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PrintElisa & Jeff
Photos by Kirsten Hepburn Photography
The colorful fall leaves in Millcreek Canyon made an ideal backdrop for Elisa and Jeff’s October nuptials. Adding to the autumn setting, the couple included elements of nature, like thistle, berries and evergreen seedlings, in their décor. They paid homage to their Scottish ancestry with touches of tartan, highlighted everywhere from the groom’s kilt to the ribbons decorating the cake and floral bouquets. During the ceremony they incorporated the ancient Celtic ritual of “handfasting,” in which the couple’s hands are bound with a ribbon in the tartan representing the groom’s clan.
Following the outdoor ceremony, guests warded off crisp temps by drinking hot apple cider, wine and beer, and dining on New York strip steaks and baked Brie. After a festive Champagne toast, the happy couple danced the night away with their family and close friends, many of whom traveled from out of town to take part in the celebration.
Before the wedding
Occupations: Jeff is a firefighter and driver engineer; Elisa is a forensic scientist.
How the couple met: Elisa and Jeff first laid eyes on each other at a crowded restaurant and nightclub in California (their home state) on Halloween. “I was looking for a friend of mine and saw Jeff, who had strange black and white makeup on his face,” says Elisa. “I asked him ‘What are you supposed to be?’ He answered, ‘Just dead, I guess,’ and we ended up talking the rest of the night. When we went out for the first time I felt a little like it was a blind date since I hadn’t really been able to tell what he looked like.”
How he proposed: Jeff surprised Elisa after dinner at a restaurant by the ocean in Big Sur, California. “He suggested we go for a walk outside, and when I went out to meet him he was sitting at a table with an open ring box next to him,” says Elisa.
Bridal shower themes: Elisa’s co-workers threw her a shower, and two of Elisa’s friends threw her a tea-party shower. “My friends got the idea to host tea parties after having afternoon tea at the Grand America Hotel,” says Elisa. “We started taking turns hosting them with everybody bringing a tea sandwich or dessert. For my shower, my friends fixed my favorite things, and we had a great time enjoying the food, tea and girl talk.”
Bachelor party: A poker party at the Courtyard Marriott hotel, where all the out-of-town guests were staying.
Wedding
Place: Log Haven Restaurant, Millcreek Canyon, Salt Lake City
Date: October 5, 2008
The bride wore: an off-white silk Pronovias gown and zebra-print shoes.
The groom wore: A Black Watch tartan kilt. (“Jeff’s mom’s response when he first told her he was wearing a kilt was, ‘Did you lose a bet?’ ” says Elisa.)
The rings: Elisa’s engagement ring is a family heirloom from Jeff’s mother’s godmother; the couple designed a wedding ring to match. Jeff’s ring was made of titanium by an artisan the couple found at the Utah Arts Festival.
Wedding song: Jeff walked in to Janis Joplin’s “One Good Man,” then the flower girl and matron of honor walked down the aisle to more traditional music. Elisa walked down the aisle to “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix. “The burst of laughter that I heard from everyone as the music changed from traditional to unexpected is something I’ll never forget,” she says. After the ceremony, the couple walked out to “I’m Not Running Anymore” by John Mellencamp.
Reception
Place: Log Haven Restaurant
Wedding music: “We each made playlists in iTunes and combined them, but we also encouraged requests, because we wanted everybody to dance and enjoy themselves,” says Elisa. For the first dance, the couple danced to “Love You Madly” by Cake.
Menu: Immediately following the ceremony, guests were served a choice of hot apple cider, punch, beer or wine, and a cheese and cracker platter. For dinner, the couple selected Log Haven’s “Timpanogos buffet” including New York strip steak with aioli, baked brie in pastry, fresh fruit, grilled vegetables, and fresh bread and crackers. Guests also enjoyed a chocolate fountain and Champagne toast.
Cake: A topsy-turvy cake decorated with Black Watch tartan ribbon around each layer and branches with fall leaves made of fondant. The cake featured two layers of carrot cake and a layer of chocolate/lemon cake with buttercream frosting.
Flowers: Arrangements of thistle, hydrangeas, delphinium and viburnum berries. Bouquets consisted of purple and orange calla lilies, dahlias and roses.
Colors and Themes: Tartan and nature. “We both have Scottish ancestry and tied in tartans from our family clans,” explains Elisa. “And we love the outdoors and wanted to get married in the beauty of nature.”
Décor elements: Tables were decorated with evergreen seedlings and large cylinder vases containing votive candles, flower petals, thistles, leaves, branches and other elements of nature. “We kept it low-key since the natural surroundings at Log Haven are so gorgeous,” says Elisa.
In addition to the many tartan elements referencing Elisa’s family’s MacGregor tartan and Jeff’s family’s Black Watch tartan, the florist also included flowers from the Scottish Highlands in the bouquets. Besides the groom, the best man, the bride’s grandfather and some friends who attended the wedding also wore kilts.
Special touches: During the ceremony, the couple included the ancient Celtic ritual of “handfasting,” in which the bride and groom’s hands are bound with a ribbon in the tartan representing the groom’s clan. Vows are spoken with each four turns of the ribbon. As the ribbon was tied around Elisa and Jeff’s hands, their officiant said, “Elisa and Jeff, as your hands are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust. Above you are the stars, and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”
For wedding favors, guests took home the evergreen seedlings that decorated the reception tables. The seedlings were tied in off-white burlap with Black Watch tartan ribbon.
Most Memorable Moment
Elisa’s answer: “There were so many! I loved every second of it… getting ready with family and friends, walking down the aisle with my 95-year-old grandpa who was wearing a kilt, Jeff getting choked up during his vows, the sun coming out right after we completed our vows, my sister’s and Jeff’s sister’s toasts, and over and over how it struck me how many people we care about had come (over half from out of state) to celebrate with us. It blew me away that so many people we love were in one place. The whole thing was absolutely amazing!”
Jeff’s answer: “Seeing my bride walk down in her fancy dress looking hot, and watching our families starting the dancing ahead of schedule.”
Honeymoon
Place: Maui, Hawaii
A memorable moment of the honeymoon: “Watching the movie Kung Fu Panda on the beach. “
Rings: Elisa’s wedding ring: Sierra-West Jewelers, Murray, 801-713-1900, sierrawestjewelers.com; Jeff’s wedding ring: John O’Connor, SLC, 801-580-3691, indnation.com
Invitations: Invitations by Dawn, Rexburg, Idaho, 800-361-1974, invitationsbydawn.com
Rehearsal dinner: Café Trio Cottonwood, SLC, 801-944-8746, triodining.com
Photography: Kirsten Hepburn, Photography, SLC, 801-521-6404, hepburnphoto.com
Bridal gown: The Brides’ Shop, SLC, 801-322-4324, thebrideshop.net
Kilt rental: Edinburgh Castle, SLC, 801-364-1406, edinburghcastle.com
Flowers: Roots, SLC, 801-363-7668, rootsflowers.net
Catering: Log Haven Restaurant, Millcreek Canyon, SLC, 801-272-8255, log-haven.com
Entertainment: Complete Music, SLC, 801-292-5701, utahmix.com
Cake: Heather Berntsen, Ambrosia Exquisite Wedding Cakes, Layton, 801-546-2959, ambrosiaweddingcakes.com
Venue: Log Haven Restaurant, Millcreek Canyon, SLC, 801-272-8255, log-haven.com
Guest lodging: Courtyard Marriott, Sandy, 801-571-3600, marriott.com
Transportation: shuttle service provided by the Courtyard Marriott
Officiant: Allison Herbert, 801-759-8636
