Utah Valley Bride» Local Love Stories

Tara and Ben

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:10:37 +0000

BRIDE & GROOM Tara Mae Lemon & Benjamin Brown Doxey BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Holden GROOM’S HOMETOWN Springville CEREMONY Salt Lake LDS Temple FIRST SIGHT Ben and I first met at Snow College in 2008, but we never dated there nor did I think we ever would. If there are such things as “leagues,” in my mind Ben was completely out of mine. SERENDIPITY After Ben returned from his LDS mission, I was ice skating on a date, and Ben also happened to be there on a date. He noticed me and pulled his brother aside, “Do you remember that girl? I asked you to look up her address while I was on my mission! That’s her. And that could have been me.” The next week, the same thing happened: Ben and I were on separate dates at the same restaurant. The week after, same story! Finally, the following week, he asked me out. FIRST DATE He convinced me to skip my classes so he could take me on a date before I left on a cruise — and I couldn’t refuse. The date was perfect. We talked about everything, and all I could do was smile. I was twitterpated and didn’t end up going on the cruise because the thought of being away from him didn’t seem right. WEDDING INSPIRATION Instead of colors, I had more of a theme: colored glass vases and intricate gold frames. STRIKING DETAIL On the barn wall, I hung a variety of gold mirrors and intricate frames holding our relatives’ and ancestors’ wedding photos. DRESS I fell in love with the belt before I decided on a dress! I knew I wanted a lace dress — I have always loved things with a vintage feel. BOUQUET My mom and I made my beautiful brooch bouquet. I used my Grandma Lemon’s brooches in the bouquet and on the cake. I loved the idea of my bouquet being a keepsake, and that time spent with my mom became one of my favorite wedding memories. SONG “Then” by Brad Paisley. FAVORITE TOUCH At one of our receptions, we had a display in the barn’s loft showcasing the wedding dresses from my grandma, my mom and my mother-in-law. HER DREAM GUY Ben possesses every unrealistic quality I ever hoped for. He’s perfect for me in every way. HIS DREAM GIRL “For me, Tara is the definition of beautiful. Her perfect features intimidated me from the first time we met. She is genuine, kind, fun and outgoing. I knew I wanted to marry her from the beginning of our relationship,” Ben says.

Dress Gateway Bridal & Prom
Cake Barbara Bennett
Catering Leatherby’s Family Creamery
Luncheon La Jolla Groves at the Riverwoods
Flowers Flower Mill
Ring Custom Ring Design
Invitations Magnifique Photography
Videographer David Perry
Bridals Taken At Lavender Fields in Mona
Photo Booth Smile Now Photo Booths

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Adi and Tommy

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:06:17 +0000

BRIDE & GROOM Adi (Adrienne) Hart & Tommy (Thomas) Forsman BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Orem GROOM’s HOMETWON Provo BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Hair stylist at Salon K in The Shops at Riverwoods GROOM’s OCCUPATION PGA Tour caddy on The Champions Tour CEREMONY Sundance Resort ATTRACTED YOU TO HIM Tommy and I first met four years ago at a mutual friend’s birthday party. I was immediately attracted to Tommy because he is so charismatic! ATTRACTED HIM TO YOU Tommy was attracted to my smile, and he loved the outfit I was wearing, which was nice, as most guys don’t notice those things. FIRST KISS My mother was horrified to learn (at my bridal shower) that our first kiss was the very night we met! DATING My favorite dating memories are the countless hours we spent on the golf course together. Tommy even proposed to me on a golf course! INSPIRATION My colors were champagne, ivory and pale pink, inspired by my dream wedding — Annie Banks’ wedding on “Father of the Bride.” DRESS The dress was the easiest decision! When I went to www.nordstrom.com, I knew my dress the moment I saw it. The whole process took less than 10 minutes! SPECIAL ACCESSORY I had no idea my mom ordered beautiful gold chandelier earrings for me as my “something new.” She gave them to me the morning of my bridals, and I was thrilled. CAKE I knew ahead of time I wanted a white cake, which is very traditional. I wanted the entire wedding to be elegant and timeless — nothing trendy. THE OCCASION We chose to invite only family and close friends to our wedding ceremony, a formal dinner and dancing. The day was absolutely flawless. FIRST DANCE “At Last” by Etta James. We had dated for so long and “at last” we were getting married! TABLE NUMBERS I didn’t want generic table numbers, so we thought it would be fun to have each number represent something in our lives. For example, we had #11 because we got engaged on the 11th green at Riverside Country Club. HONEYMOON We had a mini-moon, but our real honeymoon will be in January. We will be spending two weeks in Hawaii while Utah is under two feet of snow! This is going to make my golfing husband very happy.

Reception Bridals Sundance Resort
Catering Sundance Resort
Flowers Steiner’s Flowers
Cake Kneaders Bakery
Invitations Ann Elizabeth Invitations
Tommy’s Suit Ben Sherman
Videographer Collin Kartchner

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Jennica and Bryce

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:02:45 +0000

BRIDE & GROOM Jennica Brewer & Bryce Zern BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Draper GROOM’S HOMETOWN Cottonwood Heights BRIDE’S OCCUPATION HR administrator at Boart Longyear GROOM’s OCCUPATION Student FIRST MET Blind date ATTRACTED YOU TO HIM His teeth! He has a winning smile, but I was most attracted to his sincerity. He was the most kind and thoughtful person I had ever met. ATTRACTED HIM TO YOU Besides my constant use of nasal spray and finishing off the night by bleaching my teeth rather than sharing a kiss on our first date, he says he liked how quickly we warmed up. He also appreciated my eyes, smile and laugh. TIMING It took two years for us to go on a second date. After our blind date in 2009, we didn’t speak until one year later when we randomly ran into each other. It then took one more year for him to ask me out again. Luckily, we hit it off from there. Timing is everything. FIRST KISS After three dates in a two-year period, it was about time! INSPIRATION I thought mustard yellow and charcoal gray would add a more rustic style to simple fall colors. I also scoured Pinterest! DRESS The employees at The Perfect Dress gave me the impression that nobody was interested in this particular gown. Nobody else will have it? Fabulous! RECEPTION When I was younger, I attended a wedding ceremony at Millcreek Inn and fell in love with it. I was obsessed with the outdoor mountain area and the idea of twinkling lights everywhere. I was worried about the weather, but it was 76 degrees with zero clouds — perfection! FAVORITE DETAILS My lovely sisters-in-law, Nannette and Ashlee, sewed the adorable flower girl dresses, and Nannette made my bridal bracelets. These things were the most significant to me because my new family had made them. FIRST DANCE Bryce shocked everyone by dancing with me to “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain. Bryce refuses to dance, and it was so special that he got on the dance floor with me. It will probably never happen again. PHOTOS The photos on the lake were probably my very favorite thing about our engagement. Hysterically, my parents were actually wearing huge, fishing wader boots, navigating the canoe and holding it steady so that we didn’t fall in! However, they kept falling in the mud. It was a blast!

RECEPTION Millcreek Inn
DRESS The Perfect Dress
INVITATIONS Polka Dots & Daisies
CATERING Millcreek Inn
CAKE Granite Bakery
FLOWERS and decor Millie Garrett
HAIR Brick House Retreat
MAKEUP Michelle Robbins
LOCATION OF BRIDALS American Fork Canyon
BRYCE’S SUIT Custom made by Sam Surin
VIDEOGRAPHER Pointe Digital

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Rachel and Michael

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:58:48 +0000

BRIDE & GROOM Rachel Woolley & Michael Ashcraft HOMETOWN Bluffdale BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Associate project manager for Pearson Data Solutions GROOM’S OCCUPATION UVU student & self-employed HOW YOU MET We knew each other growing up, but we became friends in the Bluffdale singles ward. CEREMONY Salt Lake LDS Temple IMPRESSIVE TO YOU He has incredible blue eyes and is friendly, kind and aware of others’ feelings (especially mine). IMPRESSIVE TO HIM “Her beauty and maturity.” INSPIRATION I have always wanted a fall, vintage wedding with a touch of country. Wadley Farms was the perfect touch of country, and the fall colors provided the vintage. Browns, oranges, greens and a little bit of blue provided the perfect color scheme! DRESS I thought it was going to be hard to find the “perfect” dress, but it was the second one I tried on. I fell in love with the neckline, simple elegance and gorgeous lace. TRADITION We have an opal ring that we pass down to every woman that gets married or marries into the family. I was the 12th Glaittli Girl to wear the ring and can’t wait to pass it on one day to the next relative. CAKE We did a cake buffet: almond fruit torte, assorted cupcakes, assorted cheesecakes, carrot cake, homemade caramels and more. DÉCOR We added to the country vintage theme by using white pumpkins. We also built our own flower stands using glasses, goblets, plates and bowls. WHAT MEANT THE MOST We put together a typewriter-table that had wedding pictures of us, our parents and our grandparents. We borrowed on old vintage typewriter and asked people to share their words of wisdom and congratulations with us. HONEYMOON Lake Tahoe WEDDING SCARE When Mike and I got to the Salt Lake Temple, I realized I forgot our marriage license and temple recommends at home. Luckily my sister and brother-in-law live close to Bluffdale and hadn’t left yet. These superheroes got them to us just in time! WEDDING SURPRISE Mike’s sister went into labor the afternoon of our wedding. It made for a bit of a hectic afternoon for his parents, but it made the day that much more memorable!

RECEPTION Wadley Farms
DRESS The Perfect Dress
INVITATIONS Jeanette Andrews, Andrews Designs
CATERING Cozette Carlson, Custom Celebrations
FLOWERS Calie Rose Floral & Event Design
HAIR McCarty Salon
RINGS J.P. Lee Jewelry

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Gabrielle and Steven

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:52:58 +0000

BRIDE & GROOM Gabrielle Jensen & Steven Stockdale BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Boise, Idaho GROOM’S HOMETOWN Billings, Mont. BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Joann Fabric and Weave Communications GROOM’S OCCUPATION BYU student HER STORY The first time I saw Steven, he came up to me while I was working at Wendy’s and nervously asked for my number. Of course I gave it to him! HIS STORY His version is that he saw me at Wendy’s 28 days before and asked his friends, “Is it weird that I find her blue hair attractive?” I apparently scowled when I heard him say that. He thought he had blown it, and it took 28 days for him to ask for my number. FIRST KISS Four days in, he quickly pecked me on the lips and then went silent as if he had made a big mistake. So cute. THE HARD DECISION It took Steven 28 days to get my number and 28 days to propose; that decision was easy. Soon after he left for a study abroad in Germany, I discovered I had Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Steven and I had to make the overwhelming decision of whether or not to get married. This disease is incurable, so we would be paying out of our ears for medication for a very long time. Thankfully, he made the decision to stay with me. FAVORITE DETAIL At our reception, we had a vintage car surrounded by old suitcases that people put gifts in. Since our reception was before the wedding, there was a cute sign that said “Almost married!” WITHOUT A GROOM Steven had been sick to his stomach, and the day of our wedding he had to go into the ER. We got through the ceremony, then Steven started throwing up and passing out. His dad and brother-in-law carted him to the hotel, and I was at my wedding without a groom. I was eating alone at our table. There was no first dance. SUPPORT OF FAMILY My mother and little brother both gave speeches about how much they loved me, then Steven was hoisted in to give a final speech. He said how sorry he was and how much he loved me. He kept passing out during his speech; it was extremely emotional. After cutting the cake with my little brother, we ended the night early. Though it all sounds horrific, I have never been “traditional!” MAN OF HER DREAMS Steven is incredible. He gets along with all of my family, and he makes me feel so important. I am his No. 1. Oh, and I love his gorgeous blue eyes.

Ceremony Millcreek Inn
Catering Millcreek Inn
Location of Bridals Nichole V.’s backyard
Ring Schubach Jewelers

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McKell and Logan

admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:33:06 +0000

BRIDE & GROOM McKell Reeves & Logan Law BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Provo GROOM’S HOMETOWN Colorado Springs, Colo. BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Marketing director at The Shops at Riverwoods GROOM’S OCCUPATION Teacher at The Missionary Training Center for the LDS Church CEREMONY Salt Lake LDS Temple HOW YOU MET At a mutual friend’s wedding reception four months before we were married. ATTRACTED YOU TO HIM His smile! But most of all he was a man with a plan. He always had fun and different dates planned, and I loved that. They were always focused on trying new and exciting things and to get to know me better. ATTRACTED HIM TO YOU “She is absolutely gorgeous! And once I knew she was just as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside … I had to marry this girl.” FIRST KISS On my front porch. He says he knew he was going to marry me before he even kissed me. FAVORITE DATE We bought zucchinis and hollowed them out to make boats. We named them, judged them and raced them down a stream. It was SO fun. I won. COLORS Light pink, medium pink and gray. I’ve always loved these colors together. DRESS We got it when my family was on vacation in St. George. I love my dress because it’s simple and classy. It was the first dress I tried on. BOUQUET I had a beautiful bouquet made by White Willow. It was made of light pink roses, mini calla lilies and stephanotis. DETAILS My mom did all the work! She collected all kinds of amazing cake plates for our dessert buffet and antiqued several doors for my reception. RECEPTION I loved having my reception at The Manor at the Riverwoods. It was a beautiful backdrop for our reception. CAKE Dawna did a great job custom making my cake exactly how I wanted it — classic and simple. WEDDING SONG “I’ll Always Love You” by Blackhawk. HONEYMOON Disneyland. SHORT AND SWEET From the first date to the day we got married, it was exactly four months. To many people that would seem extremely quick, but we felt so good and it was just so right that we couldn’t wait.

RECEPTION The Manor at the Riverwoods
CAKE Wedding Cakes by Dawna
FLOWERS White Willow
CATERING Kneaders
RING Wilson Diamonds
INVITATIONS BYU Printing
SUIT JoS. A. Banks
VIDEOGRAPHY Eric Cory Cinematography

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Ashlee & Rob

admin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:40:26 +0000

photography by Suzanna Higginson Photography (suzannastendertreasures.blogspot.com)

BRIDE & GROOM Ashlee Jex and J. Robbie Stratton BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Spanish Fork GROOM’S HOMETOWN Bountiful BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Piano teacher GROOM’S OCCUPATION Owns and operates Cascade Pest Control WEDDING LOCATION Bountiful Utah LDS Temple WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO HIM Rob treated me like a princess. He always impressed me with his high standards for life, and he is extremely motivated to work hard for our family, which I love! WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO YOU “She is absolutely, stunningly beautiful,” Rob says. “I fell in love with her kindness. She is sweet and gentle but also fun-loving and exciting.” ROB’S MOTTO “2009 — Make Her Mine. 2010 — Start Your Den. 2011 — Bring Them Down From Heaven. We’ll see if that last one happens!” FIRST KISS After two months of dating, Rob was still terrified to kiss me. “One night dropping her off we had the awkward chat moment, and instead of going in for the kill I gave her a stupid hug. Getting to the bottom of the stairs, I realized I couldn’t leave like this, so I ran back up four flights of stairs. Ashlee opened the door, I think I mumbled something and then planted the first kiss of many on my future wife. Needless to say, I slayed a dragon that night.” FAVORITE DATE I told Rob I love yellow roses, so one day he picked me up for a date and had 11 red roses with one yellow rose in the middle. He told me there was only one girl for him and I stood out above all the rest — just like the yellow rose. THE PROPOSAL I thought Rob was away on a trip, but he surprised me with candles, roses and chocolate at the site of our first date. WEDDING COLORS Bright pink, orange, green and yellow. SWEET MOMENT My mom, Anne, is a cosmetologist and did my hair. FIRST DANCE Brad Paisley’s “Then.” SIGNATURE DETAIL People still rave about the food at our reception. We had chicken sandwiches, artichoke spinach dip, cinnamon and orange rolls, chocolate dipped strawberries, cookies and a candy table. UNEXPECTED MOMENT The delivery person brought our cake slightly frozen because it was going to be a hot day, but it started to melt. Luckily we were able to have it moved out of the hot sun and it survived the night. HONEYMOON We went to San Diego and had a great time. We went to the beach, saw the battleship cruisers, went to the Gaslamp District and just had a lot of fun!

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Candice & Doug

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:43:24 +0000

BRIDE AND GROOM Candice Clark and Doug Later BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Provo GROOM’S HOMETOWN Orem WEDDING LOCATION Draper Temple (ceremony), Thanksgiving Point (luncheon), Later residence (reception) HOW YOU MET We were both students at USU where I played soccer for the university’s women’s team. A girl I played soccer with was a friend of Doug’s, and she introduced us at dinner one night when we all went out. FIRST DATE We went to Cold Stone and then to a bonfire. FAVORITE DATING MEMORY On our second date, I was leaving his house and there was very little space between my car and the car next to me. As I was walking away, I received one of the most awkward side hugs I’ve ever gotten. WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO YOU Direct quote, “Her eyes, I think. Something about her just caught my attention and I couldn’t stop looking.” SIGNATURE DETAIL The colors of Cold Stone ice cream cups floating around the yard. WHAT WENT WRONG The drinking cups were left outside during the day and melted, so my dad had to run and get more at Costco. He didn’t realize my dress was in the back of his car, and he left — with my dress — 10 minutes before the reception started. I almost freaked out. OUR SONG “Then” by Brad Paisley SOMETHING I’M GLAD I DID I took bridals with Doug there as well. We still took pictures on the actual wedding day, but we had others to choose from. It made the wedding day a lot more relaxing because we weren’t stressed about not taking enough pictures. FAVORITE PART OF THE RECEPTION How laid back it was. It wasn’t a come-and-go type thing; a lot of people came and stayed for a few hours. BEST PART OF THE DAY Coming out of the temple and seeing our friends and family that came to support us.

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Jennifer & Christopher

bstewart — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:46:43 +0000

July 19, 2008
Photography by Glen Ricks Photography

BRIDE AND GROOM Jennifer Nielsen and Christopher John Lohner BRIDE’S HOMETOWN Orem GROOM’S HOMETOWN Alpine BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Member of the UVU soccer team GROOM’S OCCUPATION Server at Chili’s WEDDING LOCATION Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple HOW WE MET Our dads were best friends at Provo High. Our families got together a lot over the years, but Chris was three years older and never paid too much attention to me. As we got older, I sort of forgot about him until his family sent us pictures of them at Lake Powell. There was one picture of Chris I fell in love with. Once my dad found out about it, he intervened. OUR SONG “My Best Friend” by Tim McGraw Favorite dating memory He never let me drive. He always came to pick me up, and he never let me get the door for myself — he still won’t! SIGNATURE DETAIL My décor necessity was Styrofoam cone centerpieces with limes pinned on them. And I wore flip-flops — I hate being uncomfortable and I didn’t want to seem too tall. ONE THING I DID AND LOVED We did our first dance as a married couple before the reception ended. It was a precious moment. DAY IN THREE WORDS Dream come true

VENDOR LIST

Reception
Somewhere Inn Time

Invitations
Ken Newton Design

Ring
Wilson Diamonds

Dress
Bridal Center

Caterer
Somewhere Inn Time

Cake
Somewhere Inn Time

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Holly & Michael

bstewart — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:41:44 +0000

Sept. 19, 2008
Photography by Lindsay Jane Photography

BRIDE AND GROOM Holly Culverwell and Michael Murphy HOMETOWN Herriman BRIDE’S OCCUPATION Medical Claims Adjuster at Farmers Insurance GROOM’S OCCUPATION Service Manager at Petersen Marine WEDDING lOCATION Wadley Farm in Lindon HOW YOU MET We rode the school bus together since elementary school. To tell you how much we liked each other … he threw a battery at me on the bus in fifth grade. FIRST DATE He turned me down when I asked him to senior dinner dance in high school, so we didn’t go on a date until the summer of 2004. He took me to a rodeo. DATED FOR Five years ENGAGED FOR Four months THEME Rustic/Western FIRST DANCE We practiced before the wedding, so it went pretty well. It was, however, my first dance with my dad. He chose the song “My Little Girl” by Tim McGraw — good choice, Dad. FAVORITE MOMENT Right after the ceremony I had my DJ crank up the song “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz. I was relieved and excited at the same time. UNEXPECTED MOMENT About three minutes before the ceremony, the zipper on my dress broke. It’s pretty funny … now. SIGNATURE DETAIL I decorated with pinecones. HONEYMOON Road Trip to Jackson Hole and Yellowstone Park

VENDOR LIST

Invitations
Thinkdesign.com — Shasta Knight

Caterer
Niceley Dunn Catering

Cake
Anne’s Cake
Creations

Dress
David’s Bridal

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