A Formal Spring Garden Wedding at The Wright House in Mesa
It started with shared playlists, plane tickets booked without hesitation, and a relationship that never really stayed in one place for long. For Meagan (she/her) and McKenna (she/her), falling in love looked like long-distance flights between Texas and Las Vegas, moving cities with two suitcases and a cat, and saying yes to each other twice. Their spring wedding at The Wright House in Mesa brought all of that history into one place, a day shaped by music, family, and the kind of partnership that had already carried them through every chapter.
From playlists, plane tickets, and finally home
We first connected in late 2021 after being introduced by a mutual friend and quickly bonded over Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and our shared love of cats. For McKenna, it was love at first sight. After a few months of talking, she flew to Las Vegas to spend New Year’s Eve with Meagan, and from that moment on, we were inseparable.
Long distance between Texas and Vegas didn’t last long. In spring 2022, we packed two suitcases, closed the distance, and started building our life together, including raising our cat, KitKat. After a year in our first home, we moved to Phoenix, where Meagan grew up, to be closer to family.
On our second anniversary, November 11, 2023, McKenna proposed to Meagan at the Phoenix Desert Botanical Gardens with a ring from Brilliant Earth. A few months later, on March 9, 2024, Meagan proposed back to McKenna with the help of our friends. We were married the following spring.
Figuring it out together, one spreadsheet at a time
Wedding planning was a learning curve for us. We were some of the first in our friend groups to get married, so we were figuring things out as we went. Thankfully, we’re both very Type A and had Pinterest boards going since the early days of dating, which definitely helped.
We approached planning the same way we approach everyday life. As true partners, we did everything together, which made the process more fun and a lot less overwhelming. To stay organised, we relied on The Knot, Google Spreadsheets, and a wedding day binder that kept everything in one place.
Locking in the right people early
We found most of our vendors through our own research, but we truly hit the jackpot with our photographer, Adriana Maya Photography. She photographed our entire bridal era, from our proposal to our engagement photos and our wedding day, so building that relationship early felt really important. Photography was a huge priority for us, and having someone we trusted completely made everything feel easier.
We locked in Adriana early on, along with our venue, The Wright House in Mesa. From there, we took things step by step. We found our wedding dresses at True Society and Luv Bridal, booked alterations with The Heart Centered Seamstress, worked with Cathy from Cactus Bloom Floral for our flowers, booked hair and makeup with Bella Bridal Beauty, ordered our cake from Cake by Kenna, and kept the party going with DJ Flo Entertainment.
Taking everything little by little helped us stay grounded and avoid getting overwhelmed by the big picture.
Keeping it small and meaningful
We knew pretty early on that we wanted an intimate wedding with just our closest friends and family. Keeping the guest list small made the whole day feel more personal and relaxed.
With a little over 50 people, it ended up being perfect for us. We were able to talk to everyone, hug everyone, and really share the day with the people who matter most to us.
A formal spring garden party, gazebo and all
From the start, we knew we wanted a spring wedding. One of us had always dreamed of getting married at a venue with a gazebo, inspired by the Twilight prom scene, so when we found The Wright House, everything clicked. Its lush gardens became the foundation for our vision.
After spending plenty of time on Pinterest, we fully committed to a formal spring garden party. Our colour palette included blush pink, butter yellow, sage green, mist blue, with pops of ivory and gold. Between the seasonal blooms and greenery, it honestly didn’t feel like we were in Arizona at all. We leaned into romantic details like twinkle lights and fountains, held our ceremony in front of the gazebo, and finished the night in a reception space with classic black and white checkerboard floors, a disco ball, and simple, elegant place settings.
Writing a ceremony that felt like us
Keeping our ceremony authentic to who we are was really important to us. Since it wasn’t super traditional or religious, we wanted the ceremony script to actually tell our story. We’re both writers, so that part mattered a lot.
McKenna wrote the entire ceremony script with the help of Provenance, and it felt incredibly personal. We both wrote our own vows as well, and sharing them during the ceremony made the moment feel even more meaningful for us and for everyone there.
From a slow morning to a sparkler send off
We started the day getting ready together at a nearby hotel with our bridal party, keeping things relaxed with coffee, lunch, and plenty of time to enjoy the morning. Arriving at The Wright House in the early afternoon, everything quickly fell into place as details were photographed, dresses were fluffed, and florals were installed. Our first look happened around 3pm, and even without the element of surprise, it was still incredibly special.
The ceremony took place just after 5pm beneath the trees and in front of the gazebo, with shade and a breeze that helped on one of the hottest days of spring. Afterward, guests moved into cocktail hour while we signed our marriage license with family, and then we slipped away for golden hour portraits that felt easy and unhurried.
We entered our reception to cheers and went straight into our first dance to “Baby I’m Yours.” Dinner followed with a generous buffet from Park Ave Catering, a preferred vendor of The Wright House, featuring mini loaves of bread with herb butter, a traditional green salad, lemon glaze chicken, beef tips over rice, homestyle mac and cheese, and garlic mashed potatoes. Toasts and an upbeat father daughter dance led into a packed dance floor, a heart shaped cake cutting, a private last dance under the disco ball, and a sparkler exit that sent us off into the night together.
The moments that turned into memories
Getting ready in our hotel suite with our bridal party set the tone for the whole day. It felt like a fun, chill hang with our closest friends, full of excitement and laughter. Reading our personal vows during the ceremony was another highlight. We debated doing them privately, but sharing them with our friends and family made everything feel even more connected.
Walking back down the aisle as wives while our people waved ribbon wands and “State of Grace” played was unforgettable. Our reception entrance matched that energy, dramatic, loud, and perfectly us, set to the beginning of “Only Angel” by Harry Styles.
Instead of a bouquet toss, we went for a t-shirt toss and a rubber chicken toss, complete with a Raising Cane’s gift card and “Thunderstruck” blasting. From there, we danced all night with our friends and family, exactly the epic dance party we’d hoped for.
The vendors who truly showed up for us
As a same sex couple, it was really important for us to work with vendors who had experience with LGBTQ plus couples and genuinely connected with us. We were incredibly lucky to be surrounded by people who went above and beyond, starting with Adriana Maya Photography. She documented our entire bridal era and truly understood us as a couple. Her business is LGBTQ plus owned and operated, and we felt completely seen and supported every step of the way.
The team at The Wright House, including Spencer, Tiffani, and Rainey, made us feel so welcomed and cared for through incredible communication and attention to detail. We also cannot say enough about Anna from The Heart Centered Seamstress. Booking her wedding day dressing service was one of the best decisions we made. From steaming and transporting dresses to bustling and calming nerves, she was an absolute lifesaver.
Cathy from Cactus Bloom Floral went above and beyond with our florals, and we loved them so much that we chose to preserve one of our bouquets. Cake by Kenna created our dream heart-shaped cake with pink roses and the sweetest details, including bunny cake toppers made from scraps of our dress fabric. Every one of these vendors brought care, talent, and intention into our day, and we truly could not have done it without them.
Centering family in the ceremony
Including our family in the ceremony was really important to us. McKenna walked down the aisle with her mom and dad, John and Michelle Apodaca, and her dad also officiated the wedding, which made the moment incredibly special. We truly couldn’t have imagined standing up there with anyone else.
Meagan’s niece, Aurelia, was our flower girl, and she absolutely nailed it. Meagan walked down the aisle with her Tia Valerie and Nana Dora, and she honoured her late father, Victor Sainz, by carrying his photo in a locket on her bouquet. During the ceremony, a yellow butterfly flew around her, which felt like a quiet sign that he was there with us. McKenna’s brothers, Joshua and Jacob, were our ring keepers and held onto the rings until it was time to exchange them.
We also included a unity ceremony by locking two love locks together, inspired by a trip to San Antonio where we added a lock to a bridge together before getting engaged. We now have the locks displayed at home on a wooden sign that reads “The Apodacas, Est. 2025”, a daily reminder of our vows and the life we’re building together.
Photography by Adriana Maya Photography
Cake Cake by Kenna
Caterer Park Ave Catering
Ceremony Venue The Wright House
DJ DJ Flo Entertainment
Dress Boutique True Society & Luv Bridal
Dress Designer Stella York
Engagement Rings Brilliant Earth
Florist Cactus Bloom Floral
Hair & Makeup Bella Bridal Beauty
Stationery Minted
Seamstress The Heart Centered Seamstress
Wedding Rings Brilliant Earth
