Bright and Sunny Mountain Top First Look (Provo, UT)

Event Info

Location: Provo, UT, US
Event Date:  July 18, 2019

Album Story – From the Photographer

Kenny and Nene decided to do a First Look session on the morning of their wedding. As a photographer, I find sessions such as these to be incredibly sweet, memorable, and practical. It is a guaranteed way of making sure you not only get MORE portraits together but also portraits in an epic location and with the best possible lighting. We had originally planned on meeting at Bridal Veil Falls in the Provo Canyon. However, as I started driving into the canyon, I just knew that the sun was going to peak over the mountain top. So, last minute, I texted Nene and asked her to meet me at a new location. I felt like I was taking a risk – and it paid off. These two turned around to see each other as a bride and groom for the first time ever just as the sun exploded over the valley.

Associated Vendors

Groomsman Attire: Jos. A. Banks
Dress Store: David’s Bridal
Location: Clarion Garden
Photographer: Meghan Rose Photography

Client Questionnaire

Q1: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style, or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?
A1: The inspiration behind the decor was simplicity.  We wanted a simple and elegant wedding that incorporated our colors (mustard yellow and Navy Blue). Since we had a separate religious traditional wedding in Chicago, we did not incorporate any in the ceremony and reception in Payson, Utah.

Q2: Let’s talk about wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?
A2: The ceremony took place in a garden which was green for the most part. We did not decorate the ceremony set at all. We relied on the natural look there. The reception was not much different. We had a specific centerpiece idea in mind that we presented at the venue. A picture frame and 2 or three candles at the center of the table was all. We originally were going to DIY the Candles by using Mason jars instead of regular candles. Luckily the Venue had exactly the type of candle we wanted to use. It was just a matter of printing the pictures and getting the frames to go with it. The rest of the decor was to simply incorporate the colors in a way that was not distracting. to do that, we had navy blue and white table cloth. We incorporated the mustard yellow in some of the food at the venue.

Q3: What were the florals like at your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces, or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?
A3: The ceremony backdrop did not have any additional flowers besides what was already present in the garden. The centerpieces had fake flowers. The bridal bouquet was real flowers; mainly white roses and a few hints of yellow toned flowers.

Q4: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment, etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?
A4: We did not entertain the guests much. We kind of assumed the guests would be dancing on their own. Since we had noticed the dancing floor empty, we decided to do the couple’s dance hoping that it would invite the guests to join us and dance. We were occupied talking with family and friends as they came, so we did not really know how the reception went for the guests in particular.

Q5: Let’s talk about fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.
A5: We went the traditional route choosing our wedding look. Kenny specific color in mind, so he got a custom made suits just for the big day. I (Nene), had a long-sleeved white dress, with silver and blue earrings, and silver heels. We were both trying to achieve a simple and elegant look. We pulled if off somewhat okay.

Q6: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.
A6: We met downtown Chicago on a Saturday. Kenny was visiting some of Chicago’s Skyscrapers through Chicago Architectural Center’s Open House; which was a free public festival on October 13 and 14, 2019, “that offers behind-the-scenes access to over 250 buildings across Chicago. Explore the hidden gems and architectural treasures of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.”

Nene volunteered to discuss some of her offices’ projects to visitors and Kenneth happened to be one of them. The rest, as they say, is history.

Even though we were living in different states. One being in Wisconsin and another being in Illinois, we knew that we needed to work and maintain a long distant relationship. We used every occasion to speak and meet as much as we could. A few months later, after many cross country road trips,  we were engaged. The proposal happened in Utah, at Provo Canyon. It was great although it was very cold. We were driving around and decided to go for a short walk in Provo Canyon. During the walk as we had stopped to take a picture of the beautiful view of the mountains, we got engaged.

Q7: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?
A7: saying I do to each other was definitely the most anticipated moment of it all. Also, Seeing everyone coming together, and meeting the extended family members were very special and meaningful to us.

Q8: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?
A8: The advice we would give someone planning a wedding:- Have fun while planning your wedding – Give yourself enough time to plan your wedding (we made the mistake of rushing a little bit giving ourselves only 4.5 months)=- Talk about your ideas to someone other than yourself or yourselves, that way, you will catch all the other small details you might be missing. – Do not be afraid to ask or get help – Do not sweat the little things