Photo: Patricia Lyons Photography
Pamela and Eric’s relationship goes way back into the 20th century — the pair first met in their seventh grade homeroom class in September of 1997. The duo remained close friends until they started formally dating in 2011, and once both knew their union was the real thing, Eric wasted little time in asking Pamela to be his wife. “Eric proposed to me during a beautiful visit to the Stone Barns Farm in Westchester, New York, in September of 2014,” the bride remembers. “He got down on one knee in front of a pig pen and completely caught me off guard.” The surprises kept coming: Minutes later, a bus filled with the couple’s friends and family (plus plenty of champagne!) arrived to celebrate the happy news.
The future Mr. and Mrs. spent under a year planning their July 25, 2015, nuptials in Park City, Utah. Since the bride’s family has spent Christmas in the area since Pamela was a teenager, selecting the Montage Deer Valley was a no-brainer. “Eric has not spent a lot of time there and loves it as well,” she says. “It is the place where our longtime friendship turned into romance during a ski trip with friends one spring.” Knowing how much they loved elegant, modern feel of the hotel and its unbeatable views, the couple worked with Allison Jackson of Pineapple Productions to plan an organic, nature-inspired celebration with a touch of mountain charm. Patricia Lyons Photography was on hand to document every serene moment of this summer bash.
It was hugely important to both the bride and groom that their family and friends felt well taken care of during their time in Utah. “Since our guests were making great efforts to travel for our wedding, we wanted to treat them to something special and a touch formal and luxurious,” Pamela says. “At the same time, we wanted everyone to feel relaxed enough to kick off their heels and hit the dance floor.”
Their hospitality began with a seriously well-stocked welcome bag. Inside the custom monogrammed totes (created by Cheree Berry Paper, who also designed Pamela and Eric’s matching invitations) guests found an assortment of the bride and groom’s favorite snacks from Virginia and New York City, including Momofuku Milk Bar cookies, Route 11 potato chips, and Hubs peanuts.
Pamela went totally classic when it came to her wedding dress, selecting a look from beloved bridal designer Vera Wang. She went into the salon knowing she wanted something feminine, chic, and traditional, which drove her associate to pull the stunning silhouette. “It fit like a glove, and felt so comfortable and light,” the bride says of the strapless lace trumpet. “It’s structured on top but romantic and airy on the bottom. The train was exquisite and so unique.” Pamela also added a chapel-length veil from the same designer.
The bride carried a white bouquet of garden and bush roses, accented with gardenia foliage. “It was simple and sophisticated,” she says.
Eric’s custom-made shawl lapel tuxedo matched his bride’s formality to a T. “He wore antique basketball cufflinks that belonged to his late godfather,” Pamela says. “The only other accessory he added was a watch that I gave him as a wedding gift.”
“Our first look was epic!” Pamela says of privately meeting Eric on top of the mountain before the ceremony. In addition to the gorgeous landscape and seemingly endless views, the bride and groom loved spending time together before the day really kicked off. “There was nobody else around, the sun was shining, and we had the most special moment seeing each other for the first time.”
This couple is seriously loved! Both the bride and groom each had 11 attendants standing by their sides during the ceremony, plus one sweet flower girl and two adorable ring bearers. Pamela’s bridesmaids wore champagne-hued chiffon gowns from Amsale in a variety of different silhouettes while Eric’s groomsmen put on the black tuxedo’s Eric gave each of the men as a gift.
While the couple was incredibly impressed with the accommodations at the Montage Deer Valley, Pamela admits creating their ceremony space offered a unique challenge. “We wanted a Greek Orthodox church in a hotel ballroom,” she says. “We worked closely with our priest to make sure all our plans met the church standard, and it was quite an undertaking.” On top of that, it was important to Pamela and Eric that they bring in as much of the outdoors as possible, so they added lots of greenery, garlands, and lush flowers to the room to bring in the nature they enjoy so much.
The final result was spectacular. The back wall of the ballroom was lined with fruitwood panels and lemon leaf, complete with invisible shelves to hold candles. Large urns of white roses and garden roses were arranged on either side of the altar to finish out the look.
Although the ring bearers tried to encourage the couple’s shy flower girl to toss petals during her walk down the aisle, not a single flower ended up hitting the ground. Their entrance was still adorable, and the bride then followed on the arm of her father while members of the Utah Symphony Orchestra performed Pachelbel’s “Cannon in D.”
“We had a traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony,” Pamela says, explaining that the bride and groom actually don’t speak any words at all during that time! “The idea is that you’ve said everything you need to say before you get to the altar, and the ceremony is about being united as a couple.”
One they were pronounced husband and wife, the pair exited to Handel’s “Water Music Suite Number 2 in D Major.”
Since the pair went indoors for their ceremony, they invited everyone back outside for cocktail hour, where drinks were served on the grand terrace that overlooks Deer Valley. “We wanted the sweeping valley vistas to be the focal point,” Pamela says. Guests found their calligraphed escort cards arranged on flower-covered tables and anchored with Lucite cubes.
When the party moved inside for the reception, guests were treated to yet another gorgeous site: A mix of custom glass-topped tables paired with gold chiavari chairs and round tables covered with platinum linens with ghost chairs filled the space. Each centerpiece was different from the next, but all arrangements were made of a single variety of white blooms, featuring everything from orchids and garden roses to tulips and hydrangeas.
At each place setting, guests found a monogrammed menu that detailed the evening’s incredible offerings. After a field greens salad, friends and family enjoyed either seared Chilean Sea Bass with thyme polenta or Wagyu short ribs with potato puree and roasted mushrooms.
In addition to requisite champagne, the bride and groom also created two signature cocktails. Eric’s, a mix of Knob Creek Rye, Absinthe, Peychaud’s bitters, and simple syrup, was named “Beauregard” after his childhood black Labrador. Pamela’s, named “Greek Goddess,” was a mix of Prosecco, pineapple, and grapefruit juice.
The couple’s four-tier carrot cake wedding cake wasn’t the only sweet treat of the night. Guests also enjoyed root beer floats, an assortment of chocolate, homemade pop tarts, and fresh donuts.
Photo: Patricia Lyons Photography
Pamela and Eric honeymooned in Bali, but not before enjoying some late-night revelry with their guests. Everyone ended the evening in the hotel’s pub, where pizza, sliders, and French fries were served while loved ones played arcade games and kept the dance party going.
Venue, Catering & Cake: Montage Deer Valley || Wedding Planner: Pineapple Productions || Bride’s Wedding Dress & Veil: Vera Wang || Hair & Makeup: Versa Artistry || Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Amsale || Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Attire: Imparali || Engagement Ring & Wedding Bands: Mervis Diamonds || Flowers: Amaryllis Inc. || Invitations & Paper Goods: Cheree Berry Paper || Calligraphy: Arney Walker Calligraphy || Music: West Coast Music || Rentals: DC Rental; Diamond Rental || Videographer: Ryan Hinman Films || Photographer: Patricia Lyons Photography
Did you love this mountaintop wedding? Then see more ideas like these in another couple’s rustic bash in the video below.