It feels surreal (and a little weird) to put our own wedding into words, but here we go! As a wedding planner the past eight years, the dream of my own wedding in Alaska had been etched in my heart for as long as I can remember. Last year, that dream transformed into a celebration that seamlessly mirrored Matthew and my unique journey as a couple.

A quick rewind - Matthew and I crossed paths during our sophomore year at our local high school. Amidst personal challenges, his persistence through daily locker chats eventually led us to where we are today - a history of over a decade. Four years of college in different states, two years abroad, and a blissful year into marriage, we finally live in the same place again and love our life together.

Bride in white dress and groom in blue suit kissing in middle of wedding aisle

Creating Our Dream Wedding: From Engagement to Planning

Once engaged the challenge began with our choice of wedding venue in Alaska: a beautiful peony farm located 4.5 hours away from our hometown. Little did we know just how much work would go into planning a wedding for 150+ guests in a space that did not have running power, bathrooms, an indoor space for weather or running water. The solution? We brought in everything from generators to toilet trailers, rented a commercial kitchen 20 minutes away, bussed all of our guests from hotels and hired the local football team to hand carry our tent pieces, tables, chairs etc. 1/2 mile down the hill since there was no access for the large box trucks. Looking back, while planning was meticulous and overwhelming ( I never should have planned our wedding), the effort invested was 10000x worth it.

A Floral Dream Come True

For those who know me or have followed AKhappenings, I LOVE flowers. We envisioned our wedding day to be a blend of romance and whimsy, a true garden floral party. Collaborating with Lily of the Valley, we crafted our dream ceremony and reception space adorned with local blooms and greenery.

Wedding aisle with white flowers and greenery lining the sides

Bride and groom kissing in the middle of a peony farm with mountains and water in the background

To match the theme, I fell in love with a 3D floral applique dress that perfectly captured the essence of the day. I asked my mom and grandmother to be our flower girls, and Alaska Wedding Cake Boutique designed a five tiered masterpiece adorned with sugar flowers to delight everyones taste buds! Our wedding was designed with personal touches and creativity, making it a true reflection of our story and personalities.

Meaningful Moments and Personal Touches

Matthew and I each enjoyed getting ready with our bridesmaids and groomsmen but decided to exchange letters and presents the morning of our wedding. Needless to say, I was very excited about my new fishing raingear and Matthew about his portable woodfire Oonie Pizza Oven and photo album!

We knew we wanted to soak in our ceremony and cherish it, and be sure that it lasted more than a few minutes (after-all we had waited many years for this moment) so we invited a few friends and family to share their love through poems, readings and music.

Ice Cream has always been a big part of our relationship so we custom ordered gallons of ice cream from our favorite local icecream shop“Woohoo,” and my dad built a custom ice cream bike cart to display and serve it. Adding an interactive element, we transformed a pink phone booth into a photobooth with our After the Tone phone, doubling as a guest book.

My dad and I swayed to the tune of "My Girl," and halfway through, we welcomed the rest of our immediate family to join us. This memory is truly one of my favorites!

A Party to Remember

Our primary intention was to celebrate with our friends and family transforming our wedding into a huge party. To ensure our guests had an unforgettable time, we concocted six unique signature cocktails, each with a floral twist - think lavender lemonade gin and tonic, fireweed margaritas, etc. and offered local beers and wine. We picked gallons of local fireweed leading up to the wedding and made the simple syrup ourselves which was a fun DIY wedding project! The evening was alive with music from our favorite band Woodrow, who kept the party going into the wee hours lit by hundreds of candles and glass orbs hanging from the tent ceiling.

As an ode to our shared love for skiing, the shot skis became a popular part of the festivities, even winning over my 91-year-old grandmother. We are so grateful to have had two of the best Alaska wedding photographer Theresa McDonald Photographer and Sarah French Photo their to capture every last detail and edit their own photos so we could have their unique perspecitives as well as Shades of Jade who blew us away with the wedding video she created for us.

The Day After

Matthew's passion for flying inspired us to take a float plane across the bay, capturing precious moments of our post-wedding bliss with the help of one of our photographers. This was a time for us to explore, enjoy' each other's company following the festivities, and share memories from our dream Alaskan Wedding.

The Beauty of Imperfection

Our wedding day surpassed all our expectations and was truly incredible. However, did it unfold flawlessly? No. Our wedding day encountered its own share of challenges, including logistical hurdles, capricious weather, the unfortunate incident of stolen wedding gifts, and other unexpected turns. But, one of the most significant lessons I've gained from this experience is the recognition that despite meticulous planning, with the unpredictability of events not everything will necessarily unfold as envisioned. It underscores the importance of having contingency plans in place which is something I focus on with my clients.

Throughout the entire wedding process and day we created a day that captured our journey and celebrated our commitment to each other. From the picturesque peony farm to the carefully curated details, every aspect of our wedding was a reflection of our personalities and our relationship. As a wedding planner, I had the honor of not only witnessing but also experiencing the magic of a dream wedding coming to life and have gained a very valuable perspective moving forward for my clients.

The day itself was magical. Rain did not shy away, but cleared for the ceremony and photos before turning into a downpour once all said and done. We spent the day with our favorite people, eating, drinking and dancing the night away. What more could you ask for?