Born and raised locals Lauren Eder and Joey Stevenson have great advice for planning a wedding: do it your way. Which is exactly what they did… Personal touches like a homemade cornhole game, whiskey station, ice cream sundae bar, and signature cocktails made it completely their own. Read the Q&A with this adorable bride and groom, and don’t miss their vendor list at the bottom of the page.
Date: September 19, 2015
Venue: The Homestead
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SUN VALLEY?
We both grew up here so it was a natural choice when it came time to choose a location. Plus it meant a lot to us to be able to show off the beautiful place we still call “home” to all of our friends that have never had the chance to visit.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Both of us are from Sun Valley.
OCCUPATIONS?
Lauren works in banking as a credit officer and Joey is a project manager/architect for a boutique design build company in Denver.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
We grew up together and both attended Wood River High School. However, we did not start dating until after our sophomore year of college. Lauren went to University of Denver and Joey attended University of Colorado in Boulder.
HOW DID YOU GET ENGAGED?
Joey proposed at the ruins on one of our/his favorite hikes, Mt. Falcon, which overlooks Denver. I was in the middle of eating a granola bar and was so caught off guard that I didn’t have time to finish chewing before saying “Yes!” I think the chocolate in my teeth really sealed the deal for him.
NUMBER OF GUESTS?
160
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING THEME?
Idaho rustic
ANY SPECIAL TRADITIONS?
We chose to write our own ceremony and had a family friend who is also the county judge recite it. I get emotional easily so we tried to keep things light-hearted and fun and our wedding photos and video definitely reflect that. We were both laughing the whole time!
SONG THAT YOU WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TO?
Bride – “Whatever It Is” by Zac Brown Band
Groom – “Thousands Years” by The Piano Guys
SONG FOR YOUR FIRST DANCE?
“Crazy Love” by Audra Mae
HOW DID THE NIGHT END?
With the groom’s brother singing “Hot Hot Hot” and the guests enjoying late night grilled cheeses and spicy popcorn.
WHERE WAS YOUR HONEYMOON?
We spent a week in Kauai, Hawaii snorkeling, hiking, and exploring the amazing island.
WHAT MADE YOUR WEDDING SO SPECIAL?
Both of us are fairly simple people and we wanted our day to reflect that. We made sure to stay true to ourselves and every aspect of our wedding meant something special to us both as individuals and as a couple including the signature cocktails, the ice cream sundae bar, and the wedding favors. Celebrating with all of our friends and family was special as well. Our guests traveled from around the world to celebrate with us and we loved having everyone together in one place.
WHAT WAS THE BRIDE’S FAVORITE MOMENT?
If I had to choose just one, I would have to say walking down the aisle. We chose to do a first look before the ceremony but as soon as “Whatever It Is” started playing and I began walking down the aisle towards Joey, I felt a whole different set of emotions.
THE GROOM’S?
I would have to say it was eating ice cream with my new wife at the end of the night. The girl loves her ice cream, Toni’s, and sprinkles in particular. It was a great moment where just the two of us were able to sit down, enjoy each other’s company, and watch the crowd. I will always remember her response when I told her we had better get back on the dance floor. She looked at me with devastated puppy dog eyes and said, “But I haven’t even finished my ice cream yet?” This is why I love her. She has her priorities in line.
D.I.Y PROJECTS? GUEST FAVORS?
Everything was D.I.Y! My creative friend and bridesmaid, Kacie, hand painted the wedding signs and the menu boards. My mom and all of my bridesmaids helped assemble the centerpieces for the reception with Kacie’s guidance. Joey designed and built both the Whiskey bar and the cornhole game. Our wedding favors were little jars of Sun Valley mustard (we are both huge fans!) accompanied by bags of pretzels each stuffed and tied with twine. Everyone pitched in to help make our wedding day special and we were so thankful for the help!
TIPS FOR SOMEONE PLANNING A SUN VALLEY WEDDING?
Learn to delegate and trust your vendors. I am a perfectionist and love to be in control, but if I would have been involved in every aspect of the planning, I would have driven myself (and Joey) crazy. Both of us were blown away at how well everything came together and none of it could have been possible without our amazing parents and vendors.
VENDOR LIST:
WEDDING PLANNER: The Bride, the Bride’s Mother, and Kelley Maybo (day-of wedding coordinator)
FLOWERS: Kacie Femling and Tara Bella Flowers
HAIR/MAKEUP: Third Floor Salon / Lea Webber
LINENS: Diamond Rentals
DRESS/SHOES: Robert Bullock from Little White Dress (Denver) / Nina / Corral Vintage Cowboy Boots
GROOM’S ATTIRE: Ryan Seacrest Distinction / Cole Hann
BRIDESMAIDS/GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: J. Crew / Ryan Seacrest Distinction
MUSIC: Nathan Hudson Entertainment
FOOD: The Ketchum Grill
DESSERT: Sydney Stroup (cake) / Toni’s Sun Valley Ice Cream (ice cream sundae bar)
INVITES: Designed by the Groom, printed by YellowDog (Denver)
PHOTOGRAPHER: Ellie Grover and Molly Sowers
VIDEOGRAPHER: Chase Cleveland
OFFICIANT: Judge Robert Elgee
