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!
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
