Wedding | Lo & Pat

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met when Pat bought the house I was renting in Savannah, Georgia. We met at a local brewery, Two Tides, to discuss the lease and there were instant fireworks. We knew from that exact moment that we never wanted to be without each other. We often joke that our atoms must have been touching when the earth was created because we feel as though we have met in every lifetime.

We always knew we wanted to get married and on New Years Day of 2024, we decided we wanted to make it happen that year! Pat started working with our dear friend, Melissa at Metal Sugar Jewlery to design the perfect ring and I started planning!

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2023. We were both so busy, Pat with his startup and I was in a doctoral program. We loved the idea of an intimate backyard wedding and wanted the weekend to feel like a vacation for our family and friends from the Southeast. Plus, the weather is gorgeous in Phoenix in November. 

We wanted to make sure we were able to spend meaningful and intentional time with our families over the weekend. It was our dream to be able to all stay in one place and get married in the backyard, no time constraints, awkward transitions, or shuttle rides. We fell in love with our venue, Worth the Wait Ranch, immediately. It is a beautiful property, the creative project of a local interior designer, who thoughtfully and meticulously curated every detail. The property could sleep both of our families and the backyard was the perfect venue for the events throughout the weekend.

How many guests did you have?

70 of our closest friends and family.

What was your budget? 

We had a specific budget in mind but definitely went over. We wanted to make sure we covered every detail to ensure everyone was comfortable and having the best time!

Tell us about your outfits.

Pat wore a custom suit with “The Pat Lo Show” embroidered on the collar. He wore his all-time-favorite Ostrich Tony Lama cowboy boots. We looked for new ones but nothing compared, we had to have his resoled before the wedding. He also wore leather suspenders, and a custom cowboy hat made by Watson’s Hat Shop. 

I wore a bespoke silk corset, skirt, and chiffon neck scarf, custom-made by the wonderfully talented Kricket of Ma Corseterie. On the back of the corset, she hand embroidered two butterflies, representing Pat’s late brothers, and a dragonfly image from a vintage print his dad had sourced for me before he passed. Keeping my dress design from Pat was one of the most difficult secrets I ever had to keep, but his reaction on the wedding day was worth the wait! I wore a custom lace veil made by Alisha of One Blushing Bride. The super cool Vivienne Westwood earrings completed the look.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

It was really important to us to support local businesses. Since we did not get married at a traditional venue, we had to outsource pretty much everything, and we made it a priority to give back to the local community as much as possible. We are obsessed with all of our vendors, and they all worked together to help us bring our dreams to reality! Our wedding truly would not have been the same without them, and we are so grateful for the connections we made throughout the planning process.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We love a good party, we are always the first and last people on the dancefloor (rumor has it, Pat has been tipped by a DJ at a wedding for keeping people on the dancefloor). We found our amazing DJ, DJ Valentine, through a dear friend who highly recommended him. He is the coolest DJ in the Valley and absolutely killed it! The cold sparks were a last-minute addition and were totally worth it! 

We are not big champagne fans, so we used homemade Limoncello, made by my sweet friend, to toast after dinner (Limoncello was also one of Pat’s dad’s favorites!).

Any tips for couples getting married?

Honestly, just enjoy it! The wedding industry is crazy, and it is easy to get lost in all of it. At the end of the day, it’s your wedding and it should be everything you want it to be. There are lots of opinions and expectations out there, but if you stick to what you want, it is guaranteed to be a beautiful celebration that represents you and your love.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Our photographer, Nikki Baker, captured the weekend perfectly and went above and beyond in every way! From documentary-style photos, film, and behind the scenes, we cannot recommend her enough. 

We had two fantastic tattoo artists who created custom flash sheets for our guests. Jaci, 44 Raspberry Pokes, with beautiful handpoke tattoos, and Sarah, Slane Ink, with stunning machine tattoos. This was such a fun addition, and the guests loved it! 

Our florist, Maria from Desert Florals by Maria, truly made my floral dreams come true! She is an absolute ray of sunshine and so amazing to work with! She sourced thousands of Oncidium orchids to create gorgeous arrangements that were straight from my Pinterest board. 

Katie from Cedar & Sage Weddings provided a flawless month of coordination and acted as my second brain for the weekend! She really thought of every detail and made everything come together on the day of!

We highly recommend everyone we worked with!! Our wedding would not have been the same without all of our incredible vendors.

Photographer: Nikki Baker Photography  @nikkibakerphotography | Planning: Cedar & Sage Weddings @cedarandsagewed | Styling: Gaudia Design @guadia.design | Flora: Desert Florals By Maria @desertfloralaz | Videographer: Friends with camcorders | Ceremony & Reception Location: Worth the Wait Ranch @worththewaitproperties | Rentals: The Confetti Studio @theconfettistudio, BBJ La Tavola @bbjlatavola & Lena’s Events @lenasevents | HMUA: Anissa Rae Beauty @anissaraebeauty | Catering & Beverages: Little Joe’s AZ @littlejoesaz & Dashing Spirits @dashing_spirits | Cake: Old School Sweet @old_school_sweet_az | Entertainment: DJ Valentine @djvalentine | Dress: Ma Corsetiere @macorsetiere | Suit: Suit Supply @suitsupply | Veil: One Blushing Bride @oneblushingbride | Hat: Watson’s Hat Shop @watsonshatshop | Rings: Metal Sugar Jewelry @metalsugarjewelry | Shoes: JW Pei @jwpei_official | Earrings: Vivienne Westwood @viviennewestwood | Tattoo Artists: 44 Raspberry Pokes @44raspberrypokes & Slane Ink @slaneink