Real Destination Wedding
Designed for Love
Vancouverites Ann Choi, a graphic designer, and David Penfold, a user interface designer, met online. It was serendipitous really, as sometime after meeting, they realized they had crossed paths several years earlier.
David proposed in 2008 and shortly after that, in April 2009, Ann found herself at the Vancouver Wedding Show with a girlfriend. At one point, her friend pulled her over to a booth and said, “You have to see this place!” The exhibit was for wedding destination resort InterContinental Montelucia located in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Montelucia seemed to offer Ann everything she was looking for in a destination venue–sun, sun and sun! Her list of ‘other must haves’ included an outdoor locale with a beautiful view, a spectacular resort that would not impose minimum night stays on guests, and a destination that was easy and affordable to access.
Ann says the experience of Montelucia was exceptional. “They were wonderful. The communication was great, we had a dedicated wedding coordinator who was right on the ball.” Initially Ann was concerned about the food, as she and David did not have a chance to taste the meals prior to the wedding. She was pleasantly surprised. “The food was fantastic. Montelucia has a reputation for great food and the meals were perfect. Everyone commented on how awesome it was.”
Ann and David exchanged vows on the Valencia Lawn. The reception was inside the Castillo Lucena featuring magnificent 18th Century doors imported from Spain.
Although Montelucia has a wedding package that includes all the details, Ann sourced some Arizona vendors herself. Her photographers Anna and Faithie of Scottsdale-based Classic Digital Photography matched Ann’s personal style in photography. “Being a designer, I knew the style I was most interested in. And Faithie was amazing and treated us so well.” Ann also located her own florist from Montelucia’s recommended vendor list. Ann says that Jill Murphy from Avant Garde Florists was “wonderful to work with.” Ann’s 
cake was created by Montelucia’s onsite boutique cake genius, Julia Baker Confections.
The resort’s world-class Joya Spa provided hair and makeup services. Ann sums up the day with a burst of enthusiasm, “We were just overwhelmed with everything we experienced; it was so incredible.”
