If there’s one thing we can learn from this outdoor affair, it’s a lesson in the beauty of natural light. And with every sun-soaked image from Leo Patrone more beautiful than the last, it’s pretty much a wedding lover’s dream-come-true. But what takes this kind of oh-my-goodness gorgeous to the next level? Honey of a Thousand Flowers’ impeccable floral design that’s total eye candy in and of itself. The full gallery is filled with loveliness galore, and wedding day film by Americana Cinema perfectly ties it all together.
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From the Bride…Dave proposed over a long weekend getaway, during which our families met for the first time, at his parent’s house in Fripp Island, South Carolina. We had so much fun spending the following days celebrating and sharing our joy with everyone, and we were overwhelmed by this wonderful revelation that our marriage would bring together two families that likely would have been the best of friends even without our relationship as the catalyst. It was that feeling that set the tone for our wedding day—the overall goal was FUN, but more specifically, we wanted to create something that was unique and authentically us. Though we live in New York now, neither Dave nor I are from here, so even before we got engaged, we always knew that our wedding would likely be our only chance to get all of our closest friends and family in one place at one time. Our guests traveled from near and far to celebrate our love, so we knew we had to do our best to give them an experience they wouldn’t soon forget.
One thing we did that I would highly recommend to any bride going through the planning process is choose the vendors early. We had our venue, photographer, videographer, and florist booked within the first month or so of our engagement, which gave us well over a year to figure out all the little details and ensured that everyone that became part of our “team” was our first-choice vendor. And a team they became—booking them so far in advance gave us a lot of time to bounce around ideas and collaborate, which solidified our vision and helped make it more coherent. We also had so much time to get to know them (and they us) that the wedding day itself felt like it was put together by friends, which it truly was.
Leo Patrone, our photographer, lives in Utah but is often traveling to shoot breathtaking weddings around the world, so we felt so lucky to work with him. He really understood how to capture the natural light and beauty of our venue and our family and friends. Our videographers, Gilbert Le and his team from Americana Cinema, were so discreet that we almost forgot they were there—this turned out to be a great thing, because everyone was really themselves in front of the camera, and what they created allows us to relive the day, exactly as we experienced it, whenever we wish. Catherine Johnson, our Wedding Coordinator at the St. Regis, was invaluable—she kept us perfectly on schedule; was so calm when a freak rainstorm blew through while they were setting up (thankfully it passed) that I couldn’t help but stay calm, as well; and had an immediate answer to every last question. She also introduced us to our band, Party Crashers, who kept everyone on the dance floor from the first song to the last—it was more like a concert than a wedding band! While I was thrilled with all of our vendors, I was completely blown away by Sarah Winward, our florist. She truly went above and beyond her floral duties to take on more of a stylist role, and was perhaps the most critical piece of the puzzle in bringing our vision to life. No idea was too grand or complicated for her; she found a way to make everything happen. We are so grateful for the wealth of experience our vendors brought to the table and the seamless way they executed everything. It was beyond our wildest dreams and without a doubt the best day of our lives.
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Wedding Photography: Leo Patrone | Venue + Catering: St. Regis Deer Valley | Floral Design: Sarah Winward of Honey of a Thousand Flowers | Cinematography: Gilbert Le for Americana Cinema | Band: Party Crashers | DJ: Josh Cazier ( joshcazier@msn.com) | Hair: Shannon Sivongsa (801-232-2539) | Makeup: Alina Coleman (435-655-8508) | Headpiece: Jasmine Pearl Band by Stephanie Browne, my “something borrowed” from Happily Ever BorrowWED | Cakes: The Chocolate | Dress: Reem Acra | Shoes: Valentino | Bridesmaid Dresses: Lindsay Ulness (715-225-9505) | Groom + Groomsmen Pants + Vests: Studio Suits | Groom + Groomsmen Ties: Chambray from The Tie Bar | Engagement Ring: Catherine Angiel | Groom’s Wedding Band: Bario-Neal | Bride’s Wedding Band: Lulu Frost | Artist: (for artwork that appeared on website and all paper goods) Lauren Spencer King