Kali and Roy spent a lot of time getting to know each other in the beautiful snow covered mountains of Utah. So when they picked a location for their wedding it made perfect sense to marry at Park City’s Deer Valley Lodge.
Kali + Jeffery
July 20, 2013
Park City, Utah
Why a Mountain Wedding?
We chose a mountain wedding because we both love the outdoors! We love nature and the beauty of the mountains is unparalleled. I grew up in Salt Lake City surrounded by mountains and even skiing at the resort we chose as our venue and my husband grew up on the East coast and has always had a fascination with the mountains of the West. Since so many of our guests had to travel it seemed only fitting to make sure our wedding venue was as naturally beautiful as possible. We wanted it to feel like a vacation for our guests as much as a weekend for our wedding.
What was your budget?
I am not sure that we had a set budget. We knew we wanted a great party with great food, lots of fun, and a great atmosphere. We wanted all those things for as cheap as we could make them. We made sure to spend most of our money on the things that matter to our guests such as food, unlimited drinks, and a great DJ. The rest is all just little details that at the end of the day do not matter all that much. We just tried to keep this in mind throughout the entire planning process so we were not spending money on silly things.
Where did you find your inspiration?
I do not think I “found” inspiration, I think that the venue, Deer Valley, and the beautiful mountains were the inspiration. I really did not want to take away from the beauty of what was already there so we decided to keep the rest minimal and let nature speak for itself.
Biggest splurge
Food and drink! It is not cheap to feed that many people with food that is actually really good (the same quality you would expect if you were ordering it in one of the restaurants at Deer Valley). Alcohol is also not cheap but again our main goal was to make sure our guests had the best time and for us that meant spending most of our budget on food and alcohol. Totally worth it, by the way.
Oh and we also hired a limo bus to transport our guests to and from the Lodge that the wedding was held and the hotel where the majority of our guests were staying. This was pretty expensive but we wanted to make sure that everyone could have a good time without having to worry about driving down the canyon in the dark after drinking. We wanted to make sure safety was a priority.
Biggest savings:
Not sure on this one, maybe flowers? Like I said we really tried to make sure we saved on all the little things that were not as big of a deal so that we could spend on the food and drink. Our flowers were done by a local florist who runs her own little business. She was great to work with and since I was not too fussy on the type of flowers that were used in the arrangements we were able to not spend too much on that. Like I said before, we wanted the beauty of the mountain resort shine so we kept flower arrangements small and inconspicuous. It is always annoying to be a wedding guest sitting at a table where the centerpiece is so huge you can’t see around it!
What were some personal details you incorporated?
I feel like the whole day was so personal! We got married in the mountains! I think that some of our personal touches came out in the actual ceremony. We used a non-denominational reverend who interviewed both of us separately and incorporated the things we said about each other into our ceremony. It was very “us” and the guests in the audience were laughing throughout the ceremony because it was so sweet. We also tried to have the DJ play each of our parents and grandparents wedding first dance songs throughout the night so that they had a special moment as well. We had an entire table full of desserts in addition to the wedding cake because my husband has a major sweet tooth!
Your favorite moment of the day.
The moment when the Reverend started his personal section of the ceremony and we realized our interviews with him were almost identical and we laughed along with the guests!
Three things you’re glad you did.
- Offered an open bar,
- Hired a videographer,
- Choose Deer Valley and Park City as our wedding destination.
Anything you wish you hadn’t done?
Honestly, no! The only snafu we had was with the limo bus company so I guess I would have liked to hire a different company to do the work but would still have hired a shuttle for our guests.
What was the best piece of wedding advice you got?
It is only one day (yes, it’s a special one) but remember that
We tried to think of it as a really fantastic party and that kept us grounded
Anything you wish you hadn’t worried about?
I think was a pretty calm bride so I do not think I worried too much
How did you choose your vendors?
I did a lot of internet research and sent a lot of emails! I did all the planning from out of state so websites and emails were essential. In the end we went with the people who had the best prices and the best “feel” and we did not regret a single one! It amazes me how many people just ignore emails and take a very long time to get back to you. It is almost as if they do not want your business :)
What is your very best advice to other mountain brides?
Remember that in the end it is only one day of the rest of your lives together! Try not to get too caught up in the hype that is wedding planning (it is a crazy business!). Think about your guests! They are the most important part of your day. Make decisions with them in mind as much as you and your fiance. Spend the money on either a great DJ or a band, they set the mood of the whole night and if they are playing music no one likes or can dance to then your guests will go home early and that will likely be the only thing they remember after a few days.
As as side note, Etsy is a fantastic place to find great deals on wedding stuff. I even bought things like my veil, hair piece, and cake topper and they all turned out better than I had hoped!
Park City Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Ravenberg Photography | Cake and Caterer: Deer Valley | Reception Venue: Deer Valley Resort | Cinema and Video: Forevermore Films | Dress Store: Gateway Bridal | DJ: Marriot Entertainment | Florals: June Bug | Hair and Makeup: Signature Brides | Officiant: Reverend Christopher from Universal Heart Ministry.
All of our guests raved about every single one of our vendors and they are still talking about them almost a year later!