Lauren & Leo
Tag Ranch, July 17th
Planning and Design by Marae Events
Photography by Heather Nan
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Lauren and Leo, who are both Park City transplants (she’s from Torrance, Calif. and he hails from Newport News, Va.), met on the job at Montage Deer Valley. “We worked in different departments but realized a connection when we were out for drinks one night with a mutual friend,” Lauren says. “We hit it off instantly.” Fast-forward five years later: While each had moved on in their careers—Lauren sells real estate and Leo is both a whiskey blender for High West Distillery and recently launched his own wine label, Model Citizen—their relationship was stronger than ever. And, so, Leo decided it was time to bring it full circle. “He proposed to me back where it all began, on the Vista Terrace at Montage Deer Valley,” Lauren says.
THE VENUE
For their wedding, the couple “wanted to throw a big family party where we could all be outside and enjoy the beauty of Utah,” Lauren explains. As such, from the moment she and Leo arrived for a site tour at Tag Ranch, a working ranch and event venue bursting with upscale western charm, they knew it would be their wedding venue. “When we arrived at the ranch we instantly felt at home,” Lauren says.
THE BIG DAY
Marae Events’ Sarah Tucker helped Lauren and Leo zero in on a modern and neutral color scheme based in white, ivory, creme and sage green with black and tan accents. The couple was married at the ranch’s flagstone patio ceremony site under a rough-hewn timber arch flocked with free-form florals. Woven baskets heaped with grasses and greenery, inspired by the rolling hills surrounding Tag Ranch, lined the aisle to the arch. Additional baskets were filled with parasols and woven fans for guests to cool themselves with during the ceremony. Lauren wore a romantic off-the-shoulder, A-line gown with an embroidered tulle overlay from White April and fabulous open-toe gold heels with a pleated-bow embellishment. Leo dressed in a custom-made charcoal grey suit and vest. Lauren’s bridesmaids wore taupe chiffon gowns in styles they each chose. The groomsmen wore charcoal grey tuxedos. The ceremony was officiated by Leo’s father.
KING’S TABLE SHOWSTOPPER
Following a post-ceremony cocktail hour featuring drinks made with High West Distillery whiskey, guests made the short walk to a meadow behind the ranch’s barn where a long king’s table was set with flowers and creamy white linens. A canopy of billowing fabric shaded its entire length. “Guests at Tag Ranch usually dine in the barn or on the adjacent patio,” Tucker says. “I wanted to create a little more unique experience for Lauren and Leo’s wedding and proposed pulling the guests into the beautiful surroundings instead.” As Lauren and Leo’s wedding date approached, however, daytime highs climbed into the mid-90s. And so, with help from Moonlight Lighting, Tucker designed the table canopy to shade guests during dinner while deepening the overall aesthetic. The dinner menu was ranch-themed and included smoked Snake River pork shoulder with blood orange barbecue sauce, Dutch oven potatoes, roasted green beans and corn bread muffins with Utah honey butter. Along with the vanilla-custard wedding cake (made by the bride’s aunt), dessert included beignets served with chocolate, caramel and strawberry coulis.
THOUGHTFUL DETAIL
Instead of writing their own vows, Lauren and Leo paid homage to their shared Irish roots with what’s known as a handfasting ceremony. This ancient marriage ritual was made popular in Ireland and Scotland during the early Christian period and is the origin of the familiar expression “tying the knot.” “We were honored to have Leo’s sisters tie the knots for us,” Lauren says.
THE PLAYERS
PLANNING & DESIGN: Marae Events
PHOTOGRAPHY: Heather Nan
VENUE: Tag Ranch
FLORAL: Brya Designs
BRIDAL GOWN: White April, The Bridal Studio
BRIDE’S RECEPTION DRESS: Jenny Yoo
BRIDE’S SHOES: Loeffler Randall
GROOM’S SUIT: Indochino
BRIDESMAID’S DRESSES: Birdy Grey
GROOMSMEN TUXEDOS: The Black Tux
CATERING: Culinary Crafts
BAR SERVICES: Top Shelf
DINING STRUCTURE: Moonlight Lighting
RENTALS: Diamond Event & Tent
NAPKINS: La Tavola Fine Linens
SEATING CHART DISPLAY: Rooted Script, @rootedscript
HAIR & MAKEUP: Lesley Lind Makeup & Hair
TRANSPORTATION: Snow Country Limousine
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