OpieFoto

Park City Wedding Photographer - Krisina + Merek

2011-12-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

Krisina + Merek
June 11, 2011
The Johnson Mill
Heber, Utah

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations:

Merek – Part-time Teller at America First Credit Union/Student studying Finance at University of Utah.

Krisina – Private Banking Operations Analyst for Goldman Sachs.

How the couple met: We met while both working for JP Morgan Chase Bank. Merek was transferred to the same branch Krisina worked at to obtain more hours. Merek always thought Krisina was very cute but didn’t feel their relationship would go anywhere and didn’t want to try at first. After a few months of working together and Krisina pursuing Merek, he gave in. They started dating and it didn’t take long to realize Krisina was the one.

How he proposed: Merek had gotten the ring in the middle of Dec. 2009 and was trying to decide how to propose. He thought of doing it on New Years Eve but was still unsure how to ask. New Years Day came around and just before he was going to ask, they got a call from some close friends with the new they just got engaged themselves that day. He decided not to ask on the same night so the idea was ruined for him. He reasoned New Years Day would be just as nice. Throughout the day, he tried to wait for the perfect moment. However, as he was getting close to propose, a friend came over and ruined his chance. Finally, he decided the next morning would be a nice time to propose as they would be together. Merek woke up early and made a nice breakfast. He brought it to bed and surprised Krisina by breakfast in bed. They talked as they ate breakfast. Merek mentioned how much they had changed for the better and how much he loved Krisina. He than said there is one last thing they need to change, pulled out the ring, and proposed. Finally!

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party:

Bridal Shower – There were two bridal showers. The first one was held at a close friend’s house near Krisina’s parent’s home. It was very lovely and the theme was Kitchen Needs. They played numerous games and Krisina got to talk all to some long lost family friends.

The next bridal shower was held at Krisina’s parent’s home. This one was themed Honeymoon/Travel to go along with their planned honeymoon trip to Los Cabos. This was held for close friends and family. It ended up being a fairly small party but they played a fun game where Krisina had to answer questions about Merek; if she answered incorrectly, she had to put bubble gum in her mouth. Luckily she didn’t answer too many incorrectly!

Bachelorette Party – A small gaggle of girls all dressed up in cowboy boots and jeans enjoyed a lovely dinner at The Melting Pot. Afterwards, they enjoyed relaxing after dinner drinks at a martini bar in downtown SLC. They ended the night at a honky-tonk bar on the way home.

Bachelor party:

The bachelor party was with a group of Merek’s groomsmen along with another close friend and was held in Wendover. We drove there from Salt Lake early Friday and started off the day with some Blackjack. There was plenty of drinking, gambling, and cigars to make anyone happy. They than hit up the Craps table to roll the dice. Although no one really came back with any money, they had a blast gambling.

WEDDING

Ceremony Place:

The ceremony was held at the Johnson Mill in Midway, Utah. It was an outdoor ceremony held down in an area called the Grove in which there was an arch made of tree branches and the area was nicely shaded by overhanging trees.

Date: June 11, 2011

The bride wore: A beautiful ivory dress made simply of taffeta and an ivory veil trimmed with curly edges.

The groom wore: A tux rental from the Men’s Warehouse. It was a 2 button black tux with an regular ivory shirt along with an ivory vest.

RECEPTION

Reception Place:

The reception was also held outside at the Johnson Mill but was held up in a different area near a lake above where the Grove is. There was also the beautiful building which is a bed and breakfast, a watermill, a gazebo on the lake, and lovely natural surroundings.

Wedding music:

The bride and groom choose to use their own music by hooking up an Ipod. They had created numerous playlists for the reception which included a mellow song list while people were eating along with a more upbeat list for dancing later in the evening.

Wedding song:

Right Next To You by Elizabeth & the Catapults.

Menu:

The food was based on a BBQ setting. During cocktail hour just after the ceremony there were hors d'oeuvre which were grilled chicken quesadillas along with a salsa bar. Once the reception started, there was a BBQ buffet of hotdogs and hamburgers along with all the toppings. We also had flavored water which had cucumber and lemon in. The drinks included two signature drinks for the bride and groom. His was a Cuba Libre and hers was a Cape Cod which both had limes to throw in a bit of green for our colors. There was also a selection of beer inlcuding Merek’s favorite, Blue Moon, along with Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon as wine selections.

Cake:

The cake was a raspberry cake with buttercream and duvont as the cream as to make it delicious but not melt out in the sun. It was a very simple 3 tiered square cake which a blue and green ribbon around each cake for our colors. The cake topper was title “Infinite Love” which showed the groom holding the bride with a ring in the middle signifying infinite love.

Colors:

Kelly Green for the Bride.

Cornflower Blue for the Groom.

Theme:

The theme was “Perfect Pair.” We used this with numerous parts of the decorations including “perfect pair” napkins, “perfect pair” pear shaped soap wedding favors, and had green pears along with Grannysmith apples (which are green and also had the name Smith in it) as part of the centerpieces. The other part of the theme was to use natural things. The centerpieces were created by Krisina’s father and were made of wood.

Flowers:

The centerpieces were made up of 3 delphinium with a fern each.

The bridal bouquet was made up of blue hydrangea, blue delphinium, ivory roses dotted with white stephanotis, and white Veronica, greened with mint, rosemary, and surrounded with ferns and a hint of yellow goldenrod, wrapped with an ivory satin ribbon.

The groom’s floral was made up of a single stephanotis with 2 delphinium florets, and fern.

Décor elements:

We used along of wood and natural elements to make up the Décor such as the vases, the fruit around the vases, and the announcement board along with all of the outdoor surroundings.

Unique details:

The wooden vases were extremely unique as Krisina’s father made them himself. They are very simple but have an square hourglass look to them. They looked extremely good with the flowers along with the fruit baskets surrounding them.

The announcement board was also unique with it’s wood frame Krisina’s father made. It had a sheet with the announcement details which the Bride created and had printed on special paper. This also included a tribute and pictures of Grandparents who had pasted away.

The bride created little posters which they framed that went on the bar and showed the drink options along with some cute sayings.

There was also a sign with details and instructions for our sign in quilt. People had a piece of ivory fabric and could put advice, draw a picture, write or quote, or simply sign their name for the bride to use later in making a wedding quilt made of the sign ivory squares along with blue and green squares from the wedding colors.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: When Merek and I finally got a moment with each other for our first dance. It was so romantic with him holding me in his arms to a song we both treasure. Singing the words to each other and trying to talk about all the new we had staying the night apart. I will always remember the joy I felt as I realized he missed only me as I am his best friend as he is mine.

Groom's answer: Seeing Krisina for the first time in her dress was the best moment. We decided to see each other before the ceremony so that we could get pictures done early. I had to stand looking out waiting for her to come up behind me. I remember being so excited to see her and my heart was pounding since I hadn’t spent the last night with her (It is VERY rare that we spend a night apart). She came up behind me and tapped my shoulder. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked when I got to finally see her. Her dress was amazing and she was just glowing. I couldn’t believe how happy she looked. It was truly one of the best moments of the wedding, if not my life. I’m very happy the way we did it since it all got captured by our photographer.

HONEYMOON

Place:

Los Cabos

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: One day they planned to visit a place called Lover’s Beach. They were told it was very romantic and beautiful on the beach there as it was a great place to snorkel. They purchased their own snorkeling sets and traveled the 20 minutes to the beach. They were so excited to finally get in the ocean and see some wildlife. As it turns out, Merek’s snorkeling gear did not keep the water out of his eyes. While Krisina swam around with her successful snorkeling gear, Merek steadily grew more and more annoyed that his gear wasn’t working. Krisina realized Merek was getting upset; she decided that since Merek couldn’t enjoy the swim, she didn’t want to either. They gave up trying to snorkel and just enjoyed the beach together.

WEDDING ADVICE

Here are two pieces of advice to save yourself from a terrible amount of stress and confusion:

1. Do your best to have everything planned and paid for at least a week before the ceremony. It was extremely hard trying to still deal with planning and picking up stuff while also figuring out the tiny details that come up randomly. If you have everything planned, it makes it much easier to think about the little details that will come up in the last minutes of preparation.

2. The biggest advice we have is that it is a very good idea to select certain people (such as parents or bridal party) and sit down with them so that you can discuss the little details and where things need to be going. We were trying to get ready and enjoy our own wedding but constantly had our family/friends asking us where things needed to be or other questions you simply shouldn’t have to deal with. During the reception we started to realize things that we made had not been put out along with many things went unnoticed because of where they were placed. Most of our guests didn’t receive a wedding favor because they were hidden. Our sign in quilt was also missed by many due to the same problem and we had nobody planned to try and direct people towards it. By having more than just yourselves prepared with that knowledge will not only help you but help them to get things set up for the big day while you can relax and enjoy everything going on.

VENDORS

Rings:

Bride’s – Fred Meyer Jewelers.

Groom’s – Maceys

Invitations:

Beautiful Wedding Announcements in Salt Lake City

Rehearsal dinner:

Merek’s mother rented a home in Midway to have the rehearsal dinner.

Guest book

Bought fabric and fabric pens at local store for people to write on; will be made into a quilt.

Photography:

Opie Foto

Videography:

N/A

Bridal gown:

Fantasy Bridal

Alterations

Fantasy Bridal

Hair and Makeup:

Salon NV in Salt Lake City

Bridesmaids' dresses:

David’s Bridal

Groom’s Tux/Suit:

The Men’s Warehouse

Flowers:

Basket of Gold

Decorations and rentals:

Tables and Chairs LLC for the tent, Basket of Gold supplied lights for the tent. Used a local person that rents out speakers.

Catering:

JK’s Indulgence Catering

Cake:

Midway Country Corner

Venue:

The Johnson Mill

Entertainment/Music:

Used own Ipod

Wedding favors:

“The Perfect Pair” Scented Pear Soap from www.weddingfavorsmarket.com.

Wedding planner:

N/A, The Johnson Mill manager acted as a coordinator.

Officiant:

Jeff Clark, LDS Bishop. He is also a friend and neighbor of the Gould’s.

Transportation:

N/A. Guests were provided with complimentary valet service at the Johnson Mill.

Guest lodging:

Guests had the option of staying at the Johnson Mill during the wedding.

Black Friday Sale 2011

2011-11-23T07:25:00.000-08:00

30% OFF ALL PRINTS

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I'm having a 30% off sale for the coming holiday season! Sale starts Wednesday, November 23, 2011 and ends December 2, 2011 at midnight. Get the word out to your family and friends! This is the only sale I will be having for the holiday season, so it is very important you communicate this information to anyone wanting to place print orders.

Sale is for PRINTS ONLY. Luster, Glossy, Metallic, and Canvas Prints.

Sale Starts: The Day Before Thanksgiving, Nov. 23rd
Sale Ends: Friday, December 2nd at Midnight

Use Coupon Code: blackfriday11

Any questions, feel free to contact Opie at opie@opiefoto.com or call at 801-815-2262.

Happy Holidays!

<3 Opie

2011 Christmas Cards

2011-11-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

- They are flat 5x7 cards printed on pearl paper.

- They come with envelopes.

- The card is your selected design with your selected photos and then the back is a similar design with a message or plain.

- The cards come in packages of 25 cards. The cards are $2 a card.
25 cards - $50
50 cards - $100
75 cards - $150
100 cards - $200

- The last day to order Christmas Cards is December 10th, 2011.

- The cards ARE NOT listed in the shopping cart system. Please contact me by email at: opie@opiefoto.com to order your custom cards.

Utah Wedding Photographer - Kailani + Mitch

2011-09-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Kailani + Mitch
June 4, 2011
Holladay, Utah

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Kailani is a nanny and is starting her own craft business. Mitch works in warehousing while attending Engineering Graduate School at the U.

How the couple met: They first met at a local music concert where his and her mutual friend, Chaz Prymek, was playing a show. There was very little interaction this time other than Mitch made a comment that they "had the same bikes", granted he meant they had the man and woman version of the bike, but he didn't make that very clear at first and Kailani pretty much thought he was a nerd. After that Mitch tracked Kailani down on MySpace (you know that thing that was around before Facebook was cool) and attempted to start up some communication. She wasn't very prompt with her response but eventually got back to him right before they ran into each other again at a Band of Annuals concert at Urban Lounge. This time the sparks started to fly a little more, with a little help from the beer probably, and dancing commenced. Afterwards, they rode bikes home together and he finally got her phone number. After some casual texting Kailani invited Mitch over to a BBQ where they shared our first kiss. Even though their first attempt at a "real date" after that by spending the day together and going to the Farmer's Market and Jamba Juice was a mild disaster, they gave it a shot at a second date where things went much better. Ever since they've pretty much been attached at the hip (seriously, ask their friends).

How he proposed: Before Mitch officially proposed, the couple had bought a house together in Sugarhouse. He decided he wanted to do something personal and romantic at the house with just the two of them (and a future maid of honor hiding to take pictures). The only problem was having enough time to prepare without her being home. To accomplish this he asked the parents she nannies for to make her work (on a Friday night, which she wasn't too excited about). So with the help of his parents he had the house decorated in flowers, and the entire back yard decorated in paper lanterns. He also had a custom cake made from Granite Bakery set up on a table with champagne. So when she came home and followed the flowers through the house he was waiting there in the back yard to ask her.

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: The bridal shower was a small little gathering at the Bowman home with close friends and family. It just happened that this day was the one day out of a couple weeks with great weather. There were salads, snacks, drinks, and of course, eclaires. The decorations were very similar to the wedding using the floral cloth napkins and the vintage plates.

The bachelorette party was camping down in Green River, UT where the Bride's sister works as a river guide. Because there was such amazing weather the girls were able to go hiking in Arches and river rafting. It just so happened that one night there was also an annual desert dance party in the middle of nowhere, which really topped off the weekend.

Bachelor party: Camping up Spanish Fork Canyon where the weather wasn't nearly as pleasant as down in Green River. Each time the guys were about to go hiking it began to rain. One time there was a mad dash to get the rain fly on the tent, another was to catch the tent as it was blown down the hill. All of this made for a fun weekend of sitting around, but not many activities.

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Kailani's Parents Home in Holladay

Date: June 4th 2011

The bride wore: A Pronovias all-lace gown as well as a second dress for additional fabric to put underneath the lace. This changed the color to a more yellow ivory color which enhanced the pattern of the lace and also created a sweetheart line.

The groom wore: A suit, shirt, and tie from Jos A. Bank with a custom vest made by his Grandmother.

RECEPTION

Reception Place: Kailani's Parents Home in Holladay

Wedding music: Tony Lake Trio who performs instrumental (guitar, bass, drums) of every type of music

Menu: Because the couple is vegetarian, they wanted to serve a vegetarian menu while also pleasing all of their guests. For appetizers they had fruits and veggies, cheese ball from Harmon's with bread and crackers, and a spinach dip. For the main course they had vegetarian "meat"balls with vegetarian brown gravy and garlic mashed potatoes, served with grilled asparagus, a salad, and a roll from Stoneground Bakery. This was all accomplished through Mitch's family and family friend's, thankfully saving the couple money on catering. Water, lemonade, and a full bar were also provided. A late night snack of milk cartons and chocolate chip cookies was served later.

Cake: Granite Bakery provided the cake which had two tiers of red velvet with cream cheese filling, one tier of raspberry swirl with bavarian cream filling, and a top tier of key lime cake with cream cheese filling. The cake was a creamy yellow color with white accents and a vintage theme.

Colors: Yellows, Greens, Browns, and Ivory

Theme: The couple wanted a vintage theme while also trying to use as many second-hand and recycled items as possible.

Flowers: The flowers were put together by the Bride's mother and her friend Deborah Hall who used to own a flower shop, along with the help of many of their friends. The flowers were primarily daisies, billy balls, yellow buttons, baby's breath, cream-colored small roses, and assorted wildflowers.

Décor elements: Most elements of decoration were either bought second hand or hand made. These included wine bottles and jars and vases, vintage furniture and piano, floral pattern napkins from vintage linens, old frames and umbrellas, and vintage plates and mason jars.

Unique details: The bride found some of her other items on the online shop Etsy. Her favorites being the custom-made cake toppers by MilkTea and the vintage tea dresses for the bridesmaids made from second-hand fabrics by SohoMode. Another thing they were excited about was the ring-pillow made by the Bride, using a stitched handkerchief which belonged to the Groom's grandmother who passed away a few weeks before the wedding. There was also a custom-lamp (using the same idea as ones made by Kailani's business), it was set on the guest sign-in table to show off the engagement photos using the photos on 35mm slides as the lamp shade.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: All night Mitch and I hadn't really had a chance to be alone and take it all in, and all I wanted was to dance with him under the lights and candles in the orchard. So I went and grabbed him to do just that. This may not have been a moment captured by any photographers, but it was definitely one I will always remember.

Groom's answer: My favorite moment also has to be the dance in the orchard with my new wife. When the night was winding down a little bit Kailani came and insisted we go dance out in the orchard. After a night of greeting and thanking so many people, this gave us the time to slow down just the two of us and enjoy what the night was really about.

HONEYMOON

Place: Rome and Greece (Athens, and the islands of Naxos and Santorini)

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: The most memorable moments were probably the moments sitting on our balcony enjoying the sunset in the Greek islands. However the most story-worthy is probably getting lost walking around Rome. We had walked who-knows how many miles that day already going around to all of the sites. Both of us were pretty exhausted and getting a little grumpy, so we decided to head back a different direction to catch the metro line we needed. Words of advice: don't trust too much in the free map provided by the hotel. There is a huge central park in Rome which wasn't exactly drawn to scale on our free map. The streets adjacent to the park also weren't exactly accurate on the map either. By the time we got out of the park we were a couple miles away from where we had thought/hoped and couldn't help but laugh at the whole ordeal. By then we decided to take our chances with the bus system and luckily it worked out.

WEDDING ADVICE: If you had asked us the day before the wedding we would have told anyone to never plan your own backyard wedding. After it was all said and done though, we couldn't be happier with how it turned out. We originally decided on a backyard wedding to give us the freedom to choose every aspect of the wedding ourselves, without having to select from a list of approved vendors. We wanted to be able to go with as many independent artists, local and on Esty.com, as well as local vendors. We just didn't anticipate how much stress this would cause to manage everything ourselves. It did give us the chance to create the wedding of our (mainly Kailani's) dreams, but this couldn't have been done without the help from so many friends and family member, to whom we are very grateful. As well as Kailani's father for putting so much work into the yard.

When you're planning a wedding just remember to always pursue what YOU want and not what other people think is best for you. But also remember everyone is just trying to help because they care. In the end always remember that this is a celebration for the two of you and to enjoy one another throughout the process.

VENDORS

Rings: Custom-made by "Joe the Jeweler" at 9th and 9th Jewelers. (He was fantastic to work with. He took our ideas and made them better to create rings we are thrilled with.)

Invitations: Handmade by the couple and families using custom-stamped fabric using the same vintage linens as throughout the wedding.

Rehearsal dinner: We kept it informal with pizza and salad, and beer and soda at the Bowman's residence.

Guest book: Hand-made by Kelly, a friend of the Bride's mother, hand-bound using artisan Japanese paper

Photography: Opiefoto

Videography: Dave Brewer Photo

Bridal gown: The Perfect Dress

Alterations: Done by a woman, Pat, who was referred by the Perfect Dress.

Hair and Makeup: Landis Aveda Lifestyle Salon

Bridesmaids' dresses: Sohomode on Etsy.com

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Jos A. Bank

Flowers: Arranged by Deborah Hall, a friend of the Bride's mother, and friends and family. Purchased from Ensign Floral.

Decorations and rentals: RSVP Rentals, Hale Center Theatre, Bella Umbrellas, and Affordable Portables

Catering: Family, Family Friends, and Harmon's

Cake: Granite Bakery

Venue: The Bowman Residence

Entertainment/Music: Tony Lake Trio

Wedding favors: Photobooth by Dave Brewer & His Crew

Wedding planner: Kailani Bowman, she wouldn't trust anybody else...

Officiant: Donald Dunn

Transportation: Golf Carts from Intermountain Golf Cart

Guest lodging: The Bowman Residence

Photobooth: Dave Brewer & His Crew

Flower Girl Dress: AnastaciaGus on Etsy.com

Utah Wedding Photography - Jen + Jon

2011-09-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

Jen + Jon
May 28, 2011
Sandy, Utah

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Chemist/software developer

How the couple met: Swing dancing

How he proposed: Um... in the bathroom after I got out of the shower.
I sat on the toilet in shock when he knelt.

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: Too shy

Bachelor party: "Strippers lack musicality. It's just depressing"

WEDDING
Ceremony Place: Our home

Date: May 28th, 2011

The bride wore: Maggie Sottero

The groom wore: Jones New York

RECEPTION

Reception Place: our home

Wedding music: iPod

Wedding song: Cara Mia

Menu: Avocado roast beef salad, sou vide short ribs with carrot puree,

asparagus with prosciutto, and seafood pasta

Cake: German chocolate with marshmallow fondant, although the top tier

was rice crispy treats, due to allergies in the family.

Theme: homemade

Flowers: NONE! My bouquet was made by my mother-in-law with antique

jewelry from my grandmothers.

Décor elements: well, just our house.

Unique details: Crocheted table runners, string sphere lamps, banners

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: Me almost crying and him making faces at me during the

ceremony

Groom's answer: Cake in her face!

WEDDING ADVICE

Oh, it's over so fast. You hear everyone say "It's just one day," but truly, it is merely that: a day. It is a first day of many happy ones, but it is only one day. Be kind to people and don't obsess about the

details, because you won't care on the day, and your relationships mean so much more and any silly detail. Also, people don't go to these things to be be mean. Everyone is there to love you and support you, so don't be scared. And think, what do YOU remember about other weddings you've gone to? It's not the pew bows, it's how happy the couple was. make sure the wedding is merely a means to an end. It's the marriage you want anyway.

VENDORS

Rings: Philip & Co

Invitations: Handwritten, paper from Xpedex

Rehearsal dinner: Biaggi's. They have a great menu for people with

allergies, and have private rooms.

Guest book: We had note cards and envelopes, so our guests could

privately share marriage advice with us. The advice we got was so good,

I would recommend this to everyone!

Photography: Opiefoto

Bridal gown: Gallery by Lynette (Blech, don't recommend)

Alterations: same as above

Hair and Makeup: Nikki DeRoest

Groom's Tux/Suit: Men's Wearhouse

Decorations and rentals: Diamond rental

Catering: Groom cooked

Cake: Bride baked

Venue: Our home

Entertainment/Music: iPod

Officiant: Rev. Anita Gordon

Salt Lake Wedding Photographers - Whitney + Steven

2011-09-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Whitney + Steven
May 27, 2011
Salt Lake Temple
The Point

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Research Assistants at the U of U

How the couple met: Church 

How he proposed: We just knew. . . 

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: family  and neighbors threw me a bridal shower, for the bachelorette party I went out to sushi with my favorite girls

Bachelor party:  none

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Salt Lake Temple

Date: May 27th

The bride wore: A champagne colored dress with a square neck and full skirt. 

The groom wore: black tux with blue tie and vest.

RECEPTION

Reception Place: The point restaurant

Wedding music: live piano 

Menu: buffet

Cake: three layers, top and bottom was chocolate, the middle layer was carrot cake, grooms cake was also carrot cake.

Colors: black, white and blue.

Theme: we really didn't have a unified theme, we just chose things we like and it all came together in the end. 

Flowers: White and blue hydrangea 

Décor elements: the flowers, the point is so beautiful by itself (especially when the sun is setting) that you really don't need to do much else.

Unique details: there's a special story behind my ring. . . 

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: Saying yes!

Groom's answer: The wedding ceremony

HONEYMOON

Place: Moab utah

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: Steve says really funny things when we're rock climbing. He was climbing and I was belaying him, and he said something that had me almost in tears I was laughing so hard, at that moment I thought to myself, "holy cow! I'm married to this man!"  that was the first time that it had really sunk in. 

WEDDING ADVICE

Don't sweat the small stuff. Actually, don't sweat anything at all! Things are going to go wrong, if you keep a cool head about you it'll all work out. Right before the reception the zipper on my dress broke, and then I spilled marinated chicken all down the front of it! Steve and I fixed the zipper, and some hot water and sprite took the chicken right off of it. It all turned out just fine, and we were the only people who ever knew about it. Remember that that day is about the two of you, and nothing else. Once you realize that this day is about your commitment to each other nothing can ruin it for you!

VENDORS

Rings: his came from the shane company, mine's a secret.

Invitations: Bethany Sell 801.897.1554

Guest book: Opie Foto

Photography: Opie Foto

Bridal gown: Gateway Bridal

Hair and Makeup: Ulysses Salon (Ashlyn is amazing!)

Bridesmaids' dresses: Forever 21

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Clarks Tuxedoes

Flowers: Catherine Wolfgram (owner)  Peony Lemon 801.244.9237

Decorations and rentals: The Point took care of all of it.

Catering: The Point Restaurant

Cake: April Baird, Amy Richardson

Venue: the Point Restaurant

Entertainment/Music: A very very talented friend of ours, also a few musical numbers done by Steve's sister.

Wedding favors: REI

Wedding planner: We did all ourselves

Officiant: Sheldon Child

Utah Wedding Photographers - April + Larry

2011-08-26T14:35:00.001-07:00

April + Larry
May 7, 2011
Copperton Park

BEFORE THE WEDDING
Occupations: Bride- Service Admin at H&E Equipment. Groom- Electrician at Cache Valley Electric.

How the couple met: We use to work with each other at Cache Valley Electric. I worked in his division as an admin. One day he called for some supplies and I told him I had to order them and they take a while to get in. He didn’t believe me so once they actually got in I told him he owed me. I was thinking he would just bring me a candy bar or something else. But nope he asked me out on a date and we have been together ever since.
How he proposed: We went on a cruise last Sept, we had decided to stay the night before our cruise at the Queen Mary. So that night we were lying in bed and he held up the ring and asked me if I would marry him. I asked him if he was serious five times before saying yes. He is a joker and I didn’t believe he was really asking me.

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: My maid of honor and his best man planned a group party to a local bar called Lumpy’s.

Bachelor party: Stated above

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Copperton Park, UT

Date: May 7, 2011

The bride wore: An off white bridal gown that was simple, it was short in the front but long in the back. It’s designer is Oleg Cassini.

The groom wore: A black tux with blue tie and silver vest.

RECEPTION
Reception Place: Webster Center in Magna, UT

Wedding music: We made playlists with our Ipods.

Wedding song: Love you til the end.

Menu: We put our families in charge of the food, so there was a bunch of different things there. Anything from turkey to Mexican rice, beans and chili Verde.

Cake: All six cakes were marble cake with vanilla frosting and fondant.

Colors: Royal Blue and Silver.

Theme: There was no actually theme, we just wanted a nice relaxing party with our close friends and family.

Flowers: Were Daises from Tia Pan and Michael’s.

Décor elements: I printed some of our engagements and my bridals and put them on the tables with memo holders I had found that the bases were heart shaped and silver.

Unique details: The cake, it was a different cake.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
Bride's answer: Walking down the aisle and seeing the smile on Larry’s face and knowing how happy I was that this day had finally came. He looked so good in his tux!

Groom's answer: Seeing her walk down the aisle in her dress. It was the first time I got to see her in it and it was worth the wait. She looked amazing.

HONEYMOON

Place: NFL game in San Frisco the 49ers and Giants game in November. Our teams are actually playing against each other so we will be attending the game if they have a season this year.

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: Well since we haven’t gone yet we can’t really say, but I the bride already know it’s going to be the Giants kicking the 49ers butts.

WEDDING ADVICE
I would say to relax and let it be your wedding and not everyone else’s. Everyone wants to put their 2 cents in which is fine but you don’t have to do everything everyone says. It’s your guys day and it should be always about the two of you and the love you share for one another. The money that you spend on it isn’t going to matter ten years down the road so do it cheap and nice and have FUN!

VENDORS

Rings: Kelly Jewelers for both
Invitations: I the bride designed them myself and had them printed on overnightprinting.com

Rehearsal dinner: Went to sizzler, Larry had to have his sizzler.

Guest book: Michael’s, I got the pictures frames where everyone can sign and say advise or whatever they wanted. That way we can put a picture in the frames and hang them instead of putting a book in a closet and never looking at it.

Photography: The one and only Opie

Videography: Reel Moments- Benje Moore.

Bridal gown: David’s Bridal

Alterations David’s Bridal

Hair and Makeup: My maid of honor did my hair and makeup.

Bridesmaids' dresses: David’s Bridal

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Tuxedos by Lee

Flowers: I the bride made them.

Decorations and rentals: I made the decorations.

Catering: We had a pot luck, so family brought in the food.

Cake: Brides uncle made the cake.

Venue: Webster Center in Magna

Entertainment/Music: We made playlist for the Ipod

Wedding favors: I made magnets that had a picture of us with the wedding date and it said Thank you.

Wedding planner: I the bride was the planner. I love planning weddings, this will be my last one so hopefully friends and family let me help them plan some one day.

Officiant: Bishop Clayson

Transportation: Larry’s Ford Truck

Salt Lake Wedding Photography - Nicole and Jamie

2011-08-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Nicole and Jamie
April 16, 2011
St. Johns Chapel
Plymouth, MI

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Nicole Abate/ Health Care Human Resources/Workers Comp Director! Jamie Tilden/US Navy-Naval Flight Officer

How the couple met: Mutual Friends at a Halloween party October 18th 2008!

How he proposed: He proposed on Valentines Day 2010/He lives in Jacksonville- Florida on the St. Johns River. He took me out on his boat in 45-degree weather on the water, which was freezing cold. I was very upset we were on the water that day and he told me he had to get his boat over to the Yacht Club to park it there. I was actually upset and wearing my coat on the water because it was so cold, and I was annoyed because no one else was on the water but us. I told him this idea was crazy and not the way I wanted to spend Valentines Day. We had dinner reservations at a super nice place in San Marco called Matthews and they were for 8pm! Shortly after our decent the boat started to stall out and I freaked! I was cold and told Jamie this better not be happening in the middle of the St. Johns River, and I kept asking how we would be rescued because my cell phone was dead. Jamie had also told me to make matters worse that his family would be at the Yacht Club waiting for us because we were to have a late lunch once we got the boat there. Now I am cold, starving, and we are stuck so I thought…………..all of a sudden Jamie asked me to lift up the back bench and see if his tool set was there and I did, next I turned around and he had the front bench seat up and said “Oh look I found the problem” and there he was with my ring!!!!!! I was more then delighted and super surprised. I hate surprises and normally do not get surprised that often. I was so extremely surprised I was shaking and no longer was cold, or hungry! By the time we got to the club, everyone was there to greet us and there was a small party of people and cocktails waiting. I could not stop staring at my ring so while I was talking on the phone to my family up in Michigan, I actually ran into a wall because I was looking at my ring and not in front of me where I was going. That’s how he did it!

Bachelorette Party: Maid of Honor Sarah Groves house and then bar hopping in a limo at various bars and Club Bleu down town Detroit!

Bachelor party: Hilton Head South Carolina for a weekend of Golf with the guys!!

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: St. Johns Chapel in Plymouth MI

Date: 4/16/2011

The bride wore: Ulla Maija Couture Anouk Dress in Ivory

The groom wore: US Navy Officer’s Mess Dress Uniform with mini medals

RECEPTION

Reception Place: Inn at St. Johns Grand Ball Room-Plymouth MI

Wedding music: Top Gun Anthem and sound track song Danger Zone for grand entrance into a military sword arch!

Wedding song: Frank Sinatra –The Way You Look Tonight

Menu:
Selection 1: Herb-crusted chicken breast
wild rice-dried fruit timbale,
creole mustard cream sauce
roasted
Selection 2: Atlantic salmon
chive buttermilk whipped potatoes, baby spinach-
fresh tomato, aged sherry vinaigrette
Selection 3: Mushroom-foie gras crusted filet of beef wild mushroom crepe
gorgonzola whipped potato

Cake: Red Velvet with Ivory Butter Cream Cheese Frosting/Garnished with elegant gold ribbon and roses in my chosen color of deep burgundy red wine.

Colors: Ivory-Black-Deep Burgundy Red Wine

Theme: Grand Ball Room Style 1930-50s Black Tie

Flowers: All Roses Deep Red

Décor elements: Old Fashioned Traditional- Center pieces were gold candelabras with red roses in our color, mix of square and round tables of 10! Double bustled tables of Mocha and Golden Lace bustled over lay. Chivalries chairs and mini easels for the table numbers and menu cards.
We gave all of our guests some really nice wine stoppers with the traditional Italian Almonds and our names and wedding date on the candy.

Unique details: We had a old traditional but grand entrance by waling under a military sword arch as they announced us as newly married coming into the Grand Ball Room!

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: The “First Look” was pretty amazing for me!! I was anticipating that moment in my life where my love would see me and was hoping for the exact reaction I got! It also was nice to hear from many guests and just random people passing through the hotel and chapel how they had “never seen such a beautiful dress and bride” always nice to hear!!

Groom's answer: Seeing my future wife for the first time in her dress. There aren’t too many perfect moments in a guy’s life, but this one topped them all!

HONEYMOON: Savannah Georgia

Place: Mansion on Forsyth Park

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: Taking a tour of all the old homes and eating at Elizabeth on 37th Street

WEDDING ADVICE: I would definitely make sure you always have a plan B when it comes to the process, place, and people who will be directly participating in your event. It really left me without any stress and if something went wrong and I knew we might have a snag in a plan then I already knew where to focus next. Do not let other people get in the way of what you would like to do, just remember and do not feel too bad about what you want because its only one day, and at the same time remember that this may be your most special day but it is not everyone else’s so keep that in mind too! Make sure you pick venders that get back to you and treat you well even if your wedding is a year out, if they don’t really return your calls until a month later or get snappy-lose them and move on!

VENDORS

Rings: Blue Nile on the Web! I highly recommend them and let me tell you ladies; I have gotten tons and tons of compliments on my rings. Go to the site and read the reviews and endorsements. I had my rings both appraised by Blue Nile and a local jeweler (Tappers in Birmingham MI) and they value was the same so do not get weird because you are getting your ring online.

Invitations: Emerald City Designs

Rehearsal dinner: Mitchell’s Fish Market Livonia, MI

Guest book: Wedding Shoppe in Berkley Michigan

Photography: Opiefoto

Videography: Complete Video Solutions-Tom Santilli

Bridal gown: Roma Sposa Birmingham MI

Alterations: Wedding Shoppe-ask for Michelle!

Hair and Makeup: Aqua Salon Royal Oak-Justine Debono/Deyo Studio-Russ Simon

Bridesmaids' dresses: They all got to pick their own black floor length gowns!

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Military Dress and President Tuxedo of Novi

Flowers: Emerald City Designs

Decorations and rentals: Emerald City Designs

Catering: Inn at St. Johns

Cake: Pastry Palace

Venue: In at St. Johns Plymouth Michigan

Entertainment/Music: Happy Hour DJ- Eddie Hakim is awesome!!!

Wedding favors: We did two different types of really nice wine stoppers. We had a glass grape wine stopper and a cal lillie wine stopper! Wine stoppers came from: Nice Price Favors/94 Gardiners Ave, Levittown, NY 11756 (People were great to deal with and they came in very fast! They will also replace any that come broken with no problem!) We also had the traditional Italian almond candies with our names and wedding date attached.

Wedding planner: Emerald City Designs

Officiant: Our Lady of Sorrows-Father Mark Brauer

Transportation: Millennium Limousine

Guest lodging: Inn at St. Johns Hotel

Any other vendors not listed: University of Michigan NROTC for providing swords for the ceremony!
Wedding Shoppe provided all jewelry and veil for my dress!
Carls Golf Land for the personalized golf balls!

2011-08-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ann and Ryan
March 8, 2011
Salt Lake Temple
Heritage Gardens

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Ann- violin teacher, Ryan- student

How the couple met: We attended the same university, the same church and then Ryan moved next door to me.

How he proposed: He COMPLETELY surprised me while we were on a New Years trip to Salt Lake visiting my family. He'd never been to Temple Square at Christmas before, and convinced me, almost against my will, to take TRAX downtown in the frigid cold and see the lights. When we got there, we found a spot where there weren't any people (almost impossible) and he got down on one knee and proposed. I thought he was kidding at first! I wasn't expecting it at all, and thought he was joking until he pulled out the ring. Of course I said yes.

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: In Salt Lake and Houston. Showers were thrown by my friends in Utah, Ryan's aunts in Texas and my bachelorette party was at a tapas restaurant in Houston.

Bachelor party: It's happening next week actually. Things were a bit stressful right before the wedding. :)

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Salt Lake Temple

Date: March 8, 2011

The bride wore: white

The groom wore: tuxedo

RECEPTION

Reception Place: Heritage Gardens

Wedding music: Joe Muscolino Band

Wedding song: "At Last"

Menu: appetizers, caesar salad, pasta bar and gelato

Cake: none

Colors: orange, yellow, pink

Theme:

Flowers: jasper rose, ranunculus

Décor elements:

Unique details: We had activities for our guests at every food station. Guests could write us a toast, predict where we'd be in five years, tell us what they could teach us to do (for future reference). It helped break the ice and liven up the party.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: The ceremony. I loved having almost all of my dearest friends and family with us as we took this step!

Groom's answer: When Ann sang "Someone to Watch Over Me"...she did not know that that was the song she was singing when I first thought that I liked her. It was very special.

HONEYMOON

Place: Paris, France and Gran Canaria, Spain

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: Sneaking food into our hotel room so that we didn't have to leave it.

WEDDING ADVICE

Do what you want for your wedding, not what anyone else wants!

VENDORS

Rings: Rice Village Diamonds and Zales

Invitations: Heritage Gardens

Rehearsal dinner: Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Guest book: Framed photo and the guests signed around it

Photography: OpieFoto

Bridal gown: Mary's Bridal

Alterations: Mary's Bridal

Hair and Makeup: Hair: Britnie Harmon

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Men's Wearhouse

Flowers: friends Christy Knight & Jean McMullin

Catering: Heritage Gardens

Venue: Heritage Gardens

Entertainment/Music: Joe Muscolino Band

Utah Wedding Photographers - Laura + Zac

2011-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Laura + Zac
February 17, 2011
Salt Lake Temple
La Caille

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Financial Counselor (Laura), Zac (student)

How the couple met: at work... I had asked him to talk to a spanish speaking patient and it was history from there :)

How he proposed: In front of the castle in Disneyland!

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party: Slumber party... some of my friends got together and gave me money so I could get all the fun things for the wedding.

Bachelor party: Went to dinner and watched the Jazz game afterwards

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Salt Lake Temple

Date: February 17, 2011

The bride wore: a bridal gown

The groom wore: a black tuxedo

RECEPTION

Reception Place: La Caille

Wedding music: House music

Wedding song: none

Menu: appetizers: shrimp cocktail, bruschetta, hot chocolate bar dinner: chicken picatta, steak, vegetables, rolls, lemonade dessert: chocolate covered strawberries, creme brulee, canoli, wedding cake, fruit tarts

Cake: chocolate with mint frosting, lemon-poppyseed with cream cheese frosting and marble with raspberry/cream cheese frosting

Colors: shades of pink and lime green

Flowers: gerber daisies, calla lilies

Décor elements: candles

Unique details: photo booth

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: the dinner/photobooth

Groom's answer: the sealing

HONEYMOON

Place: Cruise to Mexico

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: being stuck in the terminal waiting for the cruise ship for 2 days :(

WEDDING ADVICE

Don't stretch out the engagement longer than necessary. Everything will get done as long as you delegate. Take a lot of advantage of people wanting to help. Make sure to plan and don't get stressed! Enjoy this time in your life.

VENDORS

Rings: Shane Company

Invitations: Kelsey Anne Design

Guest book--photobooth

Photography: Opie Foto

Videography: Chris McClain

Bridal gown: Gateway Bridal

Hair and Makeup: Hair: Whitney Pierce

Flowers: Sax Romney

Catering: La Caille

Cake: Schmidt's Pastry Cottage

Venue: La Caille

Wedding favors: All Occassions Photo Booth

Salt Lake Wedding Photographer - Blair and Casey

2011-08-01T06:43:00.001-07:00

Blair and Casey
January 27, 2011
Noah's South Jordan

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Noah's

Date: January 27, 2011

RECEPTION

Reception Place: Noah's

Colors: Red and Black

Flowers: Red roses

Décor elements: Black and White Damask

Salt Lake Wedding Photographer - Laura + Matt

2011-07-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

Laura and Matt
November 6, 2010
Salt Lake Temple
Hilton

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Salt Lake Temple

Date: November 6, 2010

The bride wore:Ivory ruffed dress

The groom wore: Brown suit

RECEPTION

Reception Place:Hilton Trofi Resturant

Menu: Salad, chicken with pasta and creamy pesto sauce

Cake: 3 tiers with buttercream

Colors: Lime green, brown, orange, ivory

San Diego Temple Wedding - Brittany + Frazier

2011-06-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

Brittany + Frazier
October 22, 2010
San Diego Temple

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: San Diego California Temple

Date: October 22, 2010

The bride wore: Maggie Sottero "The Graacie"

The groom wore: Black Tux with cream vest and tie

RECEPTION

Reception Place: Parent's backyard

Wedding music: DJ

Menu: Sushi, Japanese stir fry, assorted deserts

Cake: 3 tiered with light blue flowers

Colors: Tiffany Blue, Lime Green, and Cream

Theme: California Chic

Flowers: Queen Ann's Lace, Lime Green Spider Mums, White Freesia, Light Blue Delphiniums, White Roses, Wheat Grass

Décor elements: Tiffany blue pottery, Silver containers, hanging Chinese lanterns

Unique details: Nintendo groom's cake

VENDORS

Rings:

Invitations:

Rehearsal dinner:

Guest book: OpieFoto

Photography: OpieFoto

Bridal gown: Fantasy Bridal in Sandy

Alterations: Fantasy Bridal in Sandy

Hair and Makeup: by Brittany Gray (the bride)

Bridesmaids' dresses:

Groom’s Tux/Suit:

Flowers:

Decorations and rentals:

Catering:

Cake:

Venue: Parent's Backyard

Entertainment/Music: RPM Mobile DJ Entertainment

Wedding favors: Chopsticks

Utah Bridal Photography - Whitney + Steven

2011-06-18T08:02:00.000-07:00

I shot Whitney and Steven's bridal session on a really rainy day in May. We found some great walls with ivy and brick. These two had their wedding on May 27th at the Salt Lake Temple with a reception at The Point. Wedding photos coming soon.

Utah Wedding Photography - Chelsey + James

2011-06-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

Chelsey + James
October 10, 2010
The Point

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations:

Chelsey- Hairstylist at Landis Aveda Lifestyle Salon

James- Customer Service at Verizon Wireless and small business owner.

How the couple met:

Through a mutual friend.

How he proposed:

James ordered P.F. Changs take-out and set up a "picnic" on our living room floor, after we got done eating, I reached for my fortune cookie, opened it, and the fortune read "Just say YES!" and James reached behind him and grabbed the ring, and popped the big question!

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party:

My maid of honor planned a fun "owl" themed bridal shower. We just ate yummy desserts and hung out. The favors were tote bags with two owls on them that said "owl you need is love"

My aunt planned the family bridal shower and we ate a great dinner, and everyone that was there shared their best advice for me as a wife.

For my bachelorette party, I went out to dinner with a lot of my girl friends. After that, we met up with the boys and went to a bar. (since we had family in town, we all wanted to visit)

Bachelor party:

Well first off, let me say that while Chelsey had her bridal shower my friends had a "Man Shower" for me. We ate burritos and watched awesome action movies. It was very manly.

As for the bachelor party, we didn't do anything too crazy. Just got all of my friends together and went to SkyBox at the Gateway for some dinner and sports. It was great because my brother and brother-in-law were in town, so I was super excited just to get to hang out with them. After that we met up with the girls (like Chelsey already described.)

Oh, I almost forgot about the part where we stole a tiger...but I'll save that story for another time.

WEDDING

Ceremony Place:

The Point

Date:

10-10-10

The bride wore:

A dress :)

It was from Davids Bridal. Galina Signature was the brand. It was white, and pretty.

The groom wore:

A chocolate brown tux with a white vest and brown tie.

RECEPTION

Reception Place:

The Point

Wedding music:

Our own special iPod mix

Wedding song:

Norah Jones- Come Away With Me

Menu:
Stuffed Peppers

Mini Sandwiches

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Fruit Skewers

and....

Buffalo Chicken Wings, yes, it's true.

Cake:

3-tier square cake. Bottom tier was lemon with cream cheese filling, Middle tier was chocolate with chocolate mousse filling, and top tier was white with raspberry filling.

Colors:

Teal and Orange

Theme:

Autumn and peacock feathers

Flowers:

Orange lilies, Orange daisies, white roses (just in my bouquet) coffee bean for the filler.

Décor elements:

fall leaves, peacock feathers.

Unique details:

The gorgeous view, and we had a really fun photobooth from ShutterBooth!

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer:

When my dad and I were hiding behind a wall, waiting to walk down the aisle, and he was helping me fix the train on my dress and told me how pretty I looked.

Groom's answer:
It's so cliche, but I'd have to say when I saw Chelsey start walking down the aisle. My friend told me I would lose my breath, and he was right. I'll never forget how amazing she looked, and how happy she makes me.

Other than that I would have to say just having our friends and family all hanging out. And my awesome Jackhammer dance, of course.

HONEYMOON

Place:

California - we went to Disneyland, then down to Del Mar/San Diego

A memorable moment of the honeymoon:

Seriously? We have to try to pick ONE? Disneyland was really fun. But also the sunsets on the beach. Perfection.

WEDDING ADVICE

LAUGH. A LOT.

Also, you don't need to spend a lot of money to have a nice wedding. Find ways to do things yourself and you'd be very surprised at what you can make happen, on any budget.

VENDORS

Rings:

Morgan Jewelers

Invitations:
Homemade

Rehearsal dinner:
Barbeque at Chelsey's parent's house

Guest book:
Came with the photobooth. It printed 2 copies of each photo: one to go into the sign in book, the other for our guests to keep.

Photography:
The one and only, Opie! So amazing!

Bridal gown:
David's Bridal

Hair and Makeup:
Mandy at Landis Aveda

Bridesmaids' dresses:
Nordstrom

Groom’s Tux/Suit:
Men's Wearhouse

Flowers:

The Flower Patch

Decorations and rentals:
Homemade with materials from Michael's and Tai Pan

Catering:
The Point

Cake:
Dick's Market

Venue:
The Point

Entertainment/Music:
we made our own playlist on our iPod

Wedding favors:
copy of photobooth prints

Officiant:
Chelsey's cousin, Scott Moore

Utah Wedding Photographer - Oldouz + Ben

2011-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Oldouz + Ben
October 1, 2010
Millcreek Inn

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations:

Oldouz is a database architect for a marketing outsourcing company.

Ben is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Utah. His research is focused on cosmic ray physics.

How the couple met:

In 2003, Oldouz was enrolled in a first-year physics course with Ben's ex-wife, Jennie. Jennie decided to play matchmaker and took Oldouz to Ben's office after telling her that she knew the perfect guy to help Oldouz with her homework. Once they started going through the homework set, Oldouz offered to take Ben out for coffee. On the way to the coffee shop, Oldouz was having such a hard time keeping her eyes on the road that she almost got in three separate wrecks (in less than a mile). This went on for several weeks until Oldouz ended the relationship she was in and Ben was subsequently asked her out.

How he proposed:

In 2009, Oldouz and Ben spent their second year together at Burning Man. On their first night at festival, after many hours of touring around looking at art installations and dancing a spontaneous parties, Ben asked Oldouz to get something out of the front pocket of a backpack. Instead of finding what she was looking for, she found a ring. Ben then dropped to his knee and rattled off string of seemingly random syllables that the Internet had assured him would indicate to a Persian girl that he wanted to marry her. Surprisingly, it worked!

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party:

While all sorts of ambitiously foolish ideas floated around the week before the wedding, ultimately Oldouz spent a warmly intimate night at her sister Orchid's house in the company of her sister, soon-to-be sisters-in-law, and a couple close friends.

Bachelor party:

The bachelor party held at the The Hive: http://www.facebook.com/pages/North-Salt-Lake-UT/The-Hive/186713080958 There was lots of Belgian beer, hors d'oeuvres from Liberty Heights Fresh, an artistic burlesque troupe, five cans of fluorescent latex body paint, and a twister board. It was epic (and no cameras were allowed).

WEDDING
Ceremony Place:
Millcreek Inn

Date:
October 1st

The bride wore:
A flowing ivory gown by Maggie Sottero.

The groom wore:
Classic Edwardian evening wear complete with top hat and kid gloves.

RECEPTION

Reception Place:
Millcreek Inn

Wedding music:
A couple DJ friends from Burning Man spent four months creating an ensemble of Middle-Eastern themed electronica.

Menu:
Mediterranean Buffet: Endive Pear Salad, Greek Salad, Seared Eggplant, Isreali Couscous, Mediterranean Dover Sole, Marinated Shoulder of Australian Lamb, Hummus and Middle Eastern Breads

Cake:
Lemon cake with ivory-colored frosting adorned with purple paisleys.

Colors:
Royal Purple, lilac, ivory

Theme:
"When East and West become one"

Flowers:
Studio Stems. The bouquets and table arrangements were all based around purple flowers with the addition of peacock feathers to give the bridal bouquet a Persian twist

Décor elements:
Paiselys!

Unique details:
Our American ceremony was officiated by Mayor Corroon. We had readings from writers around the world in their native tongues: Robert Burns in Scots, Alexandr Pushkin in Russian, Madeline l'Engle in English, and Rumi in Persian. After the recession, we returned for a Persian ceremony officiated by a former mayor from Iran. This was conducted in front of a ceremonial Persian wedding spread that Oldouz's mother had obsessed over for several months before the wedding.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer:

Attempting to ballroom dance to electronic music with Ben

Groom's answer:
Ben's most memorable moment was when he jumped the gun and kissed Oldouz before the mayor had instructed him to do so.

HONEYMOON

Place:

The entire honeymoon was a surprise for Oldouz. The night of the wedding we went to the Grand America in Salt Lake. The next morning we jumped in the car and started driving. The first night we went to Jackson, Wyoming. The next day we went hiking in the Grand Tetons. After spending a second night in Jackson, we spent the next day touring around Yellowstone. After spending the final night at the Old Faithful Inn, we spent some more time in Yellowstone and then traveled home via Lewisville, Idaho where we found the grave site of Ben's great-great-great-grandfather, the first Stokes to come to America.

Most Memorable Moment
On the last morning, we took all the petals from Oldouz's bridal bouquet and set them afloat in the Firehole River.

WEDDING ADVICE

1) Before you start to think about anything else (venue included): formulate a guest list.

2) If you get married in Salt Lake, get the Grand Honeymoon package at Grand America for your wedding night. It's pricey but it's money well-spent.

VENDORS

Rings:
The stone for Oldouz's ring is an extremely rare natural, untreated padparadscha that was procured directly from a mine in Sri Lanka. The platinum ring and setting was custom-made to fit the stone by a platinum smith in Honolulu. Ben's ring was made of tungsten carbide and acquired off Ebay from this seller: http://myworld.ebay.com/lampard0603

Invitations:

The wedding invitations were printed in India by http://www.indianweddingcard.com

Rehearsal dinner:
The rehearsal dinner was held at The Roof in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Photography:
Photography was done by http://www.opiefoto.com

Bridal gown:
the bridal gown was a Maggie Sottero Vanessa procured off Ebay from this seller: http://myworld.ebay.com/chelseabridal

Alterations:
Express Tailoring & Reweaving, 672 S 300 W

Hair and Makeup:
Landis Lifestyle Salon, 1298 S 900 E

Bridesmaids' dresses:
The bridesmaids' dresses were purchased off Ebay from this seller: http://myworld.ebay.com/yourweddinghome/

Groom’s Tux/Suit:

The groom wore a tradional white-tie ensemble pieced together from acquisitions from several merchants on Ebay including:
http://myworld.ebay.com/formaltailor
http://myworld.ebay.com/monkeysuits
http://myworld.ebay.com/*damco*
http://myworld.ebay.com/fashion455
http://myworld.ebay.com/thetuxxman

Flowers
Studio Stems: http://www.studiostems.com/

Catering:
The catering was all provided by the venue with the exception of the Persian pastries which were provided by Pars Market, 3949 Highland Dr

Cake:

Carries Cakes: http://www.carriescakes.com/

Venue:
Millcreek Inn: http://www.millcreekinn.com/

Entertainment/Music:
Jared Gallardo of Jellyfish 12000: http://www.jellyfish12000.com

Officiant:
Peter Corroon (American Ceremony) and Mahdi Hoseinyzad (Persian Ceremony)

Utah Engagement Photographer - Jen + Jon

2011-05-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

It's so hard to blog a photo shoot when it's your friends or family. Anyway, Jon Jon and my husband have been friends for 10 years. I was beyond thrilled when I met Jen and even more happy when I found out they were getting married. They are perfect for each other. I'll be shooting their wedding this coming Saturday, May 28th at their house. For the engagement session they wanted to add a little humor to the photos with unusual clothing. Jon's attire is for sure not something he would ever wear but Jen's spring dress is super cute. We did the photo shoot at the Salt Lake Library and then drove around for some other spots. I was able to talk them into wearing something more casual for a different look. What do you guys think? Do you love or hate the clothing?

<3 Opie

Utah Bridal Photography - Blair

2011-04-28T16:32:00.001-07:00

The stunning Blair! I shot these lovely bridal portraits back in November when it was still warm and sunny outside. Blair decided to do her bridals as early as possible to relieve the stress and enjoy the photos longer. Blair married Casey at the end of January at Noah's. Wedding photos will be posted soon.

<3 Opie

Utah Engagement Photographer - Laura + Zac

2011-04-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

I shot these engagement pictures all the way back in December. We did the shoot on main street in Park City, Utah and a nearby wooded area. It was cold but the snow was perfect that day.

<3 Opie

Salt Lake Engagement Photographer - Jordan + Zack

2011-04-01T08:54:00.001-07:00

This photo shoot was so awesome! We did half the pictures at the library and the other half at wheeler farm. Fall is my favorite time of year because the trees are so beautiful. We shot some fun pictures in the pumpkin patch and got to take home a pumpkin.

<3 Opie

Utah Engagement Photography - Lauren + Ross

2011-03-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

I shot Ross and Lauren's engagement session all the way back at the end of summer. Yes, 6 months ago. I love their vintage wardrobe styling and all the vintage cars! We did this shoot in Logan. Ross picked out all the locations and props. These two had their wedding in the fall of 2010. Ross is a computer programmer and now works with my husband.

<3 Opie

Utah Wedding Photographer - Michelle + Artumus

2011-03-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Michelle + Artumus
September 18, 2010
Le Jardin

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations:

Bride: Clinical research

Groom: Laborer

How the couple met:

We took a ballroom dancing class in high school together. For roll call we had to line up in alphabetical order and got to talking to each other, but Artumus wasn't very quick to move past friendly chatter. One day I snagged my pants on a nail and ripped a huge hole in them. Artumus came to my rescue and let me borrow his coat so no one else would see it. He had left his car keys in the pocket and I made him go through the paces to get them back. Once he realized that I was interested in him (and I knew he had a great sense of humor and a whole lot of patience) we started dating and we've been together since.

How he proposed:

Artumus took me to Tucci's which is where we had our first date and have celebrated most birthdays and anniversaries.

Bridal shower/Bachelorette party:

My sister and sister-in-law took me to Tucci's and Keys on Main. It was super fun and I was finally able to accomplish my dream of walking into a bar and requesting a Barry Manilow song.

Bachelor party:

Artumus denies this ever occurred.

WEDDING

Ceremony Place:

Le Jardin

Date:

18 September 2010

The bride wore:

Victoriana by Maggie Sottero

The groom wore:

A black tux with a silver vest and tie

RECEPTION

Reception Place:

Le Jardin

Wedding music:

Classical CD borrow from Le Jardin

Wedding song:
"Look After You" by the Fray

Menu:

Appetizer: bruschetta and fruit

Salad: Caesar

Entree: con pollo and pomodoro from Tucci's

Desert: wedding cake and candy bar

Drinks: Italian cream sodas

Cake: Three tiered square cake with pink flowers and silver butterflies

Colors: Pink, silver, white, and black

Theme: No specific theme. I just took the things I like and incorporated them into the wedding.

Flowers: Pink roses for bridal party and pink hydrangeas for the tables

Décor elements: The tables had black and white linens with silver potted pink hydrangeas. Everything else in the greenhouse was already set up and beautiful.

Unique details:

I had silver butterflies on the cake and invitations to match the calla cut diamonds in my engagement ring.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer:

Practicing our first dance in the brides' room a couple of minutes before we were supposed to go out and dance in front of everyone. It was a nice to have some alone time and a reminder of how we met.

Groom's answer:

Our first dance and the four minutes we got to sit down and eat dinner. (The time we got to spend alone together.)

HONEYMOON

Place: Our apartment! Artumus got sick so we canceled our trip to Vegas. We are going to New Orleans and a cruise to the Caribbean in a couple of months.

A memorable moment of the honeymoon:

Artumus tried to carry me over the threshold, but got caught up in my dress and dropped me.

WEDDING ADVICE

Keep perspective. Good or bad, your wedding is not your marriage.

VENDORS

Rings:

Brides' ring: Shane Co.

Groom's Ring: Schuback Jewelers

Invitations:

Homemade. We hand embossed silver butterflies on silver edged invitations from Xpedx.

Guest book: My sister designed the layout of a photo book for us and printed it through Shutterfly.

Photography: Opiefoto!

Bridal gown: Fantasy Bridal

Alterations: Fantasy Bridal

Hair and Makeup: My bridesmaids!

Bridesmaids' dresses: David's Bridal

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Clark's Tuxedo

Flowers: Lea Matson (neighbor who does beautiful flower arrangements)

Decorations and rentals:

Linens were through Specialty Linens. Almost everything else was through Le Jardin.

Catering: Tucci's

Cake: Granite Bakery

Venue: Le Jardin

Entertainment/Music: Ipod and CD's

Wedding favors: Candy bar

Wedding planner: None (although we definitely should have gotten one)

Officiant: My parent's bishop

Transportation: We used my car. I'm lucky enough to own a Beetle.

Utah Wedding Photographer - Sydney + Troy

2011-03-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

Sydney + Troy
September 16, 2011
Salt Lake Temple
Weber State Alumni Building

BEFORE THE WEDDING

Occupations: Sydney : 2nd grade school teacher

Troy: Student

How the couple met:

Troy and I grew up in the same town. We went to school together since elementary. We knew of each other and had mutual friends but never dated. It wasn’t until 5 years after graduating high school we met again at a mutual friend’s party and hit it off right away. We started dating soon after that.

How he proposed:

I am a second grade teacher and Troy proposed on the last day of school. I was not expecting it at all. I had a fellow teacher come into my room near the end of the school day and say that my class had planned something special for me for the last day of school. She said to come into her classroom and wait while they got it set up. In my head I was thinking, how nice it was for them to plan this! I was trying to figure out what parents set it up. Then finally she told me they were ready and I went back into my classroom. All of my students were in a line holding a piece of paper with a letter on it. It spelled out, “Miss Coleman will you marry me?” At the end of the line there was Troy holding a bouquet of roses! I was so surprised!! He then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He says, I said yes three times! It was the best day!

WEDDING

Ceremony Place: Salt Lake Temple

Date: September 16, 2010

The bride wore: Ivory Gown

The groom wore: Black Tux

RECEPTION

Reception Place: Weber State Alumni Building

Wedding music: Pianist

Wedding song: “The Way You Look Tonight”

Menu: Cutler’s Cookies, Popcorn bar, Lime Water

Cake: Chocolate with white frosting

Colors: Brown, Green, and White

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT

Bride's answer: The ceremony

Groom's answer: The ceremony

HONEYMOON

Place: Park City, Utah

A memorable moment of the honeymoon: Being able to spent every second together and have nowhere to be and no plans to make.

VENDORS

Rings: Morgan Jewelers

Invitations: Whitney Landry

Rehearsal dinner: Lion House

Photography: Opie Foto

Bridal gown: Gateway Bridal

Alterations: Gateway Bridal

Groom’s Tux/Suit: Fifth Avenue Tuxedos

Flowers: Willow and Wild Flowers

Catering: Cutler’s

Venue: Weber State Alumni Building

Entertainment/Music: Pianist- Tracy Hales

Wedding favors: Popcorn

Ann + Ryan - Salt Lake Temple Wedding

2011-03-15T07:50:00.001-07:00

Stunning Eyes - Utah Bridal Photographer

2011-03-10T06:51:00.001-08:00

Lovely Red Head - Utah Bridal Photography

2011-02-28T12:49:00.001-08:00

Glam Bridal Shoot - Utah Bridal Photography

2011-02-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T08:49:00.001-08:00

Check out this super cute Valentine's Day inspired bridal session. I shot Laura and Zac's bridal session at La Caille a week ago. These two are having their wedding this Thursday at the Salt Lake Temple with a dinner at La Callie.

Vendors

Photography: Opie Foto
Cake Artistry: Pink Peach Cakes
Invitations: Polka Dots & Daisies
Floral Artistry: Shana’s Wedding Flowers
Venue: La Caille
LOVE Banner: Etsy Shop:Bekahjennings
Linens & Chairs: Diamond Rentals
Gown: Gateway Bridal
Umbrella: Umbrella Haven
Hair: Morpheus Salon, Whitney Pierce
Shoes & Hairpiece: Forever 21