Sedona Wedding Recommendations

Here is a list of some of the places and people that made our special wedding perfect. I highly recommend everyone and every place in this post.

Our wedding officiant was Suzanne Loo McCoy. She tailored our wedding to our needs and desires. She was wonderful to work with and we communicated regularly during the buildup to the wedding day. She has been performing weddings in Sedona for quite awhile and knows everyone in town. She is the best person to assist in your wedding of a lifetime in Sedona.

We stayed near friends in the Village of Oak Creek, a short drive from Sedona. We were able to avoid the more touristy areas of Sedona and could be with friends in just minutes. We enjoyed our stay at the Wildflower Inn. It was affordable at around $70 or $80 in the prime Summer tourist season. We mainly stayed here due to the recommendation of friends.

Suzanne Loo McCoy booked our Pink Jeep ride up to the wedding site at Merry Go Round Rock. We had a really great driver.

Suzanne also arranged for our photographer, Janise Witt. She did an amazing job and we were really happy with her photos. She shot it in a sort of photojournalism style. When I put the photos together they told our wedding story from our arrival at the Pink Jeep Tours until our return as a wedded couple. We also booked her to do an engagement photo shoot the day after our wedding at Tlaquepaque Village. I know that the engagement shoot is done before the wedding, but who cares. Our photos were excellent. She got us access before it opened and had special permission to shoot photos in some of the private areas of the village. She made us both feel special, almost like models!

Our wedding celebration meal was at Dan's Bistro. This was one of the top 2 or 3 meals of my lifetime. My wife, 2 friends, and I first ordered off the menu. As the meal went on, the chef kept sending out special plates. I could see him peaking around the corner and as we oohed and aahed, he would smile, and then whip up a new creation. We must have stayed a couple hours past closing time. The time just flew by. Due to the owner's kindness we were only charged about the price of 2 regular priced entrees. I cannot convey my feelings for the kindness and thoughtfulness that was shown to our wedding party on this day. I really want to thank everyone at Dan's Bistro for such a special experience.

We also took a visit to several wineries in the Sedona area. We even bought a bottle of wine at Page Springs Cellars  that we saved and opened on our first anniversary.

We enjoyed the Verde Canyon Railroad tour. It was a great way to view some of the beautiful countryside. I recommend it to anyone visiting the area.

We also went to Uptown Massage and had the massage of a lifetime. As with everything that we experienced on our wedding, the couple massage was perfect.

There lots of things to do and see in the area. This also includes Flagstaff, Arizona where you will have to go pick up your wedding license in order to get married around Sedona. Every morning I got up before sunrise to shoot photos of the red rock mountains glowing with the morning sun.

Good luck to you if you choose Sedona for your wedding site. It will definitely make for the wedding that will be the envy of all of your friends!

JJ's House Wedding Dress

The front of the dress.

The back of the dress.

My wife and I got married in July of 2013. We were married at sunset in the mountains surrounding Sedona, Arizona. We still think that it was the perfect wedding. It was MUCH more affordable than getting married in our hometown of Houston, Texas. We were able to combine the wedding and honeymoon all in one. It was great and we plan to renew our vows every 5 or 10 years in the red rock mountains of Sedona.

Right after our engagement we started pricing wedding dresses. I was absolutely shocked, even at the prices of used and rental wedding dresses. Plus, my wife did not want to wear a dress that someone had already gotten married in. I desperately started searching for alternatives. I ran across JJ's House while searching the internet. The reviews for the website were really mixed with more than half being negative. After watching a few television shows on Bridezillas, I doubt most brides would be happy with a Vera Wang custom fit gown.

The website had just about every style of wedding dresses. Plus, the prices were incredibly reasonable. I decided that we would order a dress and if it didn't work out, then we would be out less than $250. We could always donate the dress to some charity to help out someone who was really in need.

After my wife picked out the style, I measured her very carefully according to the instructions on the website. I figured it was easier to reduce the size of the dress than expand it. So, I added just a bit to each measurement.

The dress arrived about 3 weeks from the order, if I remember right. Since the dress was shipped from China, it had to clear customs. There was also a small charge for the customs clearance that I had to pay the post office when I picked it up.

We were both really nervous as we opened the box. We had no idea if it would fit or if the quality would be poor. We were extremely surprised when the dress was almost perfect. The dress was actually much better than we had hoped. Plus, I was very happy that we would save a lot of money that we could put towards our wedding and honeymoon.

The only problem with the dress was that the lace top was way too small. So, I let the seamstress at our local dry cleaner remove the lace top and make a couple other minor adjustments. She also pressed the dress for free. She did a fantastic job. So, the total cost of the dress, shipping, customs, alterations, and pressing was around $350!!!

If we would have had a little more time, I would have had the sequins removed and replaced with Swarovski crystals. I think just about anyone could have done this themselves.

I can't promise that everyone will be happy with their purchase from JJ's House. However, like all things in life "Your Mileage May Vary". It does provide those brides on a budget an affordable way to pick up a dress.

San Francisco: 1915 World's Fair Structures

On a business trip to San Francisco last year, our group made a visit to some of the structures that still exist from the 1915 San Francisco's World Fair. I was unaware that anything like this existed in San Francisco. I cannot remember what part of the city this is in. It was really interesting and made for a good photographic opportunity. Unfortunately, these photos were made with an ageing cell phone at night.

San Francisco: Hung Yi Art Exhibition, Part 2

Here are a few more photos from the Hung Yi art exhibition at the San Francisco Civic Center plaza. It was called "Fancy Animal Carnival".

Again, I apologize for the photo quality.

 

 

 

San Francisco: Hung Yi Art Exhibition, Part 1

My employer has a base in San Francisco. Occasionally, we have to travel there to do some company training.  When I was there in April of this year, we spent some time at a Hung Yi art exhibition at The San Francisco Civic Center plaza. The exhibition was called "Fancy Animal Carnival". These large sculptures were made of steel and it looks like they were painted with type of lacquer paint. They were amazing and really fun to look at.

I apologize for the photo quality. My phone was over 2 years old at the time. My new phone was waiting for me when I got home from San Francisco.

 

San Francisco: Boudin Bakery

I did not eat at the Boudin Bakery but I did sit just outside, look into the window,  and breathe in deeply. They specialize in making San Francisco's famous sourdough bread. You can see the workers and machines turning out the delicious bread through the huge windows. In addition to making regular loaves, they also make a lot of novelty breads. They make a sourdough alligator that is 5 or 6 feet long. They also had some bread shaped like teddie bears, crabs, and some other characters. This place is definitely worth a stop, even if you are not hungry at the time.

San Francisco: Cioppino's Restaurant

Another restaurant that I liked in San Francisco was Cioppino's. It is named after their signature dish, cioppino. It is basically a seafood stew with crab, fish, and kinds of shellfish. It is an amazing meal. It is located a little past Pier 39. In addition to the cioppino they have good sourdough bread and I liked their white wine flight. Eating at any of the restaurants in The Wharf area is not cheap. However, I think it's well worth it. The cioppino was $30 and the wine flight was $10.

San Francisco: The Crab House

My favorite thing to eat in San Francisco is Dungeness Crab. I think the crab at The Crab House on Pier 39 is about as good as it gets. You want to make sure that you order their "Killer Crab" that has been roasted in garlic sauce. You will not be sorry. The price is a little high at almost $40, but worth it. The calamari appetizer is also delicious. If you are a bread lover, they also have pretty good sourdough bread.

After your meal you can do a little shopping along Pier 39. Also, don't forget to take a few photos of the seals. Be aware of the wind direction when you do though!

San Francisco: Pier 39 Seals

Last December, my wife and I travelled to San Francisco for a company party. We spent 4 lovely days exploring the city. We are already planning our return. I think we will go back in 2016. One of the most popular places for tourists to visit is The Wharf area.  There are lots of good restaurants and fun activities to enjoy.

Towards the end of The Wharf is Pier 39. There is a large seal population that has taken over several boat docks. One of the restaurant piers is a short distance from where the seals lay around. It is a very popular place to take photos.

The seals are larger than I thought they would be, especially the males. They are also much louder than expected. The one things that stands out the most is their smell. It is horrible. Hopefully, the wind will be blowing the smell away from you. If not, take a couple photos and go explore the rest of San Francisco.

Houston: Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, Part 2

Houston: Lillie and Hugh Roy Cullen Sculpture Garden, Part 1