When photographer Ricardo Quintana captured an afternoon with Thad and Aren for their Salt Lake City engagement, a spontaneous trip to Utah’s Little Sahara almost stole the show from their incredibly luscious hair. Arriving just in time for sunset, the gorgeous couple’s natural beauty and love is reflected in the rolling sand dunes and golden skies. We love how seamlessly they transition from dapper suits downtown to rugged wilderness through denim, white, and dark navy.
Nancy and Sander’s romantic vintage wedding at Fort Adams State Park took on a magical twist when rain moved the ceremony indoors. Instead of worrying about the change of scene, the party embraced the intimate and dreamy vibes inside the fort; the location of a music festival the couple attends every summer. An ornate rug dressed the alter, which the couple hoped would becoming a family heirloom one day, while floral designer Greenlion continued the romantic theme with dusty roses, faded corals and rustic greenery. Frame and Anchor captured the music-loving couple through photo and video to tell their beautiful story.
We really wanted to find ways to express our individual styles throughout the ceremony and reception. We had fun making decisions together and discussing what would make us both happy. It sounds cliche but doing everything as a team is a reflection of how we hope to continue to support each other throughout our marriage.
Sander: The moment I saw Nancy during our first look photos, obviously. I will never forget it. Musical highlights were The Grift crushing Loving Cup, Thriller, & Shakedown Street.
Although our original plan was to get married outside, we made a last minute decision to move the ceremony inside the casemates of Fort Adams due to weather. This ended up being magical. The casemates created an intimate and romantic vibe.
When looking for venues, we focused on finding a location that was meaningful to both of us. Fort Adams is the location of the Newport Folk Festival, which we have been attending every summer together for about 8 years. This is one of our longest traditions as a couple.
It was very important to us that our ceremony reflected both of our personalities. Some of the things that we did included writing our own ceremony and pulled readings from some of our favorite authors, finding an ornate rug to stand on at the alter (We are hoping this rug becomes a family heirloom of sorts) and Nancy‘s Uncle driving her wedding party to the ceremony in his VW bus.
We really wanted a photo booth but didn’t want to pay the hefty price tag associated. Instead, we made our own digital photo booth by attaching two tablets to a tripod and using the Simple Booth app. This allowed guests to take a series of photos, which they can then email to themselves individually or as an animated GIF. This was a big hit and we have since re-used it at parties and family gatherings!
Marissa and Brent’s traditional garden wedding at at The Historic Ambassador House and Heritage Gardens incorporated plenty of family traditions and DIY details. The personalized ceremony was performed by a family friend that introduced the couple and incorporated the Unity Candle used in the bride’s parents wedding. Marissa’s color scheme followed a general spring theme of creams, whites, pinks and greens. The dance floor’s paper flower structure was DIY’ by ten family members and the faux pearl chandeliers were made by the bride, while the mother of the bride created the centerpieces and ceremony decorations. Eight31 photography captured the sweet moments and beautiful décor.
We wanted a classic, traditional vibe that reflected our personal style. We wanted to plan a wedding that we would have liked to attend! We tried to be as thoughtful as possible as we picked out songs for cocktail hour and made sure to have plenty of Busch Lite flowing (Brent‘s personal brew of choice).
One moment that sticks out for both of us took place after the ceremony. Our guests were enjoying cocktail hour and Brent and I were taking photos with Kelsey, our photographer. Kelsey ushered Brent and I to a balcony that overlooked the venue. Our guests, below at cocktail hour, seemed to notice us all at once. Everyone went a little quiet and then all applauded. It was a really special moment to be able to look out at everyone in our lives that had helped us reach that point. There was an intense feeling of love all around that was really special and very unscripted.
I never really had a set color scheme, my scheme was spring and we tried to incorporate the beautiful gardens in which we were married as much as possible. When forced to answer, I would say creams, whites, beiges, pinks and greens. The color scheme was dynamic and ever-changing as planning progressed up until the day of!
The ceremony was personalized from beginning to end as we elected to have a family friend perform the ceremony. He even took a moment to acknowledge (read embarrass) the mutual friend that introduced Brent and Marissa.
We DIY’d all sorts of things! Probably the most stress-inducing DIY project was the paper flower structure that we hung above the dance floor. It took 10 family members and friends a combined 18 hours to cut, fluff and hang what ultimately became the centerpiece of the reception venue. The mother of the bride put together all of the centerpieces and beautiful ceremony decorations. The bride crafted three faux pearl chandeliers that hung over the head table.
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