Elizabeth and Mike
The Lodge at Blue Sky, Wanship, Sept. 26
Photography by Heather Nan
FROM HINGE TO HITCHED
In Elizabeth’s own words, the pair met “how all the kids are meeting these days:” on the dating app Hinge. The duo matched in 2018, but didn’t make it official for a full year after they made the connection. Elizabeth and Mike’s first date was in their home state of Illinois at a cozy speakeasy-style bar in Chicago.
A VERY PARK CITY PROPOSAL
On a ski trip to Park City, during breakfast the morning of a spa day Mike had planned at the St. Regis, Elizabeth mentioned, not so subtly, that “Park City would be the best place to get engaged.” They’d already been on the vacation for a couple of days, and she figured if he’d been planning to pop the question, he would have done so already. Little did she know he’d saved the best for last. The pair got massages and then headed to the Mountain Terrace to grab a drink. There, to Elizabeth’s surprise, Mike got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. She, of course, said yes.
TRADING UP
As all 2020 brides know, the year was a period of planning and re-planning weddings, and Elizabeth and Mike’s nuptials were no exception. “We had planned a November wedding in Detroit with 350 people and clearly that wasn’t going to happen,” Elizabeth says. With the help of Rachael Mayo, owner of Rachael Ellen Events, the duo regrouped and opted to scrap it all and invite only their nearest and dearest to the Utah Mountains for a micro destination wedding. According to Mayo, “They swapped their plans and traded them in for an unforgettable mountain experience. Their guests enjoyed a weekend of horseback riding, fly fishing and hiking followed by a cowboy Yurt rehearsal dinner and a romantic mountain wedding celebration.” Elizabeth was over-the-moon with the results. “This ended up feeling like Plan A, even though it was our COVID Plan B,” she says.
ALPINE I DOS
The pair’s micro destination wedding took place at the Blue Sky Tavern, a beautiful secluded ranch offering the mountains’ changing fall foliage as an unforgettable backdrop. “We created a romantic floral aisle and birch arch for their religious ceremony, complete with a live string quartet,” says Mayo. “Then, the guests moved down to the Arena Stable for signature cocktails, axe throwing and hors d’oeuvres. Elizabeth and Mike were welcomed to cocktail hour, when they danced for the first time as husband and wife before celebrating with their guests. A multicourse meal followed, during which their friends and family toasted the newlywed couple.”
DESIGN DETAILS
For the table design, Elizabeth and Mike kept everything romantic with only a hint of rustic notes. They chose modern glassware and flatware, a romantic lace design charger plate, blue napkins and a beautiful classic crest menu card in a monochrome blue shade. These modern yet classic elements balanced an organic, romantic floral garland runner and taper candles.
SOURCES
Wedding Planning and Design: Rachael Mayo, Rachael Ellen Events
Ceremony and Reception: Blue Sky Ranch
Catering: Blue Sky Ranch
Photography: Heather Nan Photography
Videography: Killer Creations
Makeup: Janelle Ingram
Floral: Rachael Ellen Events
Jazz Trio: Jacob Khalil
Ceremony Music: Maywood String Quartet
Cake: Lustr Creative
Lighting: Moonlight Utah
Lounge: Vault Rentals
Paper Goods: Samantha Meyer Studio
Rentals: Wild Event Studios and Diamond Event & Tent
Shuttles: Snow Country Limousine
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