What is it like when a wedding professional gets married? COMPLETELY AMAZING!! That's what it is!!
I was privileged enough to be invited to the wedding reception of Utah's own Mary Crafts, owner of Culinary Crafts Catering. I will say it was the most amazing wedding reception I have ever been to-- beautiful surroundings, warm summer night, delicious food, mouth-watering drinks, and most of all a couple that you can tell was absolutely crazy about each other and was having the party and the time of their life! What an experience! Now you are a lucky audience because Mary herself wrote her thoughts about her wedding days - yes it was a 3 day event! She was nice enough to give me the intimate details that went into planning her own wedding and how it all turned out...
"It was an amazing experience to plan my own wedding after 27 years in the wedding industry and planning over 5000 weddings for all ages and styles of brides. I was a little apprehensive to give love a second chance, but after finding Rick, there was no doubt he was what I needed in my life. As I said in our wedding vows, "You have seen more parts of me than anyone ever has. From this space, we realized that neither of us are perfect, but we truly are perfect for each other". Ten months later, our love grows deeper with each passing day.
Originally I had planned to host a small gathering at my home with hot dogs and hamburgers for a fun backyard wedding. It wasn't long before I realized that simply was not happening...so many people emailing and calling to say congratulations and how excited they were to attend our wedding....huh, were they even invited???? And then, those who said, "I can't wait to see what you are serving 'cause I know it will be the most amazing food ever!" Hmmm....I guess an intimate group with hot dogs was out.
However, all was not lost as that is exactly how I began our 3 day celebration of love. The rehearsal dinner was served in the backyard of my home with about 50 guests of our closest family and friends. This was the first time the two families had met, and the most important part of the day was to create a casual atmosphere where everyone was comfortable and welcomed. I used my wedding colors of aubergine and citron, but added a touch of coral to create a more playful atmosphere that was perfect for my home setting. We offered croquet, swimming, casual dining, and a run-through of the ceremony to complete the evening. Guests were greeted with Utah artisan cheeses and artisan bottled beverages. And I got to have my hamburgers and hot dogs! Add some great pulled pork, more homemade condiments that you can shake a stick at, and Lobster and Marscapone Macaroni and Cheese to take things up a notch, and voila--it's a party! The evening ended with Ice Cream Sodas made with our house gelato and a whimsical interactive S'more bar with homemade marshmallows and ganache.
After the evenings festivities, I bid farewell to Rick and was off to the Montage Hotel with my daughter (maid of honor)
to spend my last night reminiscing with her and dreaming of tomorrow.
Perfection is how I would describe the Montage and they attended to our every need. The next morning, I awoke early, leaned over and touched my daughter's cheek, and slipped out of that big king bed to spend some quiet moments on the private balcony. The sun was just rising and the the setting could not have been more perfect. I took pen in hand and wrote my wedding vows for the day. I was amazed at how easily it flowed as I expressed my love and commitments to Rick...I was ready to start my big day. I promised myself to live in each and every moment...not thinking of the past or worrying about the future...but each moment as if it were the only moment in time. This thought kept me grounded for the rest of the day and loving every second. Soon the entourage began to arrive...the make up and hair ladies, the photographer, the videographer, the vintage car driver...all gathering in our suite to share the day. The room filled with laughter, joy, and anticipation! It was a time I will never forget...for a moment in time, at age 57, I was Cinderella and my prince charming was waiting. Finally my gown arrived only to discover it had fallen off the hangar and was a wrinkled mess in the bottom of the bag. The Montage whisked my gown away to steam and press, and delivered it back in perfect condition. This all made for a behind-time departure and 100 guests waiting for the ceremony, but I was not stressed...I mean, after all, I was the bride! I walked graciously to the awaiting vintage white Rolls Royce and enjoyed every step of the way. I had been on the other side of things thousands of times, making sure every need of the bride was attended to, but this time it was me....and I was loving it.
The car drove down the long mountain lane at a magical destination called Red Cliff Ranch and I could see all the guests waiting in the arena and enjoying the classical guitar of Michael Luccarelli. The limo pulled to the arena entrance where we waited for the procession to begin...Rick's son, then Rick, then the flower girls and ring bearer, my daughter, and then my 2 sons to escort me. The door was opened and out I stepped... no one has ever felt more gratitude, more love, more joy than I felt at that moment when my eyes met Rick's.
Each son took an arm and together we made our way down the aisle to the waiting groom. My boys kissed me on the cheek and gave me to Rick. As the ceremony was set in the round, I was able to gaze around and see all the wonderful family and friends gathered for this special moment; all smiles, some tears, all love abounding.
Following the ceremony, hors d'oeuvres and lavender lemonade were passing while we mingled and laughed with guests. Soon we were seated in the barn for the formal luncheon served family style. It was the perfect blending of elegance and familiarity. The special children's area with "glow in the dark" glasses, candy, and kid's menu was a huge hit, and the nanny I hired allowed the parents to enjoy the day. The luncheon food was beyond perfection. I knew each bite was prepared with love by my staff and it was their gift to me. Family prayers, toastings, laughter, sharing... I wouldn't have changed one thing! The valet service was a very gracious touch and they placed a hand-made parting gift in each vehicle so all our treasured guest would know of our love and appreciation for their attendance. 
Rick and I were off for the Montage again in our Rolls but we didn't know what was awaiting us there. The suite had been tidied and cleaned by all my "ladies in waiting" of Reihl Events. Hundreds of candles and thousands of rose petals covered our room, bathroom, and bed. Sparkling bubbly, cheeses, chocolate dipped strawberries....they thought of everything. The rest of the day I will leave to the imagination...!
Breakfast in bed was arranged by the Montage and it was delish! I loved our timeline as nothing ever felt rushed. The rehearsal dinner on Thursday evening. The wedding ceremony and luncheon on Friday were from 11:00 am-3:00pm. We were able to enjoy our morning and left the hotel around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday to head for the reception.
A stop at Enizio was requested to make sure my makeup was perfection again and then off to a private estate up Mapleton Canyon. Here's where I had my brief "Bridezilla" moment...when I arrived I was distressed to find the book "tree" had been forgotten and guests would not be able to leave their wishes for us....then a few of the table linens were in the wrong color and place...the stress was building...! My son took me aside and said, "Mom, they are just linens...no one cares. Everyone is coming to celebrate with you and Rick...it's is going to be the party of the century. Don't let this ruin it." Wise words that I had given a million times to other brides and now they were given
to me. Rick took my arm and walked my down a small garden path, turned me, and kissed me on the forehead. I felt the tension leave my body and I was in the moment with him. Suddenly, all was right with the world again. My son was right. It was the party of the century. Culinary Crafts did it again; feeding 500 guests some of our most creative items all cooked on site to the awe of the guests. 
I had a little surprise up my sleeve for Rick. Just before our first dance, I moved to the stage and microphone to sing him a song. I was afraid I would be too nervous but I found I only had eyes for him and it was like I was all alone in time with him.
Another highlight of the evening, was when I asked all of my staff (and anyone who had ever worked for Culinary Crafts) to join on the dance floor for a high energy dance to "I Will Survive"! Yes, we will; yes, we will!
As night settled on the estate, the tents were illuminated for a magical look and the glowing orbs in the lake created a mystical atmosphere no one will forget. The final surprise came during our send-off as huge overhead fireworks lit up the night sky....glorious.
I tell every bride and groom to plan on being too busy to eat, but not to worry as Culinary Crafts will pack up a take-away bag with a tasting of all the food and 2 bottles of water. True to form, Rick and I did not eat any of the fabulous food at our reception, but we didn't take the sampling bag the staff had prepared for us. So, our first stop after leaving the reception? You guessed: IHOP; complete with wedding dress, tux, and pancakes!"
Thank you to all of the amazing people who organized such a beautiful wedding:
Photographers: Pepper Nix Photography, ZumaPhoto
Invitations and ceremony menu: Ann Elizabeth Custom Invitations
Cake: Carrie's Cakes
Decorations: Diamond Rental
Ceremony decor:: Riehl Events
Reception decor: Scenemakers
Music & Entertainment: Michael Lucarelli and The Joe Muscolino Band
Transportation: Something Vintage Something Blue
Bridal Gown: Alta Moda Bridal
Hair and Make-up: Enizio
Ceremony escort cards: Pink Piggy Design
Rehearsal dinner and reception signage: Pixel Whipped Studios
Hotel: Montage Deer Valley
This was such a fantastic wedding that BrideAccess featured it on one of our TV shows!
BRIDE'S MARCH MADNESS!! I have great data you can spill out to your man and you know what -- the possibilities for your "dream team" are even higher!
Have you heard of Quintillion? That’s how many bracket outcome possibilities exist. Not just one quintillion, though. With the expansion to 68 teams, there are now 147,573,952,589,676,412,928 possibilities. That’s over 147 quintillion! Oh my gosh that's 21 numbers long! This makes your odds of picking a perfect bracket 9.2 quintillion to 1. You have a better chance of winning the lottery!
I'm glad to know that even though I decide my brackets based on the color of the teams jerseys- I have as good of a chance to win as my husband who knows the spreads of the games. Spreads to me are for the bed or a sandwich.
For Bride's March Madness it's so much easier and more fun to decide a winner! We are down to the FINAL FOUR! I will show you four categories today that you can make a part of your brackets... Tip off right now!
The first one we get to think about and you can even do tastings for is the wedding cake. I think this is one of the most exciting things to decide for the BIG DANCE. You can also choose a Groom's Cake-- I love just looking at these, they are so creative! This is going to be fun!
_____ CAKES
Ambrosia Exquisite Wedding Cakes
Cake-A-Licious
Carrie's Cakes
Tiered Expressions
Catering- I must be hungry because this category sounds like the most important to me right now! Once again the possibilities are endless- do you want to have a full dinner for your guests, a buffet, or maybe dessert? We have lots of options that will cover anything you want and any budget.
_____ CATERING
Brown Brothers Catering
Cafe Rio
Cold Stone Creamery
Culinary Crafts
Elizabeth's Catering
Goodwood Barbecue Company
Leatherby's Family Creamery
SubZero Ice Cream
Surefire Pizza
Sweet Pea Catering
Utah Celebrations Catering
Well maybe this is my favorite team/category- Transportation- because I love antique cars. There's just something about a vintage car! If you want to add a great piece to your wedding consider using an antique car- or at least do a bridal shoot by it or something! This is like a "shoot-around" in photography! Remember vintage is in...
_____ TRANSPORTATION
Something Vintage Something Blue
We are getting down to the end of our planning- The last of our final four is to focus on the honeymoon! Yes this is the fun part! You may want to consider doing a honeymoon right here in Utah where there is the best variety within a few hundred miles! You may want to consider even having the entire BIG DANCE in Utah- a destination wedding. People travel from all around the world to come to these places. So now that you are on a winning streak and your margin of victory is improvng, here are 6 great honeymoon/destination wedding resorts to consider. You are one win away from paradise!
_____ HONEYMOON, HOTEL & TRAVEL
Anniversary Inn
Homestead Resort
St. Regis Deer Valley
The Inn at Entrada
Wild Sage Events
Zermatt Resort and Spa
With so many options I have no idea how you are going to decide on your dream team - but you can make it your own and show your personality. This is going to be the best day of your life!!!