Leslie and Stacy Arizona Wedding Part One

I love it when I am able to get the story from the bride to share with the photos of the wedding, but this one is even funner with their proposal story right from the groom. He tells it in story format complete with dialogue too! I think you are gonna love this one from Melissa Dunstan Photography! Oh, and I had to divide this one into two parts, there were just way too many cool shots that I couldn't leave out. So check back tomorrow for Part Two for not only more photos but the love story and shared wedding pickle from the bride!

For the entire year leading up to me actually proposing, Leslie started multiple conversations (multiple conversations daily) with the phrase "when we finally get married..." . I would listen patiently to what followed and smile. Then I would reply with some negative comment about the institution of marriage being outdated, and how marriage wouldn't change how much I loved and cared for her. My favorite deflection was to quote The Avett Brothers "Possession, the king of sin..." singing it with a sly smirk. 

 My other way out of the conversation was to complain about being poor and how I didn't have money for a ring and needed time to save because I wanted to do it right. While all this was going on I had been working with a jeweler in town perfecting an idea I had. I just needed a few more weeks for him to finish the ring. So when he finally did it was time to set the plan in motion. 

It was a beautiful fall Saturday, and we were planning on going on a ride on some of our favorite trails. I knew where and how I was going to propose, but the trick was beating her to the spot. It wasn't going to work if I was behind her because she'd ride away, and I be stuck. So the plan was to climb as hard as I could to get a good lead on her. It must have been the adrenaline because I led the entire way up which NEVER happens. I'm usually panting and dripping sweat into my eyes while cursing her name in my head, but not this time. 

 So we are getting close to the spot and I start complaining that I think I have a slow leak, and that something is wrong with my back tire. She blows me off and tells me that I always think I'm flatting. Which is true, but I also flat a lot. I ride ahead of her until I can't see her and get to a spot in pines with a beautiful view of the peaks and single track leading to them. I flip my bike over and pretend to be working on my back tire and wait...and wait...and wait. 

Where did she go? 

She yelled something at me but it was indecipherable.

Did she crash???? No, the trail was in good shape and pretty mellow through that section, there is no way she wiped out. 

10-15 minutes go by then finally, she appears on the trail and starts talking about running into Tahoe. So my mind is racing. I am about to ask the woman I love to marry me and I am trying to place who Tahoe is in my mind. All I could envision was some dreadlocked hippie kid who I didn't remember meeting but that wasn't making any sense. 

"Tahoe?"

"Yeah, you know the dog who lives across from Cinnamon and Jenna." 

A DOG! She stopped because she met a dog on the trail that she knew. Awesome, another example of why I love her so much. She recognized a dog from town as we were zipping by, stopped to say hi, and was totally excited to see him. 

"So what's up?" 

"I have a flat". She gets off her bike and gives me a look that says "oh here we go again, he's just being paranoid". 

I'm holding the ring on the tire as she is approaching.

"Come here, I have this rock stuck in my tire, check it out." she looks down at my tire and just stares at it FOR LIKE 30 SECONDS. I move the ring a little so it catches the sun and she looks up at me with a big grin. 

The first thing she says upon realizing what is happening..."You're such a little shit". 

Photography: Melissa Dunstan Photography submitted via Two Bright Lights

Hair Stylist: Tirzah Salon

Caterer: Thornager's Catering

Reception Venue: Foxboro Ranch

Dress Designer: Nicole Miller

Jewelry: Will Mcnabb

Be sure to Like Wedding Pickle on Facebook!