“Erica and Trey met in high school in the small town of Erie, Pennsylvania. They were friends for years before their friendship blossomed into something more, and they started dating in 2016. They graduated from college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and decided to make the move to Phoenix in 2019. In 2019, when Erica and Trey were driving across the country with Erica’s Subaru filled to the brim with her belongings, they decided to stop in an otherworldly place Erica found through Martin Garrix’s Instagram (one of her favorite DJs). That place was the Valley of Fire State Park. As soon as they drove into the park, they both knew this was the most unique place they had ever experienced. Fast forward six years and countless West Coast adventures later, the couple knew that saying, ‘I do’ at the Valley of Fire would be the most epic thing they could possibly do. Oh, and did I mention they kept their ceremony spot a surprise from their guests? They had no clue where they were going, driving away from the strip on a party bus into the desert. As the burning red rocks began to appear in the distance, the guests knew they would never be at a wedding like this again. While planning their wedding, they were having a hard time finding the right venue. They were tired of hearing ‘NO’ to their out-of-the-box ideas. After booking a venue off the strip, they weren’t sold. They decided to look off the beaten path and took a leap of faith- canceling their venue less than six months out from their big day. The couple knew they wanted something unique and wanted to give their closest friends and family an experience they would never forget. With the Valley of Fire ceremony permit locked in, the couple needed to work on their reception space. The groom found a beer hall just off the strip- The Front Yard at Ellis Island – one of the only family-owned venues left near the strip. As soon as they started asking questions like ‘can we have a self-pour beer tap’, and ‘can our friends DJ after the band’, and they started hearing ‘YES,’ they knew this was the place for them. At one point, the venue said, “Whatever you want is our policy.” With the help of an AMAZING wedding planner and vendor team, we totally transformed a UFC big screen beer hall into an ethereal, all-white linen-draped, organic DREAM. Guests were served Moët & Chandon upon arrival, and the live band set the mood all night. The dance floor was never empty. After the band left, the transition to late-night EDM started. The bride and groom’s friends DJ’d the last hour, and let’s just say there were countless bottles of champagne being passed around on the dance floor. This bride and groom wanted something real, unique, and organic. The idea of eloping was tempting, but they knew that they wanted to take their closest 75 friends and family members to the coolest place they would ever be. This day was perfectly curated from the first moment guests stepped off the bus into the desert to the last moment on the dance floor. They made sure this day was 100% authentic to them and stayed true to themselves. Talk about a Rocky Mountain Bridal DREAM!”
– Planner, Designer, Styling, Rentals, Tabletop Decor, Custom Bar & Hanging Installation, Ember & Stone Events
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