A Weekend to Remember, A Grand Wedding Magazine

A Weekend to Remember

Kate & Travis

Travis and I met through a mutual friend during graduate school at Oregon State University. Sharing a love for the outdoors, we spent the first few months together hiking, visiting hot springs, and skiing in Oregon. For New Year’s 2012, we gathered our friends for a weekend celebration in Teton Valley, Idaho, at Travis’ family’s cabin called ThistleDew. We had an amazing weekend of skiing, good food, and plenty of laughs.

A few years later, after Travis and I spent nearly a year traveling throughout Southeast Asia—an adventure of a lifetime—we came back to Teton Valley to unwind and renew our appreciation for America’s beauty. One night, on a stroll around the property, Travis proposed to me. Within minutes, we knew we wanted to host our wedding at ThistleDew because it had become a special place for us.

Planning our wedding was a team effort that united our families. We organized everything ourselves and used local Idaho and Wyoming vendors. After spending more than two months in India, where wedding celebrations can last up to a week, we were inspired to have an extended wedding weekend.
Activities ran from Thursday to Sunday, with more than 150 people attending throughout the weekend. Nearly half of our wedding guests wanted to camp on the ThistleDew property, so we organized tents, a camp kitchen, and portable toilets from a local vendor. Other guests stayed at local cabins and hotels throughout Driggs and Tetonia. On Thursday night, we hosted a barbecue at a group campground site in Teton Canyon, which was a great way to kick off our weekend of activities. On Friday morning, we organized a float trip down the Teton River on rafts from Jackson Hole Whitewater for more than one hundred guests. After a memorable day on the river, our guests attended a pit-roasted pig cookout hosted by Travis’ parents, Don and Leslie Roth. Don prepared the pig by constructing an underground roasting pit, and our guests raved about it. Saturday—the wedding day—went by in a flash; our guests enjoyed hiking and other local activities prior to our ceremony.

Our friends and family members helped set up tables and chairs, arrange table settings, and decorate. I designed the table settings and layout, including candles, burlap and lace table runners, recycled wine bottles for water carafes, and mason jars for the drinks. I love succulents, so our florist—The Flower Market at MD Nursery—put together beautiful centerpieces using them, along with river rocks and moss. My mother enlisted The Basque Market to prepare paella for dinner. The same paella was served at my brother’s rehearsal dinner in Boise, Idaho, and we thought it was so delicious that we decided to serve it to our 150-plus guests. Other than The Basque Market paella—prepared and served on-site—everything else was served buffet-style. Brad Boner, a local photographer, snapped photographs from noon until midnight, capturing a candid collection of memories from the celebration. I will never forget Travis and I watching the moon set over ThistleDew before walking to the teepee, which served as our wedding suite.

On Sunday morning, my dad and stepmother organized a brunch at ThistleDew catered by Three Peaks Dinner Table in Driggs. We offered bloody marys, mimosas, eggs, and cinnamon rolls to fuel everyone after the spectacularly fun night. It was a great way to end an amazing weekend.