Alexandra Taft and Dashiell Longe
August 17, 2013
Trail Creek Cabin
Trail Creek Cabin
The looming flames, smoke and red skies from the infamous 2013 Beaver Creek Fire threatened to spoil the wedding of local Alex Taft and her husband, Dash Longe. Luckily, their friends and family came together, with the help of local wedding vendors, to pull off the Sun Valley wedding of the summer. Cocktails like the “Ski Bum” and “The Snow Bunny” and escort cards made of Baldy lift tickets topped off this couple’s vintage ski theme.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SUN VALLEY?
My parents had been visiting Sun Valley since before I (Alex) was born, and they decided to officially move the family there from California when I was seven years old. I feel so lucky to have grown up in such an incredibly beautiful place; it is so special to me and seems to have this magnetic pull that always draws me back. Dash grew up skiing in the mountains of Lake Tahoe and immediately fell in love with Sun Valley as well. We wanted to share the beauty of Sun Valley with all of our friends, and it just made perfect sense that we should get married there.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Salt Lake City, Utah.
OCCUPATIONS?
Dash is a professional skier that films with Teton Gravity Research (TGR) during the winter and a student of Strategic Communication at the University of Utah in the off-season. Alex is a registered nurse at the Emergency Department at the University of Utah Hospital.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
I was still in nursing school and had been convinced by some girlfriends that I needed a night off up in Park City. I was closing my tab at the Downstairs Bar, on Main Street, when I noticed Dash standing just behind me. We hit it off that night, but Dash was leaving the next morning to go to Europe with TGR for five weeks. He instructed me to get Skype, and we stayed in touch while he was gone.
HOW DID YOU GET ENGAGED?
Dash and my mom had worked together on designing my ring with Sun Valley jeweler, Barry Peterson, and she brought it down to him on the weekend that I was graduating nursing school. There is a traditional “Pinning Ceremony” that takes place at this really beautiful church in downtown SLC. After the ceremony, Dash and I were standing in the courtyard of the church, surrounded by a sea of people and he proposed! It was really special because my whole family was in town, as well as his mom, so we got to celebrate with everyone afterward.
NUMBER OF GUESTS?
220
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING THEME?
We had a vintage Sun Valley ski theme that we threaded throughout everything.
ANY SPECIAL TRADITIONS?
My family has this absolutely stunning veil that my great grandfather purchased from Empress Eugenie (who was married to Napoleon the third) in London in the 1920s. All of the women in my family have worn this veil on their wedding day, including my grandmother, great aunt, and my mother (to name only a few). I’ve known since I was a little girl that I wanted this to be a part of my wedding day as well.
SONG THAT YOU WALKED DOWN THE AISLE TO?
“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” by Johann Sebastian Bach
SONG FOR YOUR FIRST DANCE?
“You’re All I Need to Get By” by Marvin Gaye and Tammie Terrell
HOW DID THE NIGHT END?
Dash had requested that the band close with the song “Seasons of Love” from the play Rent. A few years back, after a lot of convincing, I had talked him into coming to see the play with me and he ended up loving it. The band had the remaining guests surround us in a circle on the dance floor … It was a really amazing way to end an incredible night, literally surrounded by the people that mean the most to us.
WHERE WAS YOUR HONEYMOON?
Bora Bora
WHAT MADE YOUR WEDDING SO SPECIAL?
The Beaver Creek Fire was the country’s number one priority wildfire on the day that we got married. It made for an unbelievably stressful week leading up to our big day and a lot of uncertainties about whether it would even happen. However, despite the terrible conditions, it was absolutely amazing how our friends and family members were unrelenting in their support for us. There were countless flights cancelled or delayed, no rental cars available, road closures, and numerous evacuations from homes or the hotels where people were staying. Everyone rallied for us though.
Each person there had a special story about what they had gone through to be there for us, and it was truly remarkable. We had so much support from friends and family; no matter what, they were going to see us get married that weekend. With all of the stress leading up to the wedding, I feel like everyone let out a collective sigh of relief when the weather conditions worked in our favor. The energy at our reception was indescribable; I think everyone was just so thrilled that everything had worked out in the end and it was a phenomenal celebration.
WHAT WAS THE BRIDE’S FAVORITE MOMENT?
As my dad and I stepped out of Trail Creek Cabin to begin our walk down the aisle, I looked up and there were blue skies just above the ceremony and where Dash was waiting for me. It was the first time all day that the smoke had cleared enough for you to be able to see Baldy. I felt so unbelievably grateful to see everyone’s faces as I walked down that aisle with my dad, and seeing Dash standing at the end is moment that I will never forget.
THE GROOM’S?
Dash’s favorite moment was our first kiss. He said it was just such a relief that everything had fallen into place. He felt like all of his nerves about the fire, his vows, and everything else leading up to the point disappeared when we kissed.
D.I.Y PROJECTS? GUEST FAVORS?
Dash designed a logo that we used throughout the wedding on our invitations and other printed items. I also worked to help design two sets of cornhole games for the cocktail hour that incorporated our colors and the logo. We made a lot of little touches to achieve that vintage ski feel—the flower arrangements at the cocktail hour were in old leather ski boots, we had old Sun Valley postcards made into large prints that hung along the back wall of the tent, the tables were named after ski runs on Baldy, the escort cards were printed on lift tickets, and there were vintage skis that decorated the tent as well. Dash and I also chose signature cocktails that we named “The Ski Bunny” and “The Ski Bum.”
For our guests, we had reusable canvas bags made that had our logo on the front and were filled with all kinds of goodies, including a delicious trail mix that Dash had worked on with one of his local ski sponsors, Play Hard Give Back. We also had pashminas in our wedding colors hanging over the backs of chairs for guests to use as it got chilly and then to take home.
TIPS FOR SOMEONE PLANNING A SUN VALLEY WEDDING?
My wedding planner, Heather Minor, was truly incredible to work with and to help with making my ideas come to life. It is easy to get caught up in all of the little details that you plan, but that isn’t what really matters in the end; Dash and I learned that first hand with all of the curveballs the fire threw at us. Heather really was essential to helping us “dodge” the issues we ran into with the fire, and made sure everything went so smoothly. I would also say to really enjoy and savor every moment because it is crazy how quickly the night goes by!
VENDOR LIST:
WEDDING PLANNER: Heather Minor Events
FLOWERS: Tara Bella Flowers
HAIR: Danielle Lindsay Anspach of Vertu Salon
MAKEUP: Britt Davis
DRESS/SHOES: Elizabeth Fillmore dress / Chanel shoes
RECEPTION DRESS: Before Long by Modern Trousseau
GROOMS ATTIRE: Black by Vera Wang from Men’s Wearhouse
BRIDESMAIDS: Amsale dresses from Lily & Iris in Salt Lake and Steve Madden shoes
GROOMSMENS ATTIRE: Men’s Wearhouse and Vans shoes
MUSIC: DJ Jason Spicer for ceremony and cocktail hour, and The Party Crashers for reception
FOOD/DESSERT: Sun Valley Resort
INVITES: Willow Papery
PHOTOGRAPHER: Hillary Maybery
SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER: Kristin Cheatwood
VIDEOGRAPHER: Meredith Richardson
OFFICIANT: Honorable Robert Sweet
