Maggie Johnson and Chad Howard
September 15, 2012
Private Residence in Twin Creeks (Elkhorn)
Private Residence in Twin Creeks (Elkhorn)
A southern belle meets a local gentleman, they have a the perfect summer wedding in Sun Valley. With themes of "burlap, boots and bicycles," Maggie and Chad celebrated with a bit of Texan flaire meets Idaho culture, and no shortage of fun. Read the interview with this newlywed couple, including a list of their favorite local wedding vendors at the bottom!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SUN VALLEY?
Chad was born and raised in the Valley so the decision was easy for him. I wanted the opportunity to show my southern relatives and friends what this place is all about.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Chad is from the Wood River Valley, and I am from Dallas, Texas.
OCCUPATIONS?
Chad is a producer with Wood River Insurance. I am a Relationship Manager with Zions Bank Executive Banking.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
I was working as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and was on assignment in Ketchum. Chad saw me walking into Starbucks one afternoon and knew that I wasn’t from around here—he promptly followed me in, got in line behind me and struck up a conversation. We chatted while we waited for our drinks. As we parted ways, Chad said, “Well, I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
I frequented Starbucks every afternoon after meeting Chad in hopes that I would bump into him again. About two weeks later, we were both renting movies at Video West when we ran into one another again. Chad got up the nerve to ask if I would like to go out sometime, and I couldn’t believe it! Chad got my number on a Post-It note and we had our first date the following week.
HOW DID YOU GET ENGAGED?
Chad asked me to marry him the night before I ran the Portland Marathon. The ring I had my heart set on was being featured in Christopher and Company’s annual sale. I made sure to remind Chad every day leading up to the sale. I pleaded with him—“You are never going to find a deal like that ever again…” My colleagues were kind enough to throw me a “good luck” get together—it just happened to be the same time that Christopher’s doors opened for the first day of the sale.
Chad showed up at my office for the celebration and while I wanted to say, “What the heck you are doing here?” I refrained. I went to the store that afternoon and the ring was gone—I asked the girls about it and they said that someone was in first thing in the morning to purchase it and it wasn’t Chad. I was bummed. The next day, shortly after boarding the plane for Portland, Chad broke the news to me that he was not able to get to Christopher’s in time to get the ring. He didn’t realize so many people had their eye on the ring. He apologized profusely and told me that we’ll find another one. I was crushed! Chad was going to wait until after I ran the race but he couldn’t keep the secret any longer. Chad surprised me at dinner the night before the marathon. I was shocked! Aside from our wedding day, it was truly one of the happiest days of my life.
NUMBER OF GUESTS?
200
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING THEME?
Burlap, Boots and Bicycles.
ANY SPECIAL TRADITIONS?
My grandparents could not be at the wedding. To honor them and their 70 years of marriage, I put their wedding photos in my grandmother’s two heart-shaped lockets and tied them to my bouquet.
SONG THAT YOU WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TO?
Something really traditional—I think it was the wedding march… Sun Valley Chamber Players.
SONG FOR YOUR FIRST DANCE?
"I Won’t Let You Go," by James Morrison.
HOW DID THE NIGHT END?
We danced the night away, outlasting the majority of our guests. There was a small send-off for us. We spent our wedding night at the Sun Valley Resort.
WHERE WAS YOUR HONEYMOON?
Four Seasons Resort in Maui at Wailea.
WHAT MADE YOUR WEDDING SO SPECIAL?
Incredible family and friends.
WHAT WAS THE BRIDE’S FAVORITE MOMENT?
Getting together with all of my sorority sisters to serenade Chad with our Kappa song and chant. He had never seen anything like it—the look on his face was priceless.
THE GROOM’S?
Walking from the wedding to the reception and taking it all in—seeing all of our friends and family and seeing how everything came together so perfectly.
VENDOR LIST:
WEDDING PLANNER: Heather Minor Events
FLOWERS: Tara Bella Flowers
HAIR/MAKEUP: Tara Bell Brower
LINENS: Barbara’s Party Rentals
DRESS/SHOES: Allure Couture from Lulu’s Bridal Boutique / Old Gringo Cowgirl Boots
GROOMS ATTIRE: Joseph A. Banks
BRIDESMAIDS/GROOMSMENS ATTIRE: Alfred Sung / Joseph A. Banks
MUSIC: Nathan Hudson DJ
FOOD: Hank Minor and the Red Oven Mobile Wood Fired Pizza
DESSERT: The Sweet Crumb
INVITES: Bicycle Paper Designs
PHOTOGRAPHER: Two Bird Studio
OFFICIANT: Reverend Sandy Bazovsky
