Weddings October 21, 2010

Wedding Tips Volume 4

Sarah Shivers & Erik Heiden
Two weeks after she moved to Sun Valley, Sarah met Erik at a party at the Roosevelt Tavern—and they’ve been together ever since. Five months before their September 2004 nuptials, Erik opened Wise Guy Pizza Pie in Hailey. The couple had planned an outdoor wedding and reception in Ketchum’s Forest Service Park; but several days before the event, the weather report looked grim—so they moved the reception to the Outta Bounds Lounge. “It was awesome,” Sarah says. “We got married under a giant spruce tree in the park, with guests standing under tents. Then, everyone drove over to the reception. It was just the atmosphere we wanted—really casual, not stuffy.” Her advice? “Always have a backup plan. If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, it’s good to be prepared in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. No matter how many tents and heaters you have, it’s hard keep people warm and dry when it’s 40 degrees and raining.”
Photography by Hillary Maybery

 

Christine Gould & Tyler Davis-Jeffers
Tyler popped the question at the summit of Triple Peaks, where he and Christine were backcountry skiing on a sparkling February afternoon. Later that evening, they celebrated with a romantic dinner at Chandler’s—complete with a chilled bottle of bubbly and fresh flowers provided by Christine’s best friend. “I’ve never been so surprised in my life,” Christine says. The couple married on October 10, 2004, at a private residence north of Ketchum. “Tyler and I were lucky to host 120 guests who had traveled from all over the country,” Christine says. “A majority of them had never been to Sun Valley, so we treated it like a destination wedding. We provided save-the-date booklets six months in advance, with information regarding scheduled activities, recommended restaurants, and things to do. Our guests took advantage of all the activities Idaho has to offer, and left feeling like they’d had a special Sun Valley experience.”
Photography by Kirsten Shultz

 

Heather McNary & Don Cunningham
At the top of Rudd Mountain, on a crisp October afternoon, Don surprised Heather with a proposal. “Don had suggested going on a quick hike after work,” Heather explains. “I wondered why he was bringing his CamelBak.” (It was where he had stashed an engagement ring and a bottle of Champagne.) The couple tied the knot on August 14, 2004, at a friend’s house on the Big Wood River in Ketchum. “It was like a fairytale,” says Heather. Their guests feasted on lamb and salmon, while a Boise disco band, Soul Purpose, kept the reception rocking. “Relax and have fun,” Heather says. “A lot of people get wrapped up in the production of it rather than focusing on the true meaning of the wedding. They stress about having the perfect flowers, the perfect tablecloths, the perfect dress. No one ends up even noticing those things.”
Photography by Hillary Maybery

 

Karen Stevens & Michael Bulls
Karen and Michael met at Ketchum’s infamous Casino Bar (yes, good things can happen there after dark). A few years later, while snowshoeing in Trail Creek, Michael got down on one knee. On September 25, 2004, they got married and had their reception at Warm Springs Ranch. “It rained the entire week before our wedding, as well as the week after,” Karen says. But the weather gods smiled on their big day, and it was “perfectly warm and sunny.” Their reception featured four wedding cakes—chocolate, coconut, lemon, and cheesecake—all designed by Cristina’s and such a hit that the bride didn’t even get a bite. Her tip: “Don’t stress about every tiny detail. I had a great time at our wedding because I didn’t worry about little things. Nothing is important enough to get all worked up over.”
Photography by Kirsten Shultz

 

 

 

This article appears in the Issue of Sun Valley Magazine.