Worth a Second Look
Monica & George
We met at “Second Look Day” at the University of Utah School of Medicine, an event where accepted medical students review the program one more time before choosing which medical school to attend. Perhaps it was not a coincidence that we both chose this medical school!
Our first date was a hike up Utah’s Big Cottonwood Canyon to Desolation Lake. It marked the beginning of our shared outdoor adventures—from hiking and backpacking to biking and skiing. George is originally from Idaho Falls, and his parents have a wonderful house in Victor, Idaho. Any chance we had to escape the busy medical school schedule, we’d drive up to Victor, our place of solace. It even became a tradition for my family to visit Victor for New Year’s Eve, ski at Grand Targhee Resort, and enjoy some refreshing beers at the Grand Teton Brewing Company.
George proposed on a surprise trip back to Desolation Lake, four years after our first date. We had the forested mountain lake all to ourselves, except for a moose that witnessed the proposal.
Deciding on our wedding location was easy; it had to be Victor, a place that had become our second home and had so much meaning to our relationship. One of my favorite places to cross-country ski in Victor is Moose Creek canyon, so we thought we would start our venue search at Moose Creek Ranch. We fell in love with the ranch’s expansive space, its stunning mountain views up the canyon, the roaring creek that runs past the cabins, and the rustic barn perfect for wedding festivities.
Deciding on our wedding location was easy; it had to be Victor, a place that had become our second home and had so much meaning to our relationship.
We were lucky to have about a year to plan our wedding. It became a shared project with both of our families—George’s family in Idaho and my family in Utah. We wanted to share Victor, our place of refuge, with our family members who live all over the country, and even all over the world. Our hope was to keep everything local—all our vendors were based in Teton Valley. Since my mother and father are from Indonesia and Switzerland, respectively, we wanted to incorporate those cultures into our relaxed, mountain wedding.
We had a pig roast for our rehearsal dinner and invited all our wedding guests. This involved serving a roasted 200-pound pig, or babi guling in Indonesian, to our guests!
Additionally, for the father-daughter dance, my father and I learned how to do a Swiss polka, which got the dance party started.
The days leading up to the wedding weekend were sunny and warm. However, knowing that high-altitude, mountainous areas can experience quick changes in weather conditions, we were prepared for anything. Hail poured down on us during the pig roast. We huddled together under the tent with the portable heaters blasting as we enjoyed hot drinks and roasted pork. People even brought out their puffy coats, which they’d shrewdly packed. Afterward, we enjoyed the rest of the rehearsal dinner inside Moose Creek Ranch’s cozy lodge.
The following day, our wedding day, was cool and cloudy. There was no rain in the morning, so our fingers were crossed for an outdoor ceremony at our planned site. However, minutes before the ceremony started, George made the call that we should move into the barn since it was 50 degrees and drizzling. Our 150 guests gathered there for a very intimate and memorable ceremony officiated by George’s grandfather. As we exited the barn for the reception, the sun burst through the clouds, people removed their jackets, and we basked in the sudden warmth!
We cannot wait for our next trip back to Victor to relive all our memories from our wedding weekend!
wedding date
10 June 2017
ceremony/reception location
Moose Creek Ranch
officiant
James Auble, groom’s grandfather
hair & makeup
Stillwaters Spa & Salon
at Teton Springs Lodge & Spa
photographer
Bradly J. Boner Photography
florist
The flower market at md nursery
consultant
Jeanette Beard,
Moose Creek Ranch
caterer
Dining In Catering
dessert
Nom Nom Doughnuts
rental service
Canvas Unlimited Event Rentals
