The airport. It’s the place where people greet people. It’ s the place where people say goodbye to people. It’s not the place where people are supposed to meet people. Yet that’s where this love story began. Quinn is a pilot, and, almost a decade ago, amidst the hustle and bustle of an airport’s operations — security lines, moving walkways, intercom announcements, and food court chatter — he met Ramona for the first time. They became friends, kept in touch, and saw each other once per year when he was out of the sky and on the ground. And, at the eight year point, it got just a little bit harder to say goodbye as friends. Harder to ignore the feelings of friendship that’d blurred into a courtship and then crossed over into a relationship. Until last fall, when Quinn gave Ramona an engagement ring, and asked her to fly through life with him. 

To honor the guests who flew in from all across America to be a part of their wedding, the invitations were inspired with airlines’s famous cocktail napkins in mind, but with a special twist: a heart for the wedding destination of Phoenix, Arizona, and dots for the exact places their beloved guests came from.

Even though Ramona and Quinn joked they should be on 90 Day Fiancé because they planned their wedding so quickly, they still managed to pull together a beautiful color story. We LOVED these flowers from The Flower Studio and the slate bridesmaids’s dresses from J. Crew

When guests arrived, just like passengers on a real airline flight, they were offered salted peanuts in little bags. We couldn’t think of a better way to visually represent the coming together of two unique lives — the past, present, and future — than the snack he’d eaten while piloting hundreds of flights in his life supporting the ring she’ll wear for the rest of hers.

When we first met Ramona and Quinn, they weren’t too sure about doing a first look, but after watching them react after seeing each other for the first time in a private setting, we can’t even imagine anything else!

We just LOVE the expression on Ramona’s face! These two were so sweet and happy together! And, if you look closely, you’ll that she’s holding her mother’s pink handkerchief in her right hand. What a special reminder of such an important person.

Did we mention that The Flower Studio did an incredible job with all of the florals?

Ramona’s son and father walked her down the aisle to greet her husband-to-be. The three most important men in her life all in one place!

Ramona’s mom passed away a few years ago. So, in her honor, the closest chair to the altar was left empty with the nightgown and slippers she loved so much, as well as a single red rose in her memory. It was so touching to see Ramona’s father with his arm around her empty chair, such a beautiful reminder of enduring, eternal love.

During her vows, Ramona got choked up (and so did we) when she talked about one of the things that she loves most about Quinn. She explained that you can tell a lot about the true measure of man by the way he loves, cares for, and treats his mother, and after watching Quinn be with his mom every step of the way as she battles lung cancer,  she knew all she needed to know about the man she was marrying. We couldn’t help but feel emotional, especially when we looked over to Quinn’s mom.

Quinn’s dad passed away a few years ago, too, so the first seat on Quinn’s side was left in his dad’s honor. In addition to flying for a commercial airline, Quinn’s a retired Air Force National Guard pilot, just like his dad who served before him, so the fighter jacket was a fitting tribute to the man who taught him how to be a man.

The ceremony was emotion-filled and a joyful celebration of an undeniable love. It was an honor to be there to capture it, and as soon as the ceremony ended, we snuck away to the desert for their first portraits as husband and wife.

Wedding Team
Bride’s Dress: Almond Tree Wedding Boutique | Bridesmaids’s Dresses: J. Crew | Cake Artist/Desserts: AZ Cakes | Ceremony/Reception Location: Grayhawk Golf Club | Floral Designer: The Flower Studio | Hair Stylist: Lindsay LeClaire with Jennifer Andre Salon | Makeup Artist: Stephanie Neiheisel | Officiant: Randy Williams | Paper Products: Wedding Papiere | Photographers: Amy & Jordan

Gear Used for this Shoot 
Canon 5D Mark III | Canon 50 1.2 | Canon 70-200 2.8 | Canon 100 2.8 | Canon 24-70 2.8 | Canon Speedlite 600 EX-RT | Entire Gear List