What dreams are made of

For Alexis Holle, founder of the event and wedding planning company Holleday Productions, every detail matters. They matter because every wedding is unique, and every couple has their own set of interests and hopes for the future This reality offers the folks at Holleday Productions a welcome challenge, allowing them to create weddings that are not only stylistically different but have a personality that reflects the experience of the couples getting married Their dedication is clear, and their final products are what dreams are made of Read more on page 14

DISTINCTIVE

18 Forest Highlands offers Flagstaff a wedding venue that is perfect for ceremonies at all times of the year MIND &BODY

20 Plastic Surgeons of Northern Arizona offers a non-invasive sculpting procedure that you can get in the months leading up to your big day. Here’s what to expect

A beautiful scene from the raindampened wedding of Hailey Muller and Travis Kasinger.

Photo by Kristen Marie Photography

EDITOR

Matthew Hayden mhayden@azdailysun com

928.556.2280

PUBLISHER & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Colleen Brady

928.556.2279

Sales Contributors

Zachary Meier

Jayne Hayden

Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine is published quarterly at 1751 S Thompson St | Flagstaff, AZ 86001 ISSN: 1534-3804

Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine is published by

Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations and other materials are invited, but will not be returned unless accompanied by a properly addressed envelope bearing sufficient postage. Publisher assumes no responsibility for lost materials or the return of unsolicited materials. Publisher assumes no responsibility for any materials, solicited or unsolicited, after six months from date of publication Cover and entire contents of this publication are fully protected Reproduction or use without prior written premission from the editor is strictly prohibited Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine is not responsible for scheduled event changes Any views, opinions or suggestions contained within Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine are not necessarily those of the management or owners

Copyright ©2023 Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine

In recent years,views on marriage have shifted radically Marital unions have become more preferential and less expected as the younger generations grow up and find that living is hard enough as it is without the costs of a traditional wedding experience weighing them down, but for some, marriage is still a significant and necessary starting point for couples looking to embark upon a new journey; one thatrepresentsthetransformationoftwoindividus uniting into one,bound perpetually by love, trust and hope for the future

It’s a powerful image and one that greatly appeals to both my partner and me as we grow closer and become more and more invested in each others’futures,but first, of course, I’ve got to propose. After that though, where do we start?

While I am certain that we will enjoy being engaged for a good year or two, I can’t help but think about it as an obsessive over-planner, so to help me work through my concerns–and hopefully some of yours–the Arizona Daily Sun and Mountain Living Magazine have put together a collection of stories that is sure to help all of us put our minds at ease.

Our feature story highlights Holleday Productions–an event and wedding planning team whose goal is to make every client’s dream a reality. We also have a helpful rundown on a few unique catering options for weddings hosted in Flagstaff Plastic Surgeons ofNorthernArizonaandForestHighlandshavecontributedstories on their services, and John Vankat has compiled a list of wines for any romantic occasion.

All this awaits readers in the pages to come, and we hope that these stories both entertain and help all you brides and grooms and those still-to-be find comfort in the fact that Flagstaff, as always, has your back

As a closing note, thank you so much for reading our magazine over the last couple of years. We’ve gone through a lot of changes and endured the pandemic to the best of our ability, but unfortunately,this edition will be the magazine’s last.You will still be able to find stories similar to the ones you find here in every Sunday paper–just not in the glossy-print packaging–but as any newspaper person will tell you, it’s not the stock of paper that makes a story worth reading. We will keep telling our stories and continue to make them better as we move forward, and we hope that, no matterwhatthisjourneymightentail,you’llchoosetostickaround for the ride.

With that, we hope you enjoy this special edition New beginnings await. Ma

Hayden

A ONE-WOMAN SHOW

Favorites of the season from the area ’ s art and entertainment offerings

MAR. 11

LaPosadaHotel|303E2ndSt., Winslow, AZ

Hannah Fontes is playing herself in this one-night-only cabaret fundraiser for the Flagstaff Shakespeare Festival’s 2023 season. Fontes, who is a long-time actor and the festival’s Marketing Director, wrote the dialogue and composed the music in this stunning showcase of creative self-expression Titled “I Am Playing Me,” the performance highlights the growing pains of life as a young woman in 2023 as she comes face-to-face with loss and embraces love. The show will be held at the historic La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ and have a cocktail and appetizer hour before the event which will allow guests the chance to get to know the Flag Shakes team Learn more about the performance on their website at flagshakes org

MAR. 23

An Evening With An Icon

CoconinoCenterfortheArts|2300NFortValleyRd.

In the abundance of musical talent in Flagstaff, Don Flemons stands out Raised in Phoenix, educated at Northern Arizona University and brought up by a family with deep roots in the southwestern civil rights movements, Flemons’ experience is one that pulls its riches from a distinctly American well; one that gets to the heart of Black music and its influence on contemporary country and folk He is a uniquely talented artist with a fresh yet familiar sound, and members of the Flagstaff community will be able to see him perform at the Coconino Center for the Arts on March 23. If you’d like to see him perform, visit the Center’s website at coconinoarts.com to buy tickets.

APR.

13-16

Film In The Pines

OrpheumTheater|15WAspenAve.

For 21 years, the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival has provided members of the Flagstaff community a place where they can learn and be inspired by the work of filmmakers from all across the region As a mostly volunteer-run effort, any profits from the event are reinvested into future festivals or donated to a non-profit agency doing work in our community and beyond. The window to submit projects is now closed, and official selections are to be announced on March 1. To stay up to date on festival selections and ticket prices, bookmark their website at flagstaffmountainfilms org

Late May

The First Of Many

Later this year, Creative Flagstaff is launching a brand new, innovative festival experience with ARTx. Touted as a local SXSW (South by Southwest) or a cross between TEDx and Scottsdale’s Canal Convergence, the ARTx Festival’s goal is to provide artists and creative minds, “a regional and national platform.” For three years, the minds at Creative Flagstaff have brainstormed ideas on how to create a new and unique opportunity for the community to engage with local art in an immersive and interactive way, and now, they’re bringing their vision to life ARTx is working on building its own website independent from Creative Flagstaff’s, but if you would like to read more about this innovative project, check out creativeflagstaff.org/programs/artx/.