THE HOOPER DREAM WEDDING ~ FINAL WORDS!!!

It has been fun following the wedding planning of Jennifer and Chris.  We appreciate them sharing their amazing wedding with us.

We are excited to get the final words and details from last Summer’s Bridal Extravaganza Dream Wedding Winners.  We wish Jennifer and Chris a lifetime of happiness as they work to build a wonderful life together.

Photo Courtesy of Swensen Photography

How do we begin to explain the unending gratitude and emotions we have for the dream wedding we were blessed with?  Not enough words or pictures can begin to show you how unbelievably happy we are, as well as how our dreams were brought to a literal fairy tale reality.  It has been over a month since we were married, and the emotions still run strong as we continue to relive our wedding day and we love each other more than ever.  Here are our final thank you’s and experiences with every wonderful vendor that contributed to The Hooper Dream Wedding.

Vendors involved:

- Rachael at La Caille (www.lacaille.com)

- Joy Luck Restaurant in Sandy (www.joyluckfoods.com)

- Jade Moser, Officiant/Reverend (Jade at 801-884-9889)

With Rachael from LaCaille

As always, Rachael is phenomenal!  She never ceases to amaze us with her extreme organization and attention to detail.  When all of our family and wedding party arrived for rehearsal, there was no delay in where we needed to go and what we all needed to do.  Rachael’s obvious excitement helped in the already brewing anticipation for the wedding, and it was wonderful to have someone everyone could work with so easily.  Prepping for what was to come the next day was a piece of cake, and all questions and concerns that came up last minute were answered quickly and with ease.  Our Officiant/Reverend, Jade, surprised us with the perfect vows she pulled together herself that fit us as a couple, our story, and what we envisioned for the ceremony.  Everything she pulled together couldn’t be more on-point, and seeing her genuine happiness for us and our new journey together helped us be nothing more but excited to have her marry us.

With Jade Moser – Officiant

Rehearsal dinner was hosted at the Joy Luck Restaurant in Sandy, and they were very accommodating and treated our whole party well.  The food was delicious, and we were taken care of quickly and with excellent service.  It was a very nice environment to be able to celebrate the upcoming wedding, and it catered to everyone’s dietary needs.  Thank you for taking care of us, our family, and our wedding party!  We were also lucky enough to take our last photo together as an unmarried couple with our friend’s Delorean, so it was something fun to add to our memory book!

Rehearsal Dinner

Vendors involved, in no particular order:

- Rachael at La Caille (www.lacaille.com)

- Bridal Closet (www.mybridalcloset.com)

- Swensen Photography (www.swensenphotography.com)

- Sugar Kisses Cakes by Design (www.sugarkissescakes.com)

- Wedding Dreamer, flowers and centerpieces (www.5theasthall.com/wedding-dreamer-llc.html)

- Something Vintage Something Blue, vintage car for sendoff (www.somethingvintagesomethingblue.com)

- Diannthus Design, groomsmen boutonniere’s (Chelsea at 801-400-0954)

- Beauty by Brenda, bride’s lashes (Brenda at 801-953-7272)

- Tuxedos by Lee, groom and groomsmen tuxes (www.tuxedosbylee.com)

- BD Rich Productions, videography (www.bdrichproductions.com)

- Life of the Party, ceremony DJ (www.life-of-the-party.com)

- DJ Will Wonder, dinner reception DJ (Doug at 801-662-8436)

- Sweet Cactus Photography (Ali at 801-856-8601)

- Peery Hotel (www.peeryhotel.com)

- Versa Artistry (www.versaartistry.com)

- Smile Now! Photobooths & Candy Buffets (www.smilenowphotobooths.com)

- Shutter Booth (www.shutterbooth.com)

- Mens Rings For Less, groom’s tungsten ring (www.mensringsforless.com)

- Jade Moser, Officiant/Reverend (Jade at 801-884-9889)

- Janae Telford (www.youtube.com/user/JanaeTelfordMusic)

Our wedding was literally something out of the movies, which was something we never imagined we’d ever have in this lifetime.  We are truly blessed to have had the contributions from amazing people and businesses!  Coordinating with all vendors involved throughout the entire wedding planning was the smoothest it could be.  We never had any issues getting prompt responses, nor did we have any disasters happen.  When you work with those who love what they do and see the passion in your day coming true, you can’t go wrong with the outcome.  Chris and the groomsmen had the pleasure of staying at the Peery Hotel the night before, and with the help of Ali at Sweet Cactus Photography, we were able to capture the fun and excitement they all went through getting ready for the wedding!  Getting the bride’s hair and makeup done with Versa Artistry was a fun experience as well!  Jenn was greeted with smiles of two artists, and with just an explanation of what she wanted they quickly unveiled what she was wanting in just an hour, which was very impressive!  :)  We thank you for the fun and professional experience of feeling and looking beautiful for her wedding day!  Upon the bride’s arrival to La Caille in the early afternoon, the bride’s room was perfectly setup with fruits, snacks, and beverages.  The staff was very attentive, and Rachael was wonderful in assuring everything was setup as planned for the ceremony and dinner reception.  Brett and Clark from Swensen Photography were prompt and happy as always, and taking the individual wedding party photos prior to the ceremony went smoothly and on schedule.

They are so wonderful to work with, pay so much attention to detail, and were especially great in dealing with the busy activity of a wedding and the chaos of the children not wanting to sit still for a few photos.  Needless to say, just like all of our other photos taken, they captured every moment perfectly!  Brian the videographer and owner of BD Rich Productions was on top of things from the moment we met him.  Seeing him jump right into filming as the wedding was getting prepped was very exciting to see, and he had no issues socializing with the party and getting the moments he visualized on camera.  As the nerves started to run through us and the emotions starting to settle as it was becoming closer to the ceremony start time, we gathered with Jenn’s father to pray together before we were married.  This was one of the most heartfelt experiences we had together, as we have always believed that with Faith all things are possible. <3  We have been so blessed to have the love and support from our family and friends, and having our dream wedding was just another moment in life for us to be grateful for.  :)

Our wedding ceremony was perfect, and consisted of different ceremonies that meant a lot to us both: the reading of 1 Corinthians 13; going through a cultural traditions ceremony with godparents, coins, veil, chord, and a unity candle; a family unity ceremony to join both our families; and finally our vows.

Rob at Life of the Party played every song we picked out for the ceremony, and the music before and after the ceremony was wonderful and kept things flowing smoothly.  He was very professional, very friendly, and was setup before anyone even arrived.  Our new life together couldn’t have started more wonderfully with those we love and cherish.  Again, Brett and Clark were remarkable in obtaining all of our post-ceremony photos with the wedding party and our families during the social before the dinner reception started.  The weather even cooperated for our day, and with our last shot on the bridge you wouldn’t have guessed that 30 seconds after it was taken it started hailing. Haha.

I hope you enjoy our ceremony highlight video as much as we have done by BD Rich Productions: http://youtu.be/mneg2pt3_Hw

The dinner reception started promptly, and the setup of the Grand Pavilion was absolutely beautiful!  The 3-course dinner was exquisite and we got so many compliments on how delicious it was!  Our dinner reception DJ picked out the music that suited our personalities and guests; there were many compliments on his professionalism and quality as well.  A fun surprise Jenn and her dad had for the wedding was a daddy/daughter dance that no one expected!  A special thank you to DJ Will Wonder for pulling together the medley, and helping in coordinating the fun surprise for everyone!  :)

Please enjoy this surprise on video also done by BD Rich Productions: http://youtu.be/cL1PXEE9EuU

The surprises didn’t end there, however, and the bride had something up her sleeve for her groom.  For their first dance she had been coordinating with Janae Telford to record and sing live their song to dance to.  With us still being 300 miles apart due to Chris’s job things have not been easy, but we still love as if there are no miles between us and we are stronger than ever. <3

Please enjoy this surprise on video also recorded by BD Rich Productions: http://youtu.be/5LT8uqVU8JE

The remainder of the evening continued to be a dream come true, and the staff of La Caille remained beyond wonderful!  All of our guests enjoyed the shutter booth and candy buffet that was setup for everyone as well.  We couldn’t thank Brynn at Shutter Booth enough for the memory book we get to have for a lifetime, and to Suzzi at Smile Now we loved the candy selection you picked for us!  You were both so easy and wonderful to work with, and we appreciate what you brought to our wedding!  :)  Our wedding cake was as delicious as it looked, and we had many compliments on it as well!  Thank you Turia for pulling together something we will remember forever, as well as give us excitement for what we get to eat in a year on our anniversary! <3

As the night came to a close, it was very reassuring to know all of our personal belongings, gifts, pictures, etc were all taken care of by the staff of La Caille.  Their attention to us and what we needed was pristine, and we can’t thank you enough for making our day without stress.  It meant so much to know that all we had to worry about was enjoying our wedding.  For our sendoff we had everyone with sparklers wishing us well, and Sam from Something Vintage Something Blue ready to drive us to the Peery Hotel in the beautiful blue Daisy!  Sam was so friendly and wonderful to chat with on the way to the hotel, and Daisy was the perfect ending to our vintage-themed wedding.  Special thank you to Jessica at the Peery Hotel for our suite accommodations for our first night as husband and wife.  The hotel was beautiful and the staff was very welcoming.

Vendor involved: All Points Travel (www.allpointstravelonline.com)

We just got back from on our 5 day, 4 night honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera in Cancun at the El Dorado Resort.  No words or pictures can do this place any justice on how beautiful and breathtaking it is.  This was our first time to any resort or vacationing like this, so we had a definite great first impression.  The transport company we had arranged for us, Lomas Travel, was wonderful and so efficient.  We have never experienced service so great!  Upon arrival to the resort, we were greeted with amazing landscapes, friendly hosts, our bags taken, and glasses of champagne.  Checking was a piece of cake, and when we were taken to our suite we were speechless.  The views of the ocean, the smell of the air, the beautiful resort, our amazing room, the attentive and friendly staff, the delicious drinks, and the gourmet food were beyond our expectations!  We have to be honest that we had no idea what etiquette to have at an all-inclusive and adults-only resort; regardless, we made sure to show our appreciation and tipped well and was grateful for all who helped us there.  It was refreshing to have time to ourselves as much as we love our children and careers.  Waking up whenever we wanted, ordering room service anytime, going to the beach just to hear, see, and smell the Caribbean Ocean, being refreshed with drinks wherever we walked, meeting people from all over the world at the pool and swim-up bars, and eating such exquisite gourmet foods for lunch and dinner was beyond anything we could’ve dreamed of!!  On our last day there we got the chance to see the entire mile-long resort, all of the different suites offered there, and even the family resort they have.  It made us realize we will be making time to ourselves at least once a year, and that we were in-fact very very blessed.  :)  Our very last night there we were very fortunate to be given a candlelight dinner on the beach in our own cabana.

The food did not fail us again, the view and ambience was so romantic, and we even got a personal saxophone serenade.  When we returned to our room after, there was a trail of rose petals to our bed, a bottle of chilled champagne next to our jacuzzi, jazz music playing on the tv, and a heart made out out of towels on our bed with rose petals and palms surrounding it.  We really thought all these things we’d see in movies, but we got to live it in our own life.  <3

So much gratitude to the staff at All Points Travel for blessing us with a honeymoon we never thought we’d have, and for taking such good care of us!  We loved and enjoyed it so much we have made it a plan to start saving up and go to the same resort for our 1-year anniversary!

Again, thank you so much to everyone who took part in making our dreams a reality!  We would have never had anything like this even if we tried, and we are forever grateful to you all for your dedication to our wedding and for what you have given us!  We are emotional every time we relive our day and our blessings.  God bless you all! <3  A special thank you to our families for all they did to contribute, for all of your love and support, and for sharing in our dreams come true.  Thank you to all the family who traveled from out of state to be here for our fairy tale wedding.  Thank you also to all of our dearest friends who have supported us from the very beginning.  Your love and lack of judgements toward us, our story, and your unending comments of your happiness for us means the world.  To our kids, Jadelyn and Eathan, thank you for all your patience through all the wedding planning, and for making our family complete. <3

Jennifer and Chris won this Dream Wedding at the Summer Bridal Extravaganza at La Caille last summer.  We are excited to bring it to you once again this year.  Make sure to save the date July 19th, 2014 where another couple will win the wedding of their Dreams.