Love Rush

Real Wedding: Kristen & Dan

  • Kristen wore a pair of comfortable peep-toe flats she bought in China. Chic and easy. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Kristen wore a pair of comfortable peep-toe flats she bought in China.
    Chic and easy.
  • The bride and groom chose mismatched but complementary wedding bands; hers pavéed in diamonds and his in polished gold. Photo by Kate Osborne

    The bride and groom chose mismatched but complementary wedding bands; hers pavéed in diamonds and his in polished gold.
  • Dan and Kristen exchanged vows at the Draper Temple in a traditional ceremony officiated by her grandfather. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Dan and Kristen exchanged vows at the Draper Temple in a traditional ceremony officiated by her grandfather.
  • The couple emerged from the temple to the cheers of their family and friends. Photo by Kate Osborne

    The couple emerged from the temple to the cheers of their family and
    friends.
  • Kristen and Dan share a kiss beneath the temple’s stone façade. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Kristen and Dan share a kiss beneath the temple’s stone façade.
  • Kristen’s six bridesmaids were her two sisters, her sisters-in-law and a cousin. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Kristen’s six bridesmaids were her two sisters, her sisters-in-law and a cousin.
  • Dan and Kristen pose in front of the temple’s geometric stained glass windows. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Dan and Kristen pose in front of the temple’s geometric stained glass
    windows.
  • The reception took place at Thanksgiving Point, overlooking a beautiful golf course. Photo by Kate Osborne

    The reception took place at Thanksgiving Point, overlooking a
    beautiful golf course.
  • Kristen topped off her bridal look with a simple birdcage veil adorned with rosettes. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Kristen topped off her bridal look with a simple birdcage veil adorned with rosettes.
  • Kristen’s niece served as one of her flower girls and carried white flowers that matched the bride’s corsage. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Kristen’s niece served as one of her flower girls and carried white flowers that matched the bride’s corsage.
  • Dan accessorized his navy suit with a light purple tie. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Dan accessorized his navy suit with a light purple tie.
  • The bride and groom sneak a kiss in the doorway. Photo by Kate Osborne

    The bride and groom sneak a kiss in the doorway.
  • The couple managed to plan their entire wedding in merely three months. Photo by Kate Osborne

    The couple managed to plan their entire wedding in merely three months.
  • A secluded walkway provided romantic photo opportunities. Photo by Kate Osborne

    A secluded walkway provided romantic photo opportunities.
  • Guests dined on a buffet of barbecue, salad, fresh fruit and vegetables. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Guests dined on a buffet of barbecue, salad, fresh fruit and vegetables.
  • Tables were topped with arrangements of white hydrangeas and pink roses. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Tables were topped with arrangements of white hydrangeas and pink
    roses.
  • Centerpieces in pastel hues of pink and yellow were accented with pops of white and dark green. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Centerpieces in pastel hues of pink and yellow were accented with pops of white and dark green.
  • Simple, romantic arrangements were scattered throughout the reception. Tables were marked with light blue numbers. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Simple, romantic arrangements were scattered throughout the reception. Tables were marked with light blue numbers.
  • The couple’s invitation was traditionally worded and edged with light blue. Photo by Kate Osborne

    The couple’s invitation was traditionally worded and edged with
    light blue.
  • Garden salad and fruit punch were ideal accompaniments for a dinner of barbecue and corn bread. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Garden salad and fruit punch were ideal accompaniments for a dinner of barbecue and corn bread.
  • Stacey Astin, a friend of the bride, created this beautiful chocolate cake decorated with gum paste rose petals. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Stacey Astin, a friend of the bride, created this beautiful chocolate cake decorated with gum paste rose petals.
  • Guests were treated to a DIY sundae bar with the couple’s favorite toppings. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Guests were treated to a DIY sundae bar with the couple’s favorite toppings.
  • Cheesecake and fresh berries were offered as yet another dessert option, satisfying every guest’s sweet tooth. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Cheesecake and fresh berries were offered as yet another dessert option, satisfying every guest’s sweet tooth.
  • Each guest’s place was marked with a miniature cupcake, prepared by the bride and her sister, and topped with a flag with their name. Photo by Kate Osborne

    Each guest’s place was marked with a miniature cupcake, prepared by the bride and her sister, and topped with a flag with their name.
  • As the evening wore down, guests waved sparklers and sent the bride and groom off to their honeymoon! Photo by Kate Osborne

    As the evening wore down, guests waved sparklers and sent the bride and groom off to their honeymoon!

Planning a large wedding for 250 guests can take months, sometimes over a year to plan. There are so many details to get just right that busy day-to-day lives can take precedence, drawing out all the planning involved—but not for Kristen and Dan.

This Provo, Utah couple isn’t one to wait. Take their courtship. Having met in the summer of 2010 on a camping and hiking trip, they dated briefly until Kristen had to move to Washington, D.C. for an internship. But Kristen and Dan stayed in touch, even while dating other people, and finally got serious about each other in January 2012 when they picked up where they left off two years prior—and then some.

Three months later, they were engaged. “Since we had dated before and knew each other really well, the initial stages of dating went pretty fast and we got engaged by the end of April,” recalls the bride.

So smitten were they for each other by then that Kristen swiftly planned a wedding for July 7th. “It was a short amount of time but we wanted to accommodate both our families—we each had siblings moving away soon and wanted everyone to be there,” explains the bride.

Add to this expedited schedule a two week trip Kristen had already planned to China and there was even less time to plan the whole event. “I knew I had to get a lot done before then,” concedes the bride. Unfazed, Kristen was still able to arrange a wedding that included a custom-made gown, a wedding dinner for 100 and a reception of 150 more. So, just how long did it take her? “I got most of it done in a week,” says the bride.

Here’s how: they kept their bridal party to family and close, nearby friends. Kristen limited her six bridesmaids to her two sisters, three sisters-in-law and a cousin. Dan’s seven groomsmen were his two brothers, three brothers-in-law and two closest friends. Next, she let the choice of light blue bridesmaids’ dresses, wrap dresses that easily flattered all her attendants’ figures, dictate the pastel hues of her wedding’s color scheme. “I chose the bridesmaids dresses before anything else because I knew that would be the easiest way to choose wedding colors,” she says.

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