Snow Motivated
Snow Motivated
Alexandra & Turner
Alex and I met at Westminster College in the fall of 2016 at a party hosted by my fraternity (which was also Alex’s father’s fraternity). She was a senior aspiring to move across the country to follow her passions and definitely wasn’t interested in dating a freshman (which did not stop me from pursuing her).
After months of casual acquaintance, Alex asked me to ride with her on a spring break trip to South Padre Island, Texas. On the way, we stopped at my mom’s house in Tulsa, Oklahoma, before making the overnight trek the rest of the way. It was on that drive (with our friends asleep in the back seat) that Alex and I really connected. During the trip, our friends referred to us as “the old married couple” because of our constant bantering and flirting. Then, when we got back to Westminster, Alex and I talked every day on every messaging platform possible. A few weeks later, we made it official.
Alex graduated in the spring of 2017 and moved to the Washington, D.C. area. I went home to Tulsa for the summer before starting my sophomore year in the fall. We spent the next three years flying back and forth to see each other as often as we could (about once every three weeks). Then, in August of 2020, I packed my bags and made the official move to D.C.
My family had vacationed at Beaver Creek for more than 20 years. It is where I learned to ski, and where I taught Alex to ski in 2018. Soon, skiing became a shared love, and Beaver Creek one of our favorite places to go. So, in February of 2022, I surprised Alex with a last-minute ski trip. We had just spent an incredible week skiing in Whistler, British Columbia, and went back to D.C. for 24 hours before heading to Colorado.
On our second day in town, temperatures dropped to 7 degrees Fahrenheit as a massive snowstorm made its way through the Rockies. Alex and I skied all morning, but by midday she was too cold to continue. I had planned to propose on the mountain while we were skiing, and then have pictures taken afterwards. However, due to the weather, I had to quickly change course. As we were skiing down the mountain that afternoon — with my fingers turning numb — I frantically texted the photographer I had hired to say we were changing the location, and then suggested an après ski outing in the village to Alex.
On our way into town, we took a walk on the path behind the lodge and came upon a snow-covered bridge and lamp post. Alex said, “Oh look — a photographer and rose petals, someone must be getting engaged!”
That was the cue for my knee to hit the ground; she responded through tears, “Oh, it’s me!”
Still, to this day, I can’t remember exactly what I said, but I know she said, “Yes!”
Following the proposal, we headed into the village for a champagne toast, where my mom and Alex’s parents were waiting to surprise her. We spent the next couple of days celebrating with our families.
We wanted our wedding to embody our relationship and tell our story, and we did not want to settle on a location we weren’t excited about. So, during the winter of 2023, we traveled to several different ski resorts looking at potential venues. (This also provided a good excuse to ski fresh powder.) After visiting Beaver Creek again in March, I suggested extending our vacation to Jackson Hole.
Both of us were set on having a winter wedding at the top of a mountain. We also wanted a venue that would allow us to include our golden retriever, Rory. And we wanted a location where guests could spend more than just a weekend. Jackson and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort checked all of these boxes. We instantly fell in love with the town and the slopes, and after touring Rendezvous Lodge at the top of Bridger Gondola, Alex turned to me and said, “This is the place.”
Ten days before our big day, Alex and I packed our rental car and began the three-day, 2,000-mile trek from D.C. to Jackson, with Rory in tow. Thankfully, and as we had hoped, our family and friends also made the trip. Many of our attendees rented condos for a week at One Town Hill, which is where Alex and I stayed as well. We skied all together, and we hosted an après ski gathering at the Mangy Moose, along with a night at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. We made sure to include Rory in the festivities, too, by hiking up Mount Glory and skiing down with him. It was so special to show our friends and family around the town we had come to love.
Alex and I decided to forego the traditional rehearsal dinner and instead hosted a welcome party for all of our guests at the Mangy Moose with a Western chic theme. We had signature drinks, including the Moose’s famous “spicy margarita,” and incredible appetizers, like prime rib sliders, ahi tuna wontons, and cranberry and brie puff pastries.
Then, on March 30, 2024, the day of our wedding and our seventh anniversary as a couple, it snowed all morning, and the forecast indicated whiteout conditions. Alex, her bridesmaids, and our moms grabbed pre-wedding caffeine at Cowboy Coffee Co., and then got ready at our condo while the boys spent the morning skiing. Before the ceremony, Alex and I rode in separate gondola cars to Rendezvous Lodge, as we wanted our first look to be when she walked down the aisle. It was snowing so hard you could not see anything out the gondola window.
We planned our wedding ceremony to take place in the snow, overlooking the valley and surrounded by the beauty of the Teton Mountain Range. Alex worked with Joni from Plush Floral to design an altar that would not obstruct the view or detract from the ceremony. It included a half-circle ground installation made of roses and greenery. And Alex’s dad served as our officiant, as he knew us and our relationship really well.
When our guests arrived, they gathered in the lodge to warm up before taking their seats outside. About 15 minutes before the ceremony, the clouds parted, and it stopped snowing. No one in attendance, except for Alex and me, had ever seen the view from the top of Bridger Gondola, so it was a magical surprise to all. After our ceremony, Elise, our wedding photographer, took pictures of us and our wedding party and family, and perfectly captured the snowfall that started again post-ceremony.
Next, we hosted a cocktail reception at Couloir Bar, overlooking the ceremony site. We served hors d’oeuvres that included ceviche shooters, grilled halloumi, and Snake River Farms beef with polenta. We also served signature cocktails, and Alex and I offered up a toast to all of our guests for making the trek.
Alex worked with Angie, Emily, and Joni to design an incredible wedding reception space with white florals and greenery, with navy blue and gold accents, to compliment the setting and the wedding party’s attire. We created an intimate winter wedding space that included lit candles all throughout the venue. Our stationery designers at Lewes Lettering Company crafted a crest for us that we displayed on all of the tables, and instead of traditional table numbers, we named the tables after towns and places that were meaningful to us.
Once everyone was seated for dinner, I carried Alex into our reception venue to the song “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce before we had our first dance to “Say You Won’t Let Go” by James Arthur.
Our wedding dinner consisted of grilled pineapple salad with an orange blossom and basil vinaigrette, and a choice of yellowfin tuna with a panzanella salad and white bean ragout or roasted tenderloin with chimichurri and goat cheese polenta. We opted out of serving traditional wedding cake, and chose a deconstructed tiramisu, created by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s pastry chef, Sarah Craichy.
After dinner, The Famous Undercover band took to the stage and played cult classics. One of my favorite memories was dancing to “Shout!” with all of our friends and family. As the night came to a close, Alex and I ended the evening with a private dance to the song “All of Me” by John Legend and reflected on the most incredible week spent with our friends and family. Then, we headed down the mountain and into town for our after party at The Rose. The following Tuesday, we met Elise back at the resort to grab some shots of us skiing in our wedding attire. It was a crystal-clear bluebird ski day!
Advice For Couples
Don’t rush into planning your wedding. We waited two years after getting engaged to tie the knot and are truly grateful we took the time to figure it out. We wanted our wedding to reflect our relationship and love for each other. It was a small (just 75 people), intimate gathering, which made it possible to spend quality time with our family and friends throughout the whole week. Taking the time to plan helped ensure our wedding was everything we had dreamed of and more.
THE DETAILS
Wedding Date: March 30, 2024
Ceremony and Reception Location: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Officiant: Chris Bauer (bride’s father) Photographer: Elise Sterck
Hair & Makeup: Hair by Mollie O. Makeup: Ashley Drew Artistry Florist: Plush Floral
Consultant: Angie Smythe, Eventfully Yours MD (wedding planner), Event Planners of Jackson Hole (wedding coordinator)
Caterer: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Dessert: Sarah Craichy (Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s pastry chef) Music: The Famous Undercover Transportation Service: Mountain Resort Services Stationary Design: Lewes Lettering Co.