EDITOR’S NOTES

Not even a worldwide pandemic can stop love. Rather, couples have turned to nontraditional ceremonies while planning their weddings the past 10-plus months, choosing to elope rather than host gatherings with family and friends, organizing virtual ceremonies on Zoom, shrinking their guest lists and postponing honeymoons. One way or another, weddings continued. This year’s special wedding edition of Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine offers some tips for couples at the beginning of their planning journey and looks at the trends that have proven successful across the nation and will likely continue as a result of these—forgive me— unprecedented times. Individual cake servings, hybrid ceremonies where atrisk family members join in virtually and more became commonplace in 2020. For those looking for the perfect venue for their northern Arizona wedding, there are a number of beautiful settings to choose from as always, just with health and safety precautions now in light of COVID-19.

Another common theme that arose in the past year is the prevalence of virtual events. Concerts, art gallery openings, improv shows—although we couldn’t gather in person, artists made sure we weren’t lacking in fresh entertainment. This spring, the Episcopal Church of the Epiphany’s Open Doors: Art in Action presents the online exhibit Resilient Matriarchy: Indigenous Women’s Art in Community. In it, five poets and visual artists come together to celebrate maternal bonds, with the touching exhibit accessible to audiences beyond northern Arizona thanks to this new technological shift.

Still, some things have remained the same, like the caliber of Southwest cuisine at La Posada’s Turquoise Room in Winslow. Following longtime Chef John Sharpe’s retirement last year, Chef Jesus Nuñez—who has worked with Sharpe for more than three decades—has carried on the restaurant’s allure for travelers looking for an authentic Southwest experience.

All this and more await readers in these pages. As always, thanks for reading.

Until next time,

MacKenzie Chase mchase@azdailysun.com

Quotes to inspire your vows

GREEN SHOOT MEDIA

The love you feel for your future spouse may be hard to put into words. However, when the time comes for sharing vows at the altar, you should plan to recite your feelings flawlessly.

And like the old mantra says, imitation is the best form of flattery. That’s why looking at the words of others can help spark some of your own creative ideas.

If you’re having trouble finding your voice when saying how much you appreciate their companionship, use these powerful quotes as inspiration. “Where there is love there is life.”

– Mahatma Gandhi “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

– Dr. Seuss “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk through my garden forever.”

– Alfred Tennyson “Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same.”

– Helen Keller

“What is love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and stars through his soul.” “We loved with a love that was more than love.”

– Edgar Allan Poe

“A great marriage is not when the perfect couple comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences.”

– Dave Meurer

“There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

– Henry David Thoreau

“There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.”

– Martin Luther

“When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”