How do you handle handle a cold weather wedding? With winter-wonderland style and sparkle, of course! Michelle Leo Events pulls off the ultimate December destination wedding at St. Regis Deer Valley for lovebirds Mills & Andy.
THE COUPLE 
Texans Mills and Andy first met at Texas Christian University, but they didn’t get together until after graduation when they were both living in Dallas. “Two of our friends—who are now married—were dating each other at the time, so I went to meet up with them at a bar one night and Andy was there,” Mills explains. “He actually didn’t remember hitting on me until we met up again the next night. He walked up saying, ‘Oh my gosh, Mills, I haven’t seen you in three years,’ which made for a great lead for me to make fun of him for not remembering me from the night before.”
After two and half years of dating, Andy surprised Mills with a patio proposal at his parents’ home in Uptown Dallas. “When it was nice outside, we would always go up there to have wine and appetizers with them. One Friday, he told me we were going to dinner with his family—but we’d stop by their house first to have wine on the patio, like we normally did. What I didn’t know was his parents weren’t actually there, and he had set up the upstairs patio with flowers, candles and champagne. He ran up the stairs ahead of me. When I got to the top, I could see the candles and flowers. He got down on one knee and proposed.”
THE WEDDING
Mills always dreamt of having a destination wedding, so a Utah winter getaway was the perfect choice. “A destination makes it more of a vacation than just a wedding,” the bride says. Not only did Mills fall for Andy, but she had also fallen in love with Park City. While dating, the couple would often travel to the ski town to stay at Andy’s parents’ home off Main Street. “We wanted our friends and family to enjoy everything we love about Utah.”
THE MOOD
“People thought we were crazy to do an outside wedding in December in 20-degree weather,” Mills says of their winter-wonderland party that featured “soft and sweet” hues including pale pink, blue and ivory. Blue and gray blankets awaited guests on chair backs. Hotel staff served hot cider to attendees as they took their seats. Glowing lanterns lined the aisle leading to a blooming arch. “I wore my sister’s wedding veil, which was my something borrowed. I also had a blue handkerchief that belonged to my late Grandmom. It was wrapped around the bouquet and served as my something blue.” Overhead cafe lights and table candles illuminated a clear-sided reception tent on the St. Regis patio.
THE CUISINE
Hors d’oeuvres included tomato basil shooters and mini grilled cheese sandwiches, along with barbecue bacon-wrapped shrimp. “For dinner, we chose to do stations to give our guests a variety. We did a beef tenderloin station, salad station, pasta station and a mashed potatoes and grit station,” Mills says. Carrie’s Cakes provided a five-layer cake with tiers of chocolate and classic white (see the gorgeous final product below!). “The groom is not a big dessert fan, so we decided to nix the expense of a groom’s cake and do a fun bananas foster dessert station instead. It was a big hit.”
THE TUNES
“Mills and I both went crowd surfing during the middle of the reception and it was awesome,” Andy says of his most memorable moment of the evening. The newlyweds danced to “River” by Leon Bridges, who is their favorite artist and with whom they shared an unforgettable concert experience.
Planning/Design/Rentals: Michelle Leo Events | @michelleleoevents
Photographer: Gideon Photography | @gideonphoto
Hair: Kali Chris Hair | @kalichris
Makeup: Kristen Packard Artistry | @kristenpackardartistry
Videographer: Summer Satterfield, Texas |
Band: Party Crashers | @thepartycrashersband
Floral: Artisan Bloom | @artisanbloom
Rentals: Diamond Rental | @diamondeventandtent
Tent: All Out Event Rental | @allouteventrental
Paper Suite: Pearly Gates Designs | @pearlygatesdesigns
Save the Dates: Minted | @minted
Cake: Carrie’s Cakes | @carriescakesut
Exit Car: Something Vintage Something Blue |
Groom’s ring: Bachendorf’s, Dallas | @bachendorfs
Bride’s rings: Dallas Gold & Silver, Dallas | @dallasgoldandsilver
Gown: Anne Barge, Stanley Korchak, Dallas | @annebarge available at @altamodabridal
Tuxedos: Jos. A. Bank | @josabank
Bridesmaids’ gowns: Joanna August, Bella Bridesmaid, Dallas | @joannaaugust
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