Enjoy!

I’ve been peeking in the windows and doors of the Safford Theatre during the renovation process and have been so excited to see each detail coming together and couldn’t wait to get to go inside. And then Larry and Gaira booked me for their wedding, which would be in the nearly completed renovated space. I loved them, their story, and I loved their vision for their wedding day and couldn’t say yes fast enough!

The Venue

The Safford Theatre is one of our historic buildings and I love seeing it restored with such a beautiful attention to detail and the period feel. It opened it’s doors in 1911 and served as a movie theater and concert hall for decades. The Safford Downtown Association has led the restoration of the building (owned by the Gila Valley Historic Preservation Committee). They plan to once again show movies, hold concerts and film screenings, and host community events in the renovated space.

It’s spectacular and is such a gem of a place to have available to the area again. And it was absolutely amazing for Larry and Gaira’s wedding. One of their passions is attending rock concerts together. They have posters and shirts from their favorites and knew they wanted to have that reflected heavily in their wedding. This was the PERFECT place to host that celebration.

Ok…ready for your first peek at the interior courtyard? I’m absolutely in love with this space and knew I had to get dress shots in there!

Bridal Details

The rest of the bridal details were done in the Green Room above the stage. It’s a beautiful spot for performers to hang out, and was great for the final preparation area. While Gaira was getting hair and makeup done off site, her son-in-law brought her dress and all her details for me to photograph.

I’ve been waiting for a wedding where my glossy black board and smoke/fog styling boards made sense…and this one was perfect!!

Because there was time, I also couldn’t resist getting a few shots in the lobby with their gorgeous wall paper! I’m not a huge sucker for purple, but that purple and gold with the art deco design was exquisite!

Prep and First Look

Gaira and Larry arrived together and retreated to the Green Room for their final preparations. It was sweet to have them doing some of that prep together. We carefully hid the dress in the dressing room, thinking it was safe. While Gaira and I were getting other things situated we realized Larry and gone in and was changing there in the room with the dress. “Just don’t look at it!” she told him. It’s one of those wedding memories that makes you laugh. He still hadn’t seen HER in it, and that’s what matters!

And then it was time for them to see each other and get those pre ceremony nerves out!

They asked for some portraits there in the green room before we moved to a few other spots in the venue for their bride and groom portraits. It was a sweet spot to start!

Next we hit the lobby, because how can you resist that couch and the light?!?! Also, I loved the touch of some of their concert posters hung around the venue. They fit right in and really pulled their theme into the day in a fun way.

The final spot for their pre-ceremony portraits was the balcony with the velvet seating. This was another spot they had specifically requested before their wedding day and I was excited to play and create with them in that space.

I love that window reflection!

It was then time for Gaira and her daughter to have their First Look moment together. We set it up out in the courtyard and it naturally moved into the middle lobby. They cried. I cried. It was a touching part of the day!

More of the Safford Theatre Venue Details

There were beautiful details to discover all over the building. They’ve put so much work into this place! I loved capturing how masterfully the wedding decor wove into the venue design.

Is the photo on the right in the above photo a picture of the push plate on the bathroom door? Yes. But when it’s that pretty, a bathroom door deserves a close up shot!

Safford Theatre Wedding Ceremony

They had planned their ceremony so that the courtyard would be out of the sun, and then we ended up with just the right layer of cloud cover for most of the day. It made for such beautiful light for their ceremony! Every chair was full, and extras had to be brought in so that their special guests could all be there.

Their officiant, a dear friend of theirs, moved himself and the microphone out of the way and paused for a second to get his bearing. Larry took that as his cute and tried to go in for The Kiss. He had to pause for the official words and pronouncement…but before long they were officially Mr and Mrs Matthews!

Cocktail Hour and Dinner

While the main courtyard was flipped from ceremony site to reception hall, the guests were invited to meander the area, head to the lobby for cocktails, find a spot to sit next door, or get in line for the delicious dinner. It gave just enough space to get things flipped and so many pitched in to help Stasha and her team get the space turned.

Larry and Gaira had one of their engagement photos printed out poster size for their guests to all sign as if it were a concert poster. It was so fun and cute!

Dinner by Rusty’s Grill was amazing. I think I need to drive out to Lordsburg sometime to get to try their full menu!

The Reception Concert

Would a rock concert theme wedding be complete without a concert?! Friendly Jesture provided the incredible music for the night and kept the place rocking. Before things got rolling we paused in the Green Room for some group photos.

As a surprise, Larry and Gaira had these posters put together and printed for the band members and made sure to have plenty of Green M&M’s for them on hand in the green room. They were pretty tickled with it all!

I might have had fun playing with catching the lasers. There’s quite a bit of hype on social media about lasers and mirrorless cameras and I’ve been reading up on it to learn how to protect my gear. From my reading and observing the lights, I felt pretty comfortable with these and ended up with some fun light effects!

Larry and Gaira shared their first dance and invited couples to join them part way through the song as these two slower songs were planned to be the only two slow songs that night.

Cake time meant a bit of a miracle move by Stasha and her team. The beautiful cake display was in the lobby, but the bride asked if it could be moved out in front of the stage for the cake cutting so everyone could see. It’s always a harrowing feat to move a cake, but Stasha carried it in, Kaycee cleared the way in front of her, and I trotted behind with a cocktail table I cleared off. Mission accomplished!

Following the cake cutting were a few heartfelt toasts before jumping back into the party.

The party was scheduled to continue for a while after my booked time was up, so Larry and Gaira opted for a celebration tunnel as intermission. The original plan was to have it indoors, but that would have taken moving tables to fit everyone, so we pivoted and went outside with the theatre in the background. We hit the timing just right where there was no Main Street traffic and everyone lined the exit with the lighters Gaira and Larry provided.

Gaira and Larry, thank you so much for inviting me into such a beautiful chapter in your story. It was amazing to work with you at the engagement session and I loved getting to meet more of your family and loved ones for your wedding. The night was full of such great energy, your kids and grandkids were all so sweet and amazing, and the party was so special and fun! It was such a joy to get to be there with you and for you. Love you both!

Downtown Safford Theatre Wedding: Vendors & Creative Team

VENUE: Safford Theatre
PLANNING AND DECOR: Stasha with Jars & Lace
BAND: Friendly Jesture
CAKE: Candice’s Creations
CATERING: Rusty’s Grill BBQ and More
PHOTOGRAPHER: Marquette LaRee 

Are you on Instagram?

I’d love to connect with you!