My Tucson Wedding

Flowers are a great way to make a wedding cake special. This beautiful wedding cake of Kristen Maier and Chris White who were married on April 25, is one example

During the cocktail hour the hors’ doeurves are placed on the patio and ready for the guests to enjoy while the bridal party is getting formal photos taken. At Saguaro Buttes you may bring in your own hors’ doeurves or River’s Edge Catering would be glad to provide them for you, and pricing is outside of our regular packages.

For many years, rice was the way you wished newly wed couples well as they departed. This created a problem for the location or church where the wedding was taking place. Especially true in outdoor weddings next to national parks with an abundance of wild life which is where Saguaro Buttes is located. Many places ban this practice as the cleanup was a difficult task and attracted the wild life. Blowing Wedding Bubbles now is taking the place of the old tradition of throwing rice, as it is much cleaner and does create a wonderful effect. Tiny bottles of wedding bubbles are inexpensive and can be given to your guests as they arrive. At the end of the ceremony, before the newly wed couples walk down the aisle, everyone’s  instructed to take out those bottles and shower the couple with bubbles. This can make for some great pictures, and the kids like blowing the bubbles afterwards.

Saguaro Buttes, like many places in Tucson and Southern Arizona, reseeds with winter rye grass. This allows us to have green grass all winter long. It also makes for beautiful pictures.  This grass area at Saguaro Buttes attracts quite a few deer and other desert animals looking for food and water.

Javilina are part of the wild life that you will see at Saguaro Buttes. As we are located next to Saguaro National Park in Southern Arizona, we have quite a few Javilina visit us in herds of usually 8 to 12. This picture was taken on November 21, 2009 about 8:30 AM. Here is some information about Javilina that is provided by Wikipedia. “Javilina are medium-sized animals, with a strong superficial resemblance to pigs. Like pigs, they have a snout ending in a cartilagenous disc, and eyes that are small relative to their head. Also like pigs, they use only the middle two digits for walking, although, unlike pigs, the other toes may be altogether absent. Javilina are omnivores, and will eat small animals, although their preferred food consists of roots, grass, seeds, and fruit. By rubbing the tusks together they can make a chattering noise that warns potential predators not to get too close. Javilina are social animals, and often form herds. Over 100 individuals have been recorded for a single herd. Peccaries have scent glands below each eye and another on their back, though these are believed to be rudimentary in Pecari maximus. They use the scent to mark herd territories, which range from 75 to 700 acres.”

A very simple way to spruce up your reception hall is using a few candles, a nice linen, with a picture of the bride and groom on top of the black Baby Grand Piano.  It is simple but elegant.  With the Piano up against the picture windows at Saguaro Buttes, and the picturesque views in the background, it makes for a lovely way to greet your guests as they arrive.

Sweet Creations Bakery put together this elegant and simple Candy Table. They provide the linen, the crystal, glass vases, and center piece decoration. It also includes votive candles and an assortment of delicious chocolates and various candies.  If you are considering doing a Candy table for you wedding, and are looking for someone to do it for you at a reasonable price, you may want to consider “Sweet Creations Bakery”.  Their phone number is 520-275-8413 and the contact person is Iliana Castilblanco.

When picking a wedding date you may also want to consider the moon phase. “Night Sky” (click here) is a web site that allows you to be able to check what phase the moon light will be on your possible wedding date.  At Saguaro Buttes the moon rises over the Rincon Mountains as pictured to the right and can be oh so beautiful. “Night Sky” will also have a link for times of the moon rising. Another web site to check for times that the moon will be rising is “Weather Underground” (click here), which also has a wealth of weather information.

We had a fabulous time at our Taste Testing, Tuesday, November 17th, with over 30 brides and grooms attending. “Rivers Edge Catering” provided a variety of delicious entrees and sauces while “Sweet Creations” provided a candy bar and a three tiered wedding cake, with each tier having different flavored fillings, for all to taste. Beautiful floral centerpieces were designed by “Creations by Sylvia”. We hold taste testings three times a year at Saguaro Buttes for all of our brides and grooms to help make an easier menu decision for their wedding.

A simple candy table is easy to do and a wonderful addition to your wedding reception. This candle table at a recent wedding had chocolate kisses, M&M’s and mints in glass vases with little bags for guest to fill and take with them. A nice touch was included by providing some floating votive candles.

Kim and Matt plan to be wed on September 18th, 2010 at Saguaro Buttes. They met at the “Risky Business” restaurant, where they both work, over 4 years ago. Matt is originally from Ohio, and Kimberly is from Tucson. They enrolled in the premarital counseling program called Prepare/enrich offered by Saguaro Buttes, which is done partly over the internet, and provides resources for helping couples have a better marriage.

This welcome table for the Bride and Groom was set up on the Baby Grand Piano. Their engagement pictures, carved initials, flowers and votive candles setting on a nice linen greeted guests as they arrived.

Anthony and Melissa Mettler’s wedding cake on November 8th, 2009 was a beautiful “Cinderella” cake with a lighted Disneyland Castle on the top and with the words, “And they lived happily ever after”.

The tradition of not seeing the bride the day of the wedding is one that some couples sacrifice in order to complete many of their wedding photos before the actual ceremony. Kyle and Clarice chose this approach as seen in this picture to the right. This allows more time after the ceremony to spend with your wedding guests, family and friends although there will still be some group photos to be taken following the ceremony. Having the majority of your photos taken before the ceremony also allows you to schedule it closer to sunset.

Kyle and Clarice were married at Saguaro Buttes on November 6, 2009 at 4:45 PM. They had wedding guests for Illinios, California, Wisconsin, Florida and Colorado. Kyle and Clarice met in 2005 at a U of A football game against USC. They decorated their wedding and reception with beautiful Fall colors. They currently live in the Chicago area.

Daniel and Melanie were married at Saguaro Buttes by Pastor David Hallstrom on Nov. 13, 2009 at 4:30 PM.  They met for the first time at Desert View High School in 1997 at an Awards Ceremony. They had wedding guest from as far as Mexico city and Texas in attendance.

Saguaro Buttes has some of the most beautiful, all encompassing mountain views through its large windows surrounding the reception area. During the sunset hours the mountain shadows and the vivid colors light up the landscape and your guests will be taken aback by the beautiful panoramic desert scenery.

The average cost of a wedding cake is $543, according to The Bridal Association of America. Most chefs charge by the slice. A low-end option will run about $1.50 a slice. Mid range will run $5 to $6 dollars a slice. High end will run $10 dollars a slice.

One cost that is included in the wedding packages offered by Saguaro Buttes is cake cutting, which can run an extra few hundred dollars for cutting and serving the cake. Many catering companies charge a dollar or more a slice for cutting and serving cake, so figure that into your costs.

Imagine walking down the aisle to the beautiful sound of a string quartet playing a song just for you, reaching a crescendo just as you reach the front of the isle to take your groom’s hand. A string quartet or trio is an affordable way to transform a “nice wedding” into a “beautiful and elegant” wedding.
There is no replacement for the beauty and ambiance live musicians will add to your ceremony.
The “Arianna String Quartet’ was established in 2001, and is a first class professional group offering live music for all occasions. There performances are filled with a delightful energy and charm and offer a broad range of musical styles including Classical, Traditional, Hebrew,
Broadway and more. Their musical offerings are suitable for everything from small, intimate parties to large weddings and receptions, indoors or out. The members of the quartet are professional musicians in Tucson and have performed in all denominations of wedding ceremonies and receptions. They offer their professional service as well as flexible ensembles to fit any budget.  The Arianna String Quartet pictured to the right at Saguaro Buttes playing at a recent wedding.
Web Address
Carlie Rigg, Quartet Manager
520-975-0124
Carlie@theariannastringquartet.com

A beautiful evening with the moon rising above the Rincon mountains can makes an evening very romantic. One thing you may want to consider when picking a wedding date is what phase will the moon be on your wedding night.  You can see this out by checking out the following web site  (click here).