We had an end of May wedding (ceremony and reception) for 50 people at Mountain Shadows. We had shopped around a bit at other hotels/resorts around Scottsdale, which all had simila...r pricing, and it felt like Mountain Shadows was the most beautiful, tasteful, and upscale venue. The resort itself is always very peaceful no matter what time of year it is (we are local and visit often for staycations and dining in the restaurant). It was absolutely amazing, what a beautiful venue. Greg and Missy in catering are so nice and accommodating, and I can't say enough good things about Ariadne, the banquet captain, who is just a sweetheart. The food was outstanding, just so delicious, and the service was superb - I kept getting guests tell me how quickly the food came out and how they'd never had that level of attentiveness at previous weddings. We had our dinner in the ballroom and I had been concerned it would feel too corporate or unwelcoming but it was actually quite nice with a little bit of decor, and it was great that the doors face the patio (aka Rusty's golf restaurant) that looks on to Camelback Mountain, so guests could come and go as they pleased for a smoke or fresh air. We were also able to have a vintage Volkswagen "photo bus" park near the patio which was perfect because it was so easily accessible from the ballroom. The cake that was provided in our package by A Bakeshop was incredible, they nailed the design I asked for and the cake actually tasted SO good (I feel like cake I've had at other weddings is always bland or too sugary), plus they had tons of flavor combinations to choose from. Also, pro tip, Mountain Shadows actually does some desserts like cupcakes, cookies, petit fours that you can add on, which I didn't realize until late so I only added the petit fours when we were below our minimum and had to add some stuff. We had a lot of leftovers and everyone kept coming back for more petit fours the next day, they were definitely a favorite. Also, as to the ceremony area right in front of Camelback, you can't ask for a more spectacular backdrop, especially for photos. I was never one to daydream or fantasize about my wedding, it was actually my husband who wanted one more than me, and I was always very concerned about spending and budget, as we financed the wedding ourselves, but I have to say, I had the absolute best time ever at our wedding, and pretty much all of our friends and family agreed that it was a spectacular venue and amazing event overall. I think our money was 100% well spent, I have zero regrets and I would do it all over in a second if I could!