As Tansey Schoonover planned her wedding day over the course of a year and a half, never in her wildest dreams did she envision rain on a September day in Sedona. As the wedding party and guests waited for an off-the-radar downpour to slow down, Tansey watched her carefully crafted outdoor ceremony and reception settings become drenched. Sad but calm, she and Andrew Cote, her groom, were not willing to relinquish their dream of an outdoor wedding among the stunning red rocks. During a short break in the rain, guests ventured outdoors with white umbrellas to witness the Austin-based couple walk down the aisle to bagpipes and exchange vows surrounded by a breathtaking crimson backdrop. To celebrate their Celtic heritage, Tansey and Andrew chose to include the ancient ritual of handfasting in their ceremony, in which an infinity knot is created from three ropes and ties the couple’s hands together, symbolizing the creation of a new family unit. As the destination wedding weekend’s main event evolved into the reception, a rainbow replaced the heavy rain, and the personal details carefully planned by the bride stole the show. From cocktail napkins featuring their dog, Birdie, to the ’70s record album covers that family and friends signed as a unique guestbook, Tansey and Andrew made sure to thoughtfully create a day that was completely them. The couple adored the beauty of the red rock scenery, so they elevated the color scheme with bridesmaids’ dresses and florals of the same desert palette. Although the ceremony was Tansey’s favorite memory of the entire wedding weekend, the lively dance party that began at the rehearsal dinner and picked back up at the reception was a very close second.
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