Andrea & Branden Florence
October 2, 2010
Sun Valley, Idaho
(Gimlet)
So after a few beers, some delicious Fish and Chips, and a couple of Bombay and tonics it’s official that Craig Wolfrom will be photographing our wedding next summer. Chatham and I are both so thrilled. No matter what
Craig’s shooting, his work always feels fresh and original.
He breathes his zest for life into all the images he takes, and when shooting a wedding he makes sure that the personality of the couples is what dictates his shot list. I think Craig once again hit the nail on the head with Andrea and Branden’s wedding. The shots exude elegance and warmth, and that’s exactly what they wanted. Andrea says they were going for a classic, elegant, casual and slightly rustic theme, and it looks like that’s exactly what it was – it’s just beautiful. And her dress was STUNNING. I love the detailing on the side. Wow!!
I’m so pleased that they chose to share the details of their day with us—I won’t lie a few tears were shed while sorting through all their pictures, they seem so happy and in love! Congratulations to you both.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
We both grew up in Boise, ID but now live in the San Francisco Bay Area. But we make frequent trips back to ID!
HOW YOU MET?
Throughout the years growing up in ID we would run into each other every once in awhile, but we started dating after reconnecting at Thanksgiving party. And we’ve been together ever since! 8 years later!
HOW DID YOU GET ENGAGED?
On Easter 2009 we had an Easter egg hunt and Branden hid my ring in an egg! It was such a great surprise and the best Easter ever!
NUMBER OF GUESTS?
About 160
WEDDING THEME?
No specific theme but we were going for a rustic, casual, elegant, intimate feel. We wanted it classy but not stuffy. And we wanted the reception to be more like a party and less like a traditional wedding reception.
GUEST FAVORS?
We didn’t have favors but we had some Idaho produced cupcake scented ‘love’ hand creams that guests were welcome to take!
HOW DID THE NIGHT END?
Since our reception was at a house we decided to stay there with some of our friends. So the night ended with mini grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade chorizo sliders for guests, lots of hugs and cheers, and us standing on the front porch waving goodbye to guests as they boarded the last 1am shuttle back to downtown Ketchum!
WHERE WAS YOUR HONEYMOON
We went to Maui for a week! It was amazing!
WHAT MADE YOUR WEDDING SO SPECIAL?
There was so much love around us and it was very special to have our families and closest friends there to celebrate with us!
FAVORITE DETAIL?
There were so many! We loved EVERYTHING about the day. But one highlight was the father of the bride song/toast – my dad wrote a song about our journey and played the guitar/sang it to us at the reception. SO amazing!
COLOR PALETTE?
We went with very classic, elegant colors: champagne, gold, ivory
HOW DID YOU DECIDE YOUR MENU?
A family friend/chef catered our wedding with a Basque influence – the groom is Basque! We wanted a variety of food options that weren’t typical wedding choices. We had halibut, lamb, pork loin, a seafood paella, salad, bread etc. We also had a cocktail hour before dinner with appetizers: croquetas, shrimp/leek puff pastries and bruschetta. As a late night snack we had the chef prepare mini grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade chorizo sliders!
D.I.Y PROJECTS?
I tried to avoid too many DIY projects since I was planning the wedding from afar but my super crafty maid of honor Kristin forced me into it with her great ideas. We constructed the centerpieces (and by we, I mean Kristin), my friend’s mom sewed the table runners, and we assembled and printed the table cards.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE?
Planning the wedding from afar without a wedding planner along the way! I definitely took on A LOT by planning a destination wedding while working a very busy job. I wish I would have had a planner from the very beginning – I had an amazing wedding coordinator for the day of and she was fabulous. I just wish I would have hired her from day one!
ANYTHING NON-TRADITIONAL INCORPORATED?
The father of the bride sang his toast
CULTURAL TRADITION?
We had some Basque influenced foods due to the groom’s Basque heritage.
SONGS?
I walked down the aisle to a piano/violin version of Canon in D and our first dance song was ‘Then’ by Brad Paisley
TIPS FOR SOMEONE PLANNING A SUN VALLEY WEDDING?
Hire a planner if you don’t live there! Its very hard to plan from afar. Also, since Sun Valley vendors tend to be more expensive you should consider looking at vendors from Boise or neighboring areas. All of our vendors were from Boise except for our floral company. This actually saved us a lot of money.
Whether in Sun Valley or elsewhere, we highly recommend renting shuttles for your guests. This was something our guests really appreciated and it allowed everyone to have fun and not worry about drinking and driving. So if you can squeeze it into the budget it’ll be worth it. Our guests stayed in downtown Ketchum and at the SV Lodge, and our reception was in Gimlet.
Know that the weather can be unpredictable! Be prepared for anything coming your way. We had a tent and heaters in the backyard of our reception site – sun, rain or snow…we were prepared!
Decide what is really important to you and what you don’t care that much about – and redistribute your time, energy and money into the things you really care about.
Accept help when people offer! You may think you can do it all but sometimes all the planning can get overwhelming. Delegate to those you trust and save a little stress!
If you can spring for it, hire a videographer or at least have a friend take some video footage. After all that time, energy, money, love, sweat, tears….you can relive that day again and again!
VENDOR LIST:
WEDDING PLANNER: Bridget Wright, Ripple Fountains
FLOWERS: Sue Bridgman Florist
HAIR/MAKEUP: Courtney King – hair and make-up
DRESS/SHOES: Dress was by Melissa Sweet, shoes were by Badgley Mischka
BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES: JCrew
PARTY RENTALS: Diamond Rental in Boise Idaho
MUSIC: DJ Adam Eberle and live music by Billy Braun and Muzzie Braun
FOOD: Chef Jesus Alcaley
INVITES: By friend Katie Mooney of Valice
PHOTOGRAPHER: Craig Wolfrom Photography
VIDEOGRAPHER: Levi Bettwieser
OFFICIANT: Deacon Pierce Murphy
Here is our wedding website if you want more info: www.BandDrea.com
BUDGET RANGE:
A) ON A SHOESTRING (5,000-20,000) it was tough but doable.
B) SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN (20,000-60,000)
C) WHAT BUDGET? (60,000+)
