The Main Event by Memory Makers Event Planning, LLC

Rachel and John chose a perfect July day for their wedding beside the Salmon River in Stanley with the Sawtooth Mountains in the background. John is a native Idahoan. Rachel is from England. They wanted their wedding to be unique and memorable for all guests, particularly those coming from abroad and throughout the U.S. The reception was held in a tent erected beside the Salmon River Lodge, where many guests stayed. The ceremony occurred nearby on the banks of the Salmon River. A barbeque reception catered by H and M Meats of Nampa followed the ceremony. Gelato, made by the bride,  was served for dessert. In traditional English style, the fruit cake wedding cake was served later in the evening accompanied by a spread of European artisan cheeses. Rachel purchased English lavender, both dried and plants, at Lakeside Lavender Farm's festival in early July. When the couple was pronounced husband and wife, guests tossed dried lavender - on their heads, dow...

Planning a wedding in the mountains of Idaho is currently a "hot" media topic. Treasure Magazine , a publication of the Idaho Statesman, published a lengthy article on mountain weddings in their Spring/Summer issue. Two couples were profiled, both of whom were married in the Stanley area. I helped plan and coordinated one of the weddings and consulted with the bride on the other one. Several of photographer Chris Butler's photos illustrated the article. Another magazine, Idaho Resort Weddings , will be published in the fall and handed out at area wedding shows. The magazine will feature articles on planning weddings at several of Idaho's resorts. I wrote an article on planning a wilderness wedding. If you are thinking about planning a wedding in the mountains, you may want to look for both publications. Planning a mountain wedding takes a huge amount of pre-planning and coordination to make it happen successfully, but the results can be awesome.

We held our first mountain top wedding in September in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho near Stanley. The ceremony was held on top of Elk Mountain with a great view of Mt. McGowen in the background. Guests drove up the mountain on a narrow one-lane dirt road. After parking, they hiked to the top of the mountain. Even an 85-year-old guest from Iceland made it, as well as someone on crutches. Guests stood during the ceremony, then departed back down the mountain to the reception held in Elk Meadow, about 5 miles away. Everything had to be trucked into the area from Boise, 128 miles away and over two mountain summits - tent, tables, chairs, linens, dance floor - you name it. We hired a 7-piece rock and soul band that also came from Boise, as did the florist, who personally delivered the flowers. The caterer came from Hailey. The festivities began two days before when the wedding party and families gathered for a special pre-rehearsal dinner at the Stanley Community Center. The next e...