lifting the Veil

Today, lifting the veil can be done a couple of ways. First, is for the father to lift the veil as he presents his daughter to the groom. Second, is after the vows, right before the kiss, the groom lifts the veil.  If the bride takes the initiative in lifting it, thereby presenting herself to him, she is showing more independence. You have options today. It is still considered bad luck today for the bride to be seen by the groom before the ceremony.

Outdoor Ceremonies

Outdoor wedding ceremonies may present a small challenge with the veil, wind can cause them to blow around being distracting,  especially if it blows in the grooms face. I usually ask the maid of honor to hold it from blowing, or to secure it some way. This usually takes care of the problem. The picture above was taken by John Holman at Saguaro Buttes.

Jack and Thersa were wed at Saguaro Buttes on Oct. 26th, 2008 @ 4:30 PM.  They had wonderful weather, and family and friends who came from as far as from Oregon to be a part of their special day. A highlight of their reception was their first dance, which they had taken lessons and practiced for many weeks before hand. They did wonderful, and received a standing ovation. 

As a Tucson Wedding Venue, Saguaro Buttes offers some unique advantages. One of those advantage is its unobstructed sunset views.  You literally can see for miles and miles in all directions, which makes for some of the most beautiful sunset pictures for couples on their wedding night. Saguaro Buttes has 26 acres of hilltops and vista views to take advantage of Tucson’s colorful evening sky.   

Unity Candles are a popular addition to wedding ceremonies. It is a relatively recent tradition that dates back about 30 to 40 years ago, and may go back as far as the 1930’s. Television has had an influence on this ceremony as it gained some popularity when the widely watched TV soup opera, “General Hospital” featured Unity Candles at the wedding of Luke and Laura on TV in 1981.

Unity Candle Symbolism

The unity candle symbolizes the joining together of two families, or two individual lives. Typically the mothers of the bride and groom will light the two taper candles to represent the two families. Other times the bride and groom will light the two tapers before lighting the center candle. The bride and groom also will generally have a meaningful song played during the lighting of the candle.

The Bouquet of Flowers that brides carry at weddings, date back to ancient times. Originally, bouquets were made along with strong herbs and garlic to ward off evil spirits, and also because people didn’t bath that frequently in ancient times and needed something to offset the body odor.  In ancient times brides were considered to be lucky on their wedding day and so guests would try to get something from the bride, like pieces of her wedding dress, and thus the bouquet toss, was an effort by the bride to give her guest some of her luck and to preserve some of her dress.

Angela Leighton (pictured to the right) looked stunning in her white wedding gown and red bouquet of flowers at her recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes.

Alexandria and Joel were married at Saguaro Buttes on October 18, 2008.   They had guests arrive from Kentucky, California, Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Mexico. The best man is Jon Abner, Matron of Honor is Crystal Hicks.  Groomsmen include: Chase Abner, Jess Haddix. Bridesmaids include: Laura Abner, Jenina Thomas. Anthony Badilla was the Usher. The Groom and Groomsman wore brown tuxedos with brown shoes. The Bridesmaids were in brown dresses. 

One advantage of the unobstructed views of the Tucson Mountains at Saguaro Buttes are some of the pictures that the photographers are able to take at sunset.   John Holman took the picture below at a recent wedding, taking advantage of the glowing sunset and the Brides silhouette and came away with this very unique picture.     

Aaron Marhar and Megan Pettry signing their marriage license shortly after their wedding ceremony on October 11th, 2008. Molly Pettry and Jesse Gross, (Maid of Honor and Best Man) picture in the background were the two witnesses who also signed the marriage license.

Signing the Marriage License

The Marriage license is to be obtained prior to the wedding ceremony. It requires two witnesses who are usually chosen from the wedding party to be a part in the signing of the license. Normally the Best man and the Maid of Honor sign as witnesses but not necessarily. Anyone who witnesses the wedding and is at least 18 years old can sign as a witness. The Bride will sign this document in her maiden name, as one of the last times she signs a legal document in her maiden name. The pastor or officiant will sign the license also.  The bottom portion is mailed back to the County Recorder’s office and the larger top portion is for the Bride and Groom’s possession, and will be used to change the Bride last name.

Additional information - Marriage License, Pima County

To obtain your marriage license both the bride and groom must go downtown to the  Court House at 110 West Congress, 85701, Phone: 520- 740-3210. (Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 9:00 PM)  You will go to the 1st floor Pima County Clerks - Recorders office. You must produce a valid photo ID and pay $50.  The license is valid to up to one year time. No blood tests are required and there is no waiting period.  The minimum age to obtain a license is 18 years of age, those under age must be accompanied by both parents or legal guardians. Those under age 16 must obtain a court order to marry. There are no residency requirements for obtaining a marriage license and it is valid for ceremonies throughout the state of Arizona.

At a recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes this October 2008, Dale Clark performed wonderfully the music for the processional, recessional, and the evening hour with his violin. Dale also plays Guitar and Mandolin among other instruments and also sings. After having been at hundreds of weddings I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed his music for the ceremony. You can check out his web site at www.gigmasters.com/music/daleclark and you can sample some of his music online. His phone number is 520-907-4370 and his email is etsclark@yahoo.com.

Ray and Wendi were be wed on November 8th, 2008 at Saguaro Buttes at 4:00 PM.   Star & Julie (their dogs) were the ring bearers at the wedding ceremony. They included a Rose Ceremony where they exchanged a rose with each other, and also shared a rose with Allison, their daughter. Ray and Wendi met for the first time in 2002 and Ray proposed to Wendi on Christmas Eve of 2006. Ray is a Chicago Bears fan, which I believe makes him a person of great intelligence.

This wedding cake had a small lighted waterfall underneath the wedding cake. It gives it a special touch of elegance. The cake was a part of the celebration of Erin and Nickolas Moulin’s wedding on October 9th, 2008. 

Alysisa & Ryan were married on Oct. 4th at Saguaro Buttes. It was a beautiful evening for their ceremony with another astounding sunset, which Saguaro Buttes is famous for.  Congratulations and best wishes to the newlyweds.

Saguaro Buttes offers an elegant buffet catered by Rivers Edge Catering.

The tables are placed on the upper patio where guests can enjoy our fantastic views and when the sun is setting is can be a very romantic and beautiful site.

The buffet line works very fast and efficiently. Generally for a party of 150 people it takes 10 to 15 minutes for every person to be served.   The staff from Rivers edge is finely dressed in tuxedo attire to serve your guests.

A beautiful tiered wedding cake with red roses on white made this an elegant display at Saguaro Buttes this month. Wedding cakes can add to the decor of the wedding. 

Some interesting facts about wedding cakes.

The average cost of a wedding cake in 2005 was $543.00.  Tradition generally requires that the first cut of the cake be made by the bride and groom together.  A portion of the cake may be stored and saved for their first wedding anniversary or the christening of their first child.  The wedding cake symbolizes fertility and prosperity, and it is traditional for the bride to take the first taste or bite. 

At a recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes this Candy Stand to the right was set up for the guests. A few suggestions for a candy station is to have various shaped glass containers to bring out the color and add festivity to your event.  Look for vases with large openings as this makes it easier to access the candy. Purchase candy that coordinates with your wedding colors and buy your candy in bulk. This bride provided bags for the guests can put the candy in.  And also have scoops for unwrapped candy so your guests can fill the bags easily. Candy stands or stations seems to popular lately, and your guest will enjoy them. 

At a recent wedding at Saguaro Buttes this self serving beverage center was set up for their guests, which contained various kinds of soda, iced tea, lemonade and ice water. Included on the side were slices of lemons and sweeteners. This makes for an inexpensive way to provide beverages to your guests.

For some, there is nothing like a harp at a wedding. First off, it is a beautiful looking instrument, which instantly adds class to any occasion. But beyond the beauty of the harp, its music is rich and powerful, and flows from it’s strings. A harp played well, will make any wedding ceremony unforgettable.

Christine Vivona 

Christine Vivona, pictured here,  is an accomplished harpist, and has played for many ceremonies at Saguaro Buttes.  Her web site is http://www.christinevivona.com