Erin Bahoshy and Chris Brown
August 27th, 2011
Sun Valley
Ceremony at Trail Creek Cabin
Reception at River Run Lodge
Erin and Chris married in a ceremony that highlighted their love, their sense of fun and one of their favorite places in the world, Sun Valley. From the Baldy-themed place cards, personalized beer koozies and mini-tequila bottles, it was a fun and creative wedding for a fun and creative couple. Here, they tell us all about what made their day special, how difficult it was to plan an Idaho wedding from California, and about the sun that came out from behind the clouds just as they said their vows. Family and friends from all over the country joined them at the Sun Valley Resort to celebrate their love, send them off in a fire-engine escort and dance til 2 a.m.!
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Erin grew up in Sun Valley, Idaho but has lived in Manhattan Beach, CA for the last 6 years. Chris was born and raised in Orange County, CA but also has lived in Manhattan Beach for the last 6 years.
OCCUPATIONS?
Erin is an Account Executive at MTV Networks and Chris is a Firefighter/Paramedic in Huntington Beach, CA.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
We met at a mutual friend's birthday in Palm Springs the weekend before my college graduation. We later found out that over the previous few years, we had been at many of the same parties with shared friends but had never actually met before that weekend. It was an unforgettable three-day weekend – not only was it an absolute blast to be together but little did we know that we had each just met the person that we would want to spend the rest of our lives with. We both knew the attraction was immediate but never would have guessed that those feelings would grow into such a deep and unconditional love. And now we couldn't imagine a day without one other.
HOW DID YOU GET ENGAGED?
The day Chris proposed was absolutely perfect. We were vacationing in Cinque Terre, Italy and spent the day hiking from village to village, stopping for a quick swim, a bite to eat, or a refreshing drink in the various towns we passed through. It's such a magical place, with breathtaking panoramic views, gorgeous Mediterranean water, and exceptional food and wine. We were in heaven! After the long day of hiking, we had built up quite an appetite and were ready for a delicious Italian meal of pasta, wine, and, of course, our daily dose of Gelato. As we ate our dessert and strolled through the charming little town of Monterosso, we found ourselves heading down to the beach to relax under the stars. We were talking about the amazing time we were having and reminiscing about everything we had done on our trip so far, when suddenly Chris segued into a conversation about our future and something that he had been wanting to do for a while. He proceeded to get down on one knee, open a small box holding the most gorgeous diamond ring, and ask me to spend the rest of my life with him.
NUMBER OF GUESTS?
130.
WEDDING THEME?
Casual but elegant. Rustic and refined. Most importantly we wanted our guests to have a good time, so it was all about creating an atmosphere that was comfortable, welcoming, and fun while staying true to ourselves, as well as staying true to Sun Valley.
SONG THAT YOU WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TO?
Kevin Misajon played an acoustic version of Ben Harper’s “Forever” as I walked down the aisle.
FIRST DANCE?
My dad actually played the piano for our first dance. It was his own modified version of The First Day of My Life by The Bright Eyes.
GUEST FAVORS?
Our favors included a shot glass and a mini bottle of tequila, along with personalized M&Ms. All items were packaged together with a “Thank You” tag. We also passed around beer koozies and matches during cocktail hour.
HOW DID THE NIGHT END?
We wanted to be there until the end, and that we did! We were dancing and singing into the early morning right along with all of our friends and family.
WHERE WAS YOUR HONEYMOON?
We spent the week after our wedding hanging out in the Valley. It was perfect just relaxing and taking advantage of all that Sun Valley has to offer in the summertime! We are in the midst of trying to plan a real honeymoon for early next year. We’d been thinking about Fiji but we may opt for another couple of weeks traveling around Europe instead.
WHAT MADE YOUR WEDDING SO SPECIAL?
SO much…Having all of our family and friends from all over the country together with us to celebrate in one of our favorite places in the world. Also, the amazing thought, time, and attention put into every detail of the day. The personal touches made every aspect a true reflection of who we are. The love, happiness, and excitement that filled the entire day. The unbelievable band that kept guests dancing until 2:00 a.m. The heartfelt and entertaining speeches by our fathers and wedding party, the sun breaking through the clouds right as we exchanged our vows, the impromptu performance of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” sung by my grandfather, the fire truck escort from the ceremony to the reception…we could go on and on! It truly was more spectacular than we ever could have imagined. We have so enjoyed reliving all of the events of the weekend with our guests and hearing about the spectacular time everyone had in Sun Valley.
COLOR PALETTE?
Our colors were yellow and grey, with lots of whites and creams. We wanted the natural beauty of Sun Valley to shine through.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE YOUR MENU?
We wanted to keep it representative of Idaho, while picking items that we love most. We also tried to be sure that there were options for our guest’s varying tastes and preferences. At the end of the day, we knew we were in good hands with Sun Valley Company!
D.I.Y PROJECTS?
This was my favorite part of planning the wedding! We personally designed both our Save the Dates and menus, then had them professionally printed. We also created and printed all of the “lift ticket”-themed escort cards, the place cards adorned with different color flowers signifying each guest’s entrée selection, and the table names which were various ski runs on Baldy. The names for each table stood on corked wine bottles filled with pebbles.
We also created custom signs showcasing the various alcohols, beers, and wines that were available. These were placed in silver frames with bows and sat on the bars. At the ceremony, we passed out little vials of bubbles with tags attached asking our guests to blow them as we walked down the aisle after we were announced as husband and wife. Lining the aisle were shepherd hooks that Chris’s dad made. We also hung mason jars which Chris prepared and had Kathy Hansen fill with flower arrangements. It was a perfect addition to the gorgeous outdoor setting. Our moms and friends helped with the cocktail hour centerpieces. Cylinder vases filled with rocks, a flower, and floating candles were placed on each table.
On our guest book table we had framed wedding photos of our family, including grandparents, parents, and siblings. We attached tags to each with their names and wedding date. We thought this was a great way to include those family members that were unable to attend.
We had a western-themed welcome party the Thursday before our wedding. Here, we passed out Welcome Bags which included various Sun Valley pamphlets and guides, an itinerary of the weekend’s events, personalized water bottles, and a few snacks. We did all of it ourselves!
The favors turned out to be a big project. The shot glasses and M&Ms were designed and ordered online. For the alcohol, we filled mini bottles with tequila and applied personalized labels to each. All items were packaged together. The koozies, matches, and napkins which were passed around during the cocktail hour and reception were also stamped with our names and wedding date.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Planning and coordinating details of the weekend while living 1000 miles away. We both work long hours, which proved to be a constant challenge! Fortunately, both Amanda Seaward and Sun Valley Co were a huge help, as well as our parents and friends! We couldn’t have done it without them!
TIPS FOR SOMEONE PLANNING A SUN VALLEY WEDDING?
Because Sun Valley has become such a popular wedding destination, I would suggest making some of your big decisions as soon as possible. Venues fill up quickly, so if you want your choice of dates, start thinking about it as soon as you get engaged. This applies to the vendors as well – photographer, band, florist, hair & makeup, etc. If you have local friends and connections, use them! This helped us tremendously, especially since we were planning from so far away. And most importantly, have fun with it and remember to focus on what’s important! No matter what, the day will be perfect because you will have all of your loved ones together in a magical place to help celebrate your love and commitment to each other.
VENDOR LIST:
WEDDING PLANNER: Amanda Seaward of Absolute Weddings.
FLOWERS: Kathy Hansen, Flower Designs By Kathy.
HAIR/MAKEUP: Jamilynn Smith at Vertu Hairdressing.
DRESS/SHOES: Christos dress from The White Dress in Corona Del Mar and off-white Badgley Mischka stilettos.
GROOMS ATTIRE: Black Hugo Boss Suit, grey Kenneth Cole tie, white Banana Republic french cuff shirt, Tiffany’s cufflinks, and grey Vans.
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES/GROOMSMEN: Simple Silhouettes dresses in Twilight accented with yellow hair flowers and yellow and silver jewelry for the bridesmaids. Black suits with soft yellow ties and grey Vans for the groomsmen.
MUSIC: Kevin Misajon and band.
FOOD: Sun Valley Company.
DESSERT: Delicious red velvet three-layer square cake with fresh flowers from Sun Valley Company.
INVITES: Wedding Paper Divas.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kristin Cheatwood.
OFFICIANT: Wendy Collins, who is truly amazing!
