Phoenix Zoo

Wedding Day

Our Story

Meeting during COVID in an Online Reality Game (ORG), these two quickly connected during their time in the game together. As the game progressed, both realized there may be something more to this relationship than friendship. With both having limited relationship experience, both were nervous to pop the question to each other, so they would spend hours talking late into the night and sending veiled messages to each other hoping the other would catch on. Eventually, on July 21, 2020, Ray made the first move by inadvertently sending Peter a breakup song, "Just Give Me a Reason" by P!nk, because he had never heard the song before and liked the line of "right from the start, you were a thief, you stole my heart", to which Peter realized the intention behind and mentioned he liked Ray back. The rest is history. Through multiple travels together, the two have only grown closer and more fond of each other as time has gone on. Engaged since December 26, 2021, the couple married on January 3, 2025, and now invite all of you to celebrate their union with them.

Our Wedding

Photos

Wedding Party

What should I wear?

We are requesting semi-formal attire. Because we understand “semi-formal” can mean different things to different people, feel free to reference this curated Pinterest board: <a href="https://bit.ly/3YFdo1q" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://bit.ly/3YFdo1q</a>. There is a bit of walking involved at the venue so please keep that in mind when planning your footwear. Please avoid casual attire such as tank tops, flip flops, sandals, and shorts. Please also remember to avoid wearing white, cream, or ivory dresses or suits.

How can I help keep your stress level low?

Thanks so much for asking! We already know you love us but here are some small things that would really go a long way in keeping our stress level as low as possible. 1. Please try to avoid texting us questions the week of the wedding. Instead, please email our wedding planner at planning@gardeniawed.com. On the wedding day itself, you can call or text our planner at 602-529-3430. 2. Please do not bring anyone that was not included on your invitation. There will not be extra seats or plates for unexpected guests and turning them away is a situation no one would enjoy. 3. We’re so excited to celebrate with all of you and can’t wait to take plenty of photos throughout the day! That said, we’re hoping to stay present and enjoy the moment, especially once the dancing starts, so we are hoping to not be constantly pulled for selfies throughout the evening. 4. Please don’t break any of the venue’s rules (or their property)! We are contractually responsible for all of our guests and so we could potentially be charged a fee if any of the venue’s rules are broken or property is damaged. 5. Please do not take photos or use your phone during the ceremony. We have a professional photographer who will be capturing all of the beautiful moments, and a cell phone is a very unsightly photobomb. Please also do not bring any sort of professional camera or block the photographer. Although cellphone photos are welcome during reception, we kindly ask that you not post photos of us on social media until after we have shared ours. 6. We’d love to hug each and every one of you goodbye—but if we’re on the dance floor or caught in the chaos of the moment, feel free to quietly slip out without saying goodbye. We promise we won’t take it personally, and we’ll catch up after the wedding! 7. Please do not arrive extremely early (45+ minutes). Arriving significantly early will cause us to be hidden away sooner than planned, shortening our time for any pre-ceremony photos. 8. Please do not wear white! A white button up/down top paired with pants is fine, but please no white, cream, or ivory dresses or suits. Please also avoid dressing casually such as tank tops, sandals, shorts, etc.

Q + A

Below are travel accommodations and recommendations for our out-of-town guests. If you have any trouble or have any additional questions, please reach out to our wedding planner at planning@gardeniawed.com.

This is the local airport and is about 4 miles from the wedding venue.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

This is the closest hotel to the wedding venue at about 3 miles. It is also very close to the airport.

Holiday Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport North by IHG

This is a great hotel option about 3 miles. It is also very close to the airport.

DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Phoenix

Radisson Hotel Phoenix Airport

This hotel (or any others in this area) would be a great option if you are planning to explore the Downtown Phoenix area. It is about 8 miles from the wedding venue.

Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown

AirBnB & VRBO

Below are location recommendations for those planning to book an AirBnB or VRBO: -If you want to stay near the wedding venue, search within East Phoenix or Tempe.-If you want to stay near the main airport, search within Central Phoenix.-If you want to stay near good bars and restaurants, search within Downtown Phoenix. -If you want to stay near high-end restaurants, shopping, and golf courses, search within Scottsdale.

Travel

Below are local recommendations for our out-of-town guests looking for something to do while in town.

Peter & Ray