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THE HOSKINS

Desert View Wedding & Events | Brett & Emily

Some couples get in front of a camera and go a little stiff. Brett and Emily did the opposite. The more time we spent together, the more they leaned into each other.

And really, that ease is the thing I keep coming back to when I think about their wedding day.

It also didn’t hurt that they got married with the Superstition Mountains stretched out behind them. Desert View Weddings & Events, just outside Apache Junction, is one of those Arizona venues where the ceremony backdrop does half the work for you. Wide open sky, the mountains doing their thing in the distance, nothing in the way.

All day, Brett and Emily were so present with each other. You could see it in the small things: the light touches, the little loving gestures, the smiles that never seemed to fade, and the way they looked at each other during the ceremony.

As the sun began to set and the air cooled, we headed out into the desert for portraits. A little movement, a lot of laughing, and that specific energy you only get a few hours into being married. By the end of the day, it was clear the place hadn’t created that mood. It just matched it.

Wide-open, unhurried, and easy. Brett and Emily already had that same feeling between them. The mountains just gave it a pretty incredible backdrop.

Congratulations, Brett and Emily!

Bride in an open-back wedding dress walking at Desert View Weddings & Events in bright Arizona lightBride in an open-back wedding dress walking at Desert View Weddings & Events for the first look with the groomBride and groom ceremony at Desert View Weddings & Events with the Superstition Mountains in the background wedding ceremony at Desert View Weddings & Events with desert mountain viewsWedding ceremony at Desert View Weddings & Events with desert mountain viewsBride in an open-back wedding dress walking with the Groom at Desert View Weddings & Events in bright Arizona light Arizona desert wedding reception details at Desert View Weddings & Events Bride and Groom's first dance at the wedding reception at Desert View Weddings & Events Wedding portraits in the desert near the Superstition Mountains Newly married couple laughing during desert portraits at Desert View Weddings & Events in ArizonaNewly married couple desert portraits at Desert View Weddings & Events in Arizona Bride desert portraits at Desert View Weddings & Events in ArizonaNewly married couple desert portraits at Desert View Weddings & Events in Arizona

 

Venue | Desert View Wedding & Events

The mountain views reminded me a little of this Boulders Resort wedding, where the desert setting carried so much of the atmosphere.

 

 

Cabins on Strawberry Hill Wedding | AJ & Shaina

 

There are weddings you photograph, and there are weddings you feel. AJ & Shaina’s day at Cabins on Strawberry Hill was the second kind.

As mainly a Phoenix wedding photographer, I spend a lot of my time photographing weddings in desert landscapes, surrounded by cactus and wide open spaces. The Cabins on Strawberry Hill felt like a completely different world. Cool, still, with light that actually filters through trees.

AJ & Shaina’s day had that rare quality where nothing felt performed. Their ceremony overlooked the forest, framed by a simple wooden arch, with the hills rolling out behind them. But the moment I keep coming back to is when it was over, the two of them dancing back down the aisle, laughing with a contagious joy. And that was who they were all day.

Later, we slipped down a trail into the forest for portraits as the evening light turned golden and soft. Pine needles underfoot, branches moving gently overhead, and the two of them completely at ease together, the warm glow from the ceremony still radiating from them.

Their reception carried that same ease into the evening. Guests gathered close under the warm reception lights, with laughter and smiles spilling out effortlessly. It felt less like a formal event and more like everyone had simply gathered around two people they loved.

All weddings are beautiful, but this one made you want to stay.

Congratulations AJ & Shaina!

Black and white photo of the bride’s veil being adjusted before her wedding ceremony. Outdoor wedding ceremony at Cabins on Strawberry Hill with pine trees and mountain views in the background. Bride and groom walking back down the aisle after their ceremony at Cabins on Strawberry Hill. Bride and groom walking back down the aisle after their ceremony at Cabins on Strawberry Hill in Arizona Bride and groom walking back down the aisle after their ceremony at Cabins on Strawberry Hill. Bride and groom sharing a kiss in the forest after their Strawberry, Arizona wedding ceremony Bride and groom walking through the pines during their Cabins on Strawberry Hill wedding in Strawberry, Arizona.Bride and groom walking through the pines during their Cabins on Strawberry Hill wedding in Strawberry, Arizona.

If you’re planning a wedding in the pines, you may also enjoy this Mogollon Rim wedding in Arizona.

Venue |  Cabins on Strawberry Hill    DJ | Impact DJ’s

 

Phoenix Backyard Wedding | Scott & Megan

 

I’ve photographed plenty of venues more than once, but coming back to this Phoenix backyard wedding felt different.

Almost nine years ago, I was here for Megan’s brother’s wedding. Now, in the same yard and under the same tree, it was Megan’s turn. Revisiting a place like this feels like reopening a favorite book. The story is familiar, but you notice completely different things this time around.

The day had a certain ease to it. Close friends, family, and a ceremony that didn’t feel like it was trying too hard. There was dinner on the basketball court and dancing by the pool. It was the kind of night that just moves on its own.

Some houses become more than just a home; they become living memories. Being back in this spot nearly a decade later, watching how happy Scott and Megan are together… well, I wish life had a pause button sometimes.

 

Congratulations, Scott & Megan!

 

Brides Cream heels with a ribbon tie, backyard wedding in Phoenix, AZ Wedding Dress hanging on a door at a backyard wedding in Phoenix, AZ birde looking out the window in a backyard wedding in Phoenix, AZ Bride walking down aisle smiling at guests Phoenix backyard wedding Bride walking down aisle smiling at guests Phoenix backyard wedding Backyard wedding ceremony in Phoenix, AZ Backyard wedding ceremony in Phoenix, AZ Backyard wedding ceremony in Phoenix, AZ Bride and Groom Smiling at a Backyard wedding ceremony in Phoenix, AZBride and Groom walking in the Arizona desert at sunset Groom portraits in the Arizona desert at sunset Couple portraits in the Arizona desert at sunset Wedding reception dinner on basketball court Phoenix backyard wedding Wedding reception dinner on basketball court Phoenix backyard wedding Wedding reception dinner on basketball court Phoenix backyard wedding Wedding reception toast on basketball court Phoenix backyard wedding Dancing by the pool at backyard wedding reception Phoenix

 

Planner | Tie The Knot   Dress | MaeMe   Florals | Cactus Flowers 

And a huge thanks to Maia for all her help on the wedding day.

An intimate Arizona wedding on the Mogollon Rim 

Monroe Street Abbey Wedding in Phoenix | Cody & Kaeli

 

Monroe Street Abbey is one of those spaces that can easily take over if you let it.

This day never felt like that.

Cody & Kaeli have a way of making things feel easy. They were fully there, relaxed, open to whatever the day brought, and that energy carried through everyone around them.

The space has a lot going on: light shifting through the windows, layers of texture, and different corners pulling your attention. But it could never compete with them.

It was warmer than you’d ever expect for March in Phoenix, but no one seemed to mind. The day moved at an unhurried pace… people laughing, enjoying each other, not rushing to move things along. You could feel how present everyone was for Cody & Kaeli.

And rockstars that they are, Cody & Kaeli took over for the band toward the end of the night in a full-on jam session, the room absolutely loving it. Kaeli’s dad even jumped in on the trumpet for a song.

And honestly, it felt like the whole day in one moment….easy, joyful, and completely theirs.

 

monroe street abbey with wedding dress Bride getting ready at the Monroe street abbey for her wedding Bride and bridesmaids toasting at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Bride putting on her wedding dress at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Bride standing in soft window light at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Bride sitting next to soft window light at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Groom and groomsmen at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, ArizonaBride and Bridemaids in the courtyard at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, ArizonaBride and Bridemaids in the courtyard at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Bride and Bridemaids with flowers in the courtyard at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, ArizonaWedding party on the rooftop at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Bride walking down the aisle at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Wedding ceremony at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Wedding ceremony at the Monroe street abbey in Phoenix, Arizona Bride and groom portrait at Monroe Street Abbey in Phoenix Arizona Bride and groom portrait at Monroe Street Abbey in Phoenix Arizona Bride and groom smiling and walking at Monroe Street Abbey in Phoenix Arizona Reception with live band at Monroe Street Abbey wedding in Phoenix Reception with live band at Monroe Street Abbey wedding in Phoenix Reception with live band at Monroe Street Abbey wedding in Phoenix

 

Cody & Kaeli were married at Monroe Street Abbey, right in the heart of downtown Phoenix. The day was brought together by Exhale Events, with Lucky Devils Band keeping the energy high all night.

 

Explore another downtown Phoenix wedding  | Or view more Arizona weddings here

Bush Highway Engagement Session in Arizona | Mike & Erin

There’s something about the desert that feels a little magical. Maybe it’s the open road. Or the mountains rising in the distance. Or the way the light shifts from bright and airy to soft and cinematic in a matter of minutes.

Erin and Mike leaned into all of it.

We started right in the middle of the road, letting the landscape stretch out around us. The wind picked up, her skirt moved, and they settled into each other.

Among the saguaros, they forgot we were shooting. A forehead kiss. Laughter mid-walk. Her just… leaning back into him.

We ended the night with silhouettes against the fading sky. Simple. Timeless. Arizona at its best.

Here are a few of my favorites from the session.

“Couple standing in the middle of Bush Highway during Arizona desert engagement session”“Couple laughing in the middle of Bush Highway during Arizona desert engagement session”“Couple kissing in the middle of Bush Highway during Arizona desert engagement session” “Couple standing in the middle of Bush Highway during Arizona desert engagement session” “Couple walking through desert landscape at sunset in Mesa, Arizona”“Sunset engagement photos among saguaros on Bush Highway”“Sunset engagement photos among saguaros on Bush Highway”“Sunset engagement photos among saguaros on Bush Highway”

 

If you love desert light, you might also enjoy this engagement session at Bartlett Lake.

As an Arizona wedding photographer, I’m always looking for locations that feel natural and effortless. The Bush Highway is one of those locations.

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The Hoskins

Hello! I'm Aaron Hoskins, a Phoenix, AZ based wedding photographer. I love capturing real moments and emotional connections while emphasizing the beauty of your wedding day.

Email: hoskinsa@gmail.com
Flagstaff, Arizona Wedding - Wedding at the Desert Botanical Gardens - Wedding at the Camelback Inn - Wedding at The Boulders Resort - Phoeinx Family Photographer - Professional Portraits - Phoenix Engagement Session

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