Tucked away in Phoenix, Secret Garden by Wedgewood Weddings feels like stepping into a completely different side of Arizona. Instead of wide-open desert and cactus-covered mountains, you’re surrounded by lush greenery, mature trees, romantic garden spaces, and historic architecture.

It’s intimate, charming, and incredibly beautiful to photograph.

As an Arizona wedding photographer, I love venues that give couples variety while still allowing their wedding day to feel relaxed. Secret Garden offers exactly that—from romantic getting-ready photographs and garden portraits to an outdoor ceremony, golden-hour light, and an intimate reception surrounded by the people you love most.

But as beautiful as the venue is, the photographs that matter most will always be the moments happening within it.

A Romantic Wedding at Secret Garden in Phoenix

One of the things that makes a Secret Garden Phoenix wedding so special is how different it feels from the traditional Arizona wedding venue.

The greenery creates a soft, romantic backdrop while the architecture and garden spaces add character and texture to photographs throughout the day.

For couples who love the idea of an outdoor Arizona wedding but don’t necessarily want their entire gallery filled with desert scenery, Secret Garden is such a beautiful alternative.

It feels romantic and intimate while still giving us plenty of variety for timeless wedding photographs.

Getting Ready at Secret Garden

Wedding mornings have a completely different energy from the rest of the day.

There are nerves and excitement, music playing, champagne being poured, dresses hanging everywhere, and the occasional person asking where their shoes disappeared to. 😂

It’s also when some of the sweetest moments happen.

Your mom helping with your dress.

Your bridesmaids seeing you completely ready for the first time.

Dad trying very hard not to cry.

A quiet moment alone before everything begins.

My approach during getting ready is a blend of documentary photography and gentle direction. I’ll photograph your details beautifully, find flattering light, and help when you need it—but I’m also constantly watching for those genuine moments happening naturally around you.

A Romantic First Look

If you’re planning a first look, Secret Garden gives us beautiful, intimate spaces to make the moment feel private.

I love first looks because they give couples a chance to actually be together before everything starts moving quickly.

There isn’t an audience.

There isn’t an aisle.

It’s simply the two of you seeing each other for the first time on your wedding day.

I’ll choose a beautiful location and make sure the light is flattering, but after that, I want the moment to unfold naturally.

The nervous laughter, huge hug, tears, and little conversations afterward are usually much more

An Outdoor Secret Garden Wedding Ceremony

There’s something especially romantic about an outdoor garden ceremony.

Surrounded by greenery and your closest family and friends, the ceremony becomes the heart of the wedding day.

Once the processional begins, my photography becomes much more documentary.

I’m photographing the moments you expect—the walk down the aisle, vows, rings, and first kiss—but I’m also watching everything happening around you.

Your partner’s expression when they first see you.

Your parents watching you exchange vows.

Your best friend wiping away a tear.

The way you squeeze each other’s hands.

Those tiny moments happen once.

And they’re exactly what I want you to be able to remember years later.

Cocktail Hour at Secret Garden

Cocktail hour is when some of my favorite candid photographs start happening.

Everyone has a drink in their hand, the formal part of the day is over, and guests finally have a chance to relax and catch up.

This is when I’m looking for the photographs you probably won’t even realize I’m taking.

Big hugs.

Friends laughing together.

Grandparents talking.

Kids running around.

Champagne glasses clinking.

Your parents finally relaxing after months of helping plan the wedding.

These photographs may not be the dramatic hero images you immediately post on Instagram, but over time they become incredibly meaningful because they preserve the people who were there with you.

Romantic Wedding Portraits at Secret Garden

Secret Garden gives us so many beautiful opportunities for wedding portraits without needing to leave the property.

The greenery creates soft, romantic backgrounds while the architecture gives us something more classic and editorial.

My approach to couple portraits is a combination of timeless portraiture, natural movement, and candid interaction.

A Romantic Secret Garden Wedding Reception

As evening settles in, Secret Garden takes on an entirely different atmosphere.

String lights, candles, florals, tablescapes, and all of the little details you’ve spent months choosing finally come together.

Whenever the timeline allows, I love photographing the reception space before guests enter so you have photographs of the entire design untouched.

Why Choose Secret Garden for Your Phoenix Wedding?

For couples searching for a romantic garden wedding venue in Phoenix, Secret Garden offers something pretty special.

You get the convenience of celebrating in Phoenix while feeling removed from the city once you’re surrounded by the venue’s greenery and historic charm.

Photographically, that gives us a lot to work with.

We can create soft garden portraits, classic architectural photographs, beautiful ceremony imagery, warm golden-hour portraits, romantic reception photographs, and energetic dance-floor images—all without spending your wedding day driving between locations.

That’s a huge win.

Planning Your Secret Garden Wedding Photography Timeline

A thoughtful photography timeline makes an enormous difference on a wedding day.

Before your wedding, I’ll help you determine when we should begin photography based on your ceremony time, sunset, whether you’re having a first look, family photographs, wedding party portraits, couple portraits, and reception plans.

Good planning actually means less time spent taking photographs on the wedding day, not more.

We’ll know exactly when we need to create the important portraits, which gives you the freedom to spend the rest of the day actually celebrating.

Because your wedding shouldn’t feel like an eight-hour photoshoot.

You should experience it.

I’ll document it.

Choosing Your Phoenix Wedding Photographer

When you’re searching for a Phoenix wedding photographer, don’t only look at Instagram.

Ask to see complete wedding galleries.

Pay attention to how a photographer handles bright Arizona sunlight, indoor spaces, family photographs, ceremonies, skin tones, dark receptions, and dance floors—not just golden-hour couple portraits.

Most importantly, look for photographs that make you feel something.

My approach blends romantic and timeless portraiture, true-to-color editing, genuine candid moments, and contemporary editorial imagery.

I want your wedding photographs to feel beautiful now without becoming dated years from now.

Arizona Wedding Photographer | Ashly Shae Photography

I’m Ashly, the photographer behind Ashly Shae Photography, photographing weddings throughout Phoenix, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Sedona, and destinations across Arizona.

My goal isn’t simply to make your wedding look beautiful.

Of course we’ll create the gorgeous portraits.

We’ll find beautiful light.

We’ll photograph the details you spent months choosing.

But I’m also watching your people.

Your mom looking at you while you’re getting ready.

Your dad’s reaction during the ceremony.

Your grandparents holding hands.

Your friends laughing during cocktail hour.

The way your new husband or wife looks at you when you aren’t paying attention.

Because eventually, your wedding photographs become more than photographs of your wedding.

They become photographs of your life and the people you love.

Looking for a Secret Garden Phoenix Wedding Photographer?

If you’re planning a Secret Garden wedding in Phoenix and looking for photography that feels romantic, timeless, candid, and full of genuine emotion, I’d love to hear what you’re dreaming up.

Whether you’re planning an intimate garden ceremony or a celebration surrounded by everyone you love, we’ll create photographs that preserve not only how your wedding looked—but exactly how it felt.