Real Wedding: Matrimony in the Mountains

July 7, 2022

Selma and Jon
Alta Peruvian Lodge, September 11
Photography by Cecilia Harvard

THE COUPLE
Selma and Jon met in college during their freshman year. Selma reached out to Jon for a bit of math tutoring, little did she know she would be gaining much more than a good grade. The pair built their friendship for eight years until they started dating. Three years after their first date, the couple was visiting southern Utah’s San Rafael river where they paddle boarded with friends. Somewhere between navigating18 miles of calm waters and enjoying the desert sun, Jon proposed to Selma.

THE WEDDING

The couple chose to tie the knot at the Alta Peruvian Lodge which allowed them to take much creative freedom in their ceremony and reception. “We both love skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon,” says Selma, whose outdoor lifestyle led her to choose the rustic venue.

Instead of settling on a specific wedding theme, the couple went a less traditional route. “We are very environmentally conscious so everything was biodegradable or reusable,” says Selma. To tie their rustic decor together, the bride wanted jewel tones throughout flower arrangments and reception spaces. To elevate their outdoor aisle, a ruby bohemian rug was placed on the lawn.

THE MENU

As a must-have on their wedding menu? “Bosnian food!” Family friends cooked lamb earlier in the day and brought several desserts made by the Bosnian community. The couple also brought on Angela’s catering to provide a Mediterranean-style menu, complete with rice pillaf, fresh salad, chicken and salmon.

THE RECEPTION

After the ceremony, the wedding party gathered in the venue’s lodge area for a night of dancing and celebration. Selma and Jon had their first dance to “Love You Madly” by Cake. And afterward, the group partied the night away to “traditional and contemporary Bosnian music, which kept the energy very high!”