A Winter Wedding in Valley of Fire

Since this was our maiden voyage into shooting a wedding in the Valley of Fire, we wanted it to be extra special. We had always wanted to do an upscale desert wedding shoot with a same sex couple for years. The stars finally aligned when makeup artist company, Amelia C & Co, referred us to Alison and Carlynn. These two had true chemistry and spunk. They were loads of fun to work with and totally made this special shoot.

Alison and Carlynn have been together for 6 years and are both performers.

Carlynn is a dancer and real estate agent and Alison is a singer. A true fairytale Vegas story, they met working together on a show at the New York New York Hotel and Casino back in 2012. Carlynn was born and raised in Las Vegas but Alison hails from Liverpool.

Finding a ying and yang in each other, Carlynn is the calm one and Alison is the crazy one so they balance each other out perfectly. They love to travel with their two furry children, Ivy and Bobby, so they jump at any chance they get to roam the Vegas landscape.

“There is nothing better than seeing the beauty of Vegas beyond the strip so sharing this movement/shoot together in the stunning Valley of Fire was a real treat and memories and pictures we’ll cherish forever” says Alison.

Lucia from Weddings By Dzign absolutely nailed the design and the vibe we were going for. “I wanted to showcase that the desert is an amazing location to have a winter wedding” says photographer Mckenzi Taylor.

“With our temps usually being moderate compared to the rest of the country it’s a perfect destination to host your wedding. The style Lucia and her team put together was mind-blowingly great!” says Mckenzi.

For the invitations, we went with a simple and modern twist on a classic invitation.

The alignment and open space kept the whole suite clean. The pop of color on the reply envelope contrasted with the light airy feel of the liner and added depth to the collection. [Kaide, Paper and Home]

Danyelle from Grey Pearl Bridal chose both gowns for the dresses because they had a beautiful texture that would be soft against the desert landscape. Both gowns were feminine without being girly to speak to the brides’ desire to feel sexy without being overt.

“Because it was a styled shoot, I also took their personal styles and flipped them. Alison typically is the princess, Carlynn is edgier” says Danyelle.

Alison was wearing Harper by Anais Anette. Carlynn was wearing Sarah by Truvelle.

One detail of the day that we absolutely loved was the arbor. Lately, you see a lot of rustic/boho arbors that tend to all look similar but this one had a flare of modern to it. It was bold and was able to hold its own against a backdrop like Valley of Fire.

Valley of Fire Weddings Las Vegas

The terrain of the Valley of Fire symbolizes a sense of wide-open freedom in its vistas, yet also offers protection within its caverns and large rock formations. Both are qualities that a good marriage will need. “Countless cultures have worshiped the image of Mother Nature, and metaphorically, our same-sex couple found it a perfect fit for a wedding ceremony representing their own femininity and nurturing qualities” says Minister Angie Kelly. We couldn’t sum it up better!

Collaborating Vendors: 
Design/Florals: Weddings by Dzign
Invitation & Menu: Paper and Home
Hair & Makeup: Amelia C and Co
Minister: Peachy Keen Unions
Dresses: Grey Pearl Bridal
Cake: Peridot Sweets

Let Us Create Something Special For You in the Valley of Fire

Let Us Create Something Special For You in the Valley of Fire

McKenzi Taylor

McKenzi Taylor

McKenzi Taylor is America's go-to elopement and micro wedding expert, often featured in small and major media outlets, such as the New York Times. With over 15 years of wedding photography experience, it was after planning her own Las Vegas elopement in 2016 that McKenzi felt her purpose shift into elopement coordination. She started Cactus Collective Weddings soon after in 2017. Since then, she's become a WIPA board member, currently serving as President, and has helped thousands of couples from around the world get hitched in style around Las Vegas, San Diego and Black Hills.