Thursday - the day before the wedding
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Friday - Oct 15th The wedding day |
Clark Griswald was kind enough to lend his expertise in creating the perfect itinery. We had to tell him "no" to his suggestions of:
The Plan +/- 30 Minutes
10:00am - Leave Cliff Castle Casino - If you are not staying Thursday night in Sedona, we ask that you arrive no later than 9am at Cliff Castle Casino (Point A on map). Expect heavy traffic northbound from Phoenix on a beautiful fall day.
11:00am - Reach West Fork Trail parking lot - We will caravan togther north on I-17 and then come south on 79A to the wedding site (Point B). The drive will take 45-50 min and we may have to wait 10-15 minutes to park once we arrive.
11:15am - Ceremony begins - The ceremony site is a ten minute walk from the parking lot. The terrain is a sandy dirt. The officiant will be Jamie's friend, Kevin Shelton.
11:30am - Finish wedding / short walk into canyon with pictures - This will be Kevin's first ceremony so we won't pressure him for lots of words. Once the ceremony finishes, we'll walk a little deeper into the canyon, weather permitting for picturesque views and some photos.
Noon - Finish walk in / start walk out - The walk out should be only 30 minutes (it will go by fast). Once we near the parking lot, there are several spots for photographs. The photographer will be Jamie's soccer teammate, Garrett Cook.
1:00pm - Head to restaurant in Sedona - The drive along state route 79A is the type you see in Arizona Highways magazine.
1:30pm / 2pm - Lunch at the Barking Frog - We will have the patios to ourselves at The Barking Frog. Don't worry, Cleo and Patches are welcome on the patio.
3:30pm / 4pm - Downtown Sedona - Lots of shops to check plus a special activity planned by the bride and groom for all our guests.
5:00pm - Sunset - Upon Airport Mesa one gets a beautiful view of the sunset, which will occur just after 5:30pm. Watch the rocks change color before your eyes.
6:00pm - Head back to casino - Dinner, bowling, gambling, drinking, merriment, old people spending their childrens' inheritance - this casino has it all.
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Wedsite Facts Oak Creek Canyon |
Oak Creek Canyon is a 12 mile (20 km) long river gorge located along the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona located between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon. Oak Creek Canyon ranges in width from 0.8 to 2.5 miles (1.3 to 4 km). The depth of the canyon ranges from 800-2,000 feet (240 to 600 meters). However, due to the faulting that played a major role in the formation of Oak Creek Canyon, the west rim of the canyon is 700 feet (210 meters) higher than the east rim.
This picture was taken last year mid-October so expect more of the same. Currently, everything is a lush green in the canyon. There are few bears to worry about. There is the occasional small stream to cross.
This wedding's on a trail? Here's what to wear.
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Nobody will be wearing a tux. Courtney's dress will be trail-friendly. Jamie will be wearing a suit. The rest of everybody should dress for 70-75 degree whether. It is 1) a canyon and 2) loaded with tall trees... hence, plenty of cool shade.
Khaki/dress pants, nice shirts (long or short sleeved) are all good - just look reasonably nice for pictures. Bola ties (the official state neckwear) will not be required.
Saturday - the day after the wedding
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People can take their time returning to Phoenix on Saturday. In the morning, just five minutes from the hotel / casino is Montezuma's Castle, which takes about 30 minutes to experience.