Mike Maez Photography

When we initially met with both Chad & Jenn and they had talked to us about getting married at the Arizona Museum of Natural History, our first reaction was admittedly a bit naive.  We had photographed Shannon + Boots at Tempe’s Center for the Arts previously and absolutely loved the setting, but this time in lieu of modern art we would be amongst dinosaurs and space oddities?  Not to mention the fact that neither myself nor any of my associates even knew Arizona actually had our own such museum!  Nevertheless, we were pleasantly intrigued and very excited to learn that although the museum is actually in downtown Mesa, it does indeed exist and would be hosting their fabulous celebration after all.

Having visited the well known museum in Manhattan, I was not quite sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised when we were greeted by a massive Woolly Mammoth upon our arrival.  From that point on we knew we were in for a treat.  The multi-level structure had plenty of unique and diverse elements on-hand for our formal bridal session and although we were skeptical about the ceremony itself being held in the theatre room, Chad & Jenn absolutely made the most of it!  We finished up with an informal reception upstairs on the outdoor terrace, and were sent home with a fresh bottle of Tru Blood.  I should also mention that the couple elected to dress in traditional Japanese kimonos in order to celebrate Jenn’s culture.  This was no easy task though as Chad towered above all of us at a NBA-like 6′ 6″ – a rather unorthodox size for a traditionally smaller sized garment.  As luck would have it, they were able to source a large enough kimono just in time, and if all of this wasn’t unique enough the happy couple also stopped by the Mesa Center for the Arts to do some pre-bridal portraits in full kimono attire.

Thank you Chad & Jenn for sharing your unique and awesome day with us, and we hope that you will cherish these amazing photos as much as we do.