ECD Blog

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Can a bride look both sweet and sophisticated?  McKenna managed to do just that in the Cypress gown with customized full length sleeves!  
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McKenna, where did you and your fiancé meet?
High school
How did he propose?
He proposed at the Sundance ski resort when we went to our annual moonlight ski lift.
Describe your wedding in 4 words:
Beautiful, memorable, perfect, special
Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
I have always wanted to be sealed in a Church or Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints temple, so I was planning on choosing a modest wedding dress.
What was your favorite part of the day?
I loved being able to see my husband at the temple and be able to share our special day with our family and friends.
What did you splurge or save on?
I saved on my dress, I got it on sale! We also decided to do a luncheon and not a reception.
Credit your vendors:
Photography: Lana Dunn
Wedding Venue: Payson Temple
Reception Venue: Payson Historical Bank
Caterers: Sheps Catering
Dress: Elizabeth Cooper Design
Veil: Alyse’s Bridal
Additional comments or advice for other brides:
Don’t stress through the whole process. This is your time to just enjoy every moment!

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Picking the right dress can be nerve wracking. How do you know when you've found "the one?"
  1.  It feels like YOU. I know they say it’s the most important dress of your life (no pressure!) but don’t let yourself pick a dress that steals the show. Your dress should compliment YOU- your shape, your coloring, your wedding theme and, most importantly, your personality. 
  2. You can picture yourself in it on your wedding day. You know you’ll be beaming in this dress all day as you and your sweetheart make those sacred vows. 
  3. You don’t want to take it off. When we just can’t tear you away from the mirror when you’re rocking the dress that’s a huge sign it might be the one. 
  4. You feel confident. You don’t want a dress that you’re going to feel the need to fuss over all day. You want to feel your most confident so that while you’re saying “I do” to your love you have the peace of mind of knowing that you look incredible, no fussing necessary.
  5. You’re ready to add accessories. Once you’re past that initial try-on phase and you’re ready to add those finishing touches it might be a sign that you’ve found your perfect gown.
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We've all seen Say Yes To The Dress where brides who are dropping $50,000 on one dress burst into happy tears as they "say yes" and everyone cheers. There is a lot of stigma about wedding dress shopping, a lot of expectations, a lot of happy little cliches that we may or may not have spent a considerable amount of time dreaming about. Whether we want it to or not a lot of pressure can build on this special moment. Years of planning, movie watching, and daydreaming have led up to this moment where you will first find your perfect Prince Charming, and then find your most perfect gown. But what if you don't cry? What if you're not so overcome with emotion and choked up at the idea of how incredibly beautiful you are and how incredibly special this amazing dress is? Does that mean it's not "the one?" You might be surprised to learn that approximately 70-80% of our brides who have said "yes to the dress" didn't cry during this special moment. What? No that can't be right... 
Yes. Your wedding dress is special, it should be the most special dress you'll ever wear. If it feels right, then it feels right. The heavens probably won't open up and shower you with rays of glorious light, and that's okay. If you feel beautiful, and you can picture yourself marrying your most special sweetheart in this gown, then you might have found your wedding dress. No need to overthink. No need to make sure all 15 members of your bridal party agree. No need to make sure that grandma is crying at your beauty. If it's right, it's right. 
​Slay queens.
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Looking at Lauren's wedding photos you can see that her smile lit up the room when she married her high school sweetheart! She sparkled in the Celestia gown!

Where did you and your fiancé meet?
High School!


How did he propose?
He recreated our first date, a drive in movie. 


Describe your wedding in 4 words:
A dream come true. 


Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
Because I felt the best in it and I wanted to feel beautiful on my wedding day. 


What was your favorite part of the day?
Just being with my husband and all the people I love so much. 


What did you splurge or save on?
Splurged on the venue, saved on photographers 


Credit your vendors:
Gown: Celestia gown by @elizabethcooperdesign
Photographer- @annieeyring.photo 
Videographer- @Madisonjanefilms
Florist- @lillygrasscreations
Cake- Cakes by Alessandra @cake.ut 
Venue- @eldredgemanor
Hair- @lexilocks_hair


Additional comments or advice for other brides:
Don’t get lost in the chaos of the day. It will all work out! Have fun.
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Mckenzie's wedding gown is an ECD custom combo. With the delicate lace bodice and flowing skirt she was simply adorable! Custom combos are created by selecting your favorite ECD bodice and combining it with your favorite ECD skirt to make your own look!   

Where did you and your fiancé meet?
Back in 5th grade! 


How did he propose?
He took me up the mountains to an old bridge that he had all lit up lights and with rose petals everywhere. 


Describe your wedding in 4 words:
Full of laughs & fun


Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
For a temple marriage!


What was your favorite part of the day?
The ceremony


What did you splurge or save on?
Splurged on pressing my bouquet and saved on a dj. 


Credit your vendors:
Gown: Custom combo by Elizabeth Cooper Design
Alexa Dotson photography 
Darlene Stevens floral



Additional comments or advice for other brides:
Make YOUR wedding totally YOU!
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Rachel chose a classic wedding gown and was stunning in it! The Alana gown is made of crisp dupioni, creating a  look that is fit for a queen! 


Where did you and your fiancé meet?
We met when we were 10 years old at his family’s dance studio. We grew up together, and then finally started dating in college. 


How did he propose?
He sent me on an elaborate scavenger hunt that took me to different locations that held significance in our relationship. When I followed the clue that finally led me to him, he sang a song to me and popped the question!  


Describe your wedding in 4 words:
Classic, Elegant, Sweet, Party!!


Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
I always try to choose to dress modestly, so I didn’t want my big day to be the exception. I wanted to feel elegant and comfortable and my dress made me feel amazing!


What was your favorite part of the day?
My favorite part of the day was hearing my husband’s vows and having a huge dance party!!


What did you splurge or save on?
It felt awesome to be able to save money on my dress and on the venue. We got great deals. We definitely splurged on the Disneyland themed food, but it was worth it. 


Credit your vendors:
Gown: Alana by Elizabeth Cooper Design
​Venue: Provo Library
Photography: Bailee Morris 
Videography: Emma Wadsworth 


Additional comments or advice for other brides:
My advice for other brides is don’t sweat the small stuff. Especially on your big day, take time to relax and truly celebrate!
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Sabrina was simply elegant in her Margaret wedding gown!  The sweeping organza skirt and the crepe bodice were perfect for her wedding day! 

Where did you and your fiancé meet?
High school show choir 


How did he propose?
We had a picnic lunch, then he proposed on the Mt. Timpanogos temple grounds. 


Describe your wedding in 4 words:
Elegant, intimate, long-awaited, family-centered 


Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
Wearing a modest wedding dress allowed me to feel comfortable and beautiful on my wedding day. 


What was your favorite part of the day?
My favorite part was being sealed for eternity to my husband! It’s so special! Our guests were also limited to to COVID-19 precautions. We were initially really sad about that, but it ended up making the day really special and intimate because we got to spend quality time with the people that mean the most to us on our special day. 


What did you splurge or save on?
We saved on flowers (I wanted to do my own personal flowers, and our venue provided centerpieces and other decor! This meant I was able to splurge a little more on my dress! 


Credit your vendors:
Dress: Margaret gown by Elizabeth Cooper Design
Venue: White Willow Reception Center; Provo, UT
Photography: Alex Elise Weddings (Alex Trujillo)
Cake: Sam’s Club (lol), decorated by us 
Catering: Apple Spice 


Additional comments or advice for other brides:
I was so set on getting one style of dress before trying anything on, but I tried a ton of styles and ended up choosing the exact opposite of what I thought I would like! Explore your options and have fun with it!

When planning your wedding, decide with your fiancé what your priorities are. For us, a big party sounded fun, but it wasn’t at the top of our list. We had a small ceremony and luncheon with a bit of dancing, and that was perfect for us! You don’t have to follow the traditional sequence of events; make your day about you and your fiancé. Have fun and celebrate your love!
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Stacey chose our Fern gown.  Made of soft chantilly lace it was perfect for her romantic wedding.  We customized the wedding gown for Stacey with a cap sleeve and a sweetheart neckline. She was lovely!
 
Where did you and your fiancé meet?
At church in our small village of 200 people


How did he propose?
Overlooking the river on a snowy evening walk, he got down on one knee and said "You will make a wonderful wife and we will glorify God together, will you marry me?"


Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
I wanted to respect our morals and present myself as a beautiful bride in front of God and my husband


What was your favorite part of the day?
Reading a letter to my fiancé before taking our vows


What did you splurge or save on?
I splurged on my photographer and flowers. I saved on food and decorations


Credit your vendors:
Dress: Fern gown by Elizabeth Cooper Design (with modified sleeves and neckline)
Flowers: Bagoy's Florist
Photography: Christal Houghtelling


Additional comments or advice for other brides:
Plan as detailed as possible, be confident in asking for what you'd like, and be flexible on the big day remember what the main goal is.
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Sarah was enchanting in a Pandora gown and cape, proving that modest wedding gowns are anything but boring! 

Where did you and your fiancé meet?
Volunteering


How did he propose?
At the end of a hike, overlooking the valley and the Bountiful Temple. He'd brought a backpack with him and I was sure he was going to propose but then, at the end, he pulled out his scriptures (it was a Sunday) and said, "I thought we could have a hike and a study together." I sighed a little bit internally but I was still happy. What a special idea. He opened to 1 Corinthians 13 and read the verses to me. He talked about what he thought love really was and all the things we'd learned together, difficult and fun. He then turned to, what I thought would be another scripture along the same lines, where actually the ring was tied in to the scriptures. He talked about how meaningful our relationship was and how much joy and growth it brought to his life and then he asked me to be his wife.


Describe your wedding in 4 words:
Special, joyful, memorable and peace-filled


Why did you choose to wear a modest wedding dress for your big day?
I have struggled with body image my whole life. I had been through some traumatic events as a child and had never felt comfortable in my own skin. Over the years, I improved and healed a little bit at a time but still struggled. I felt so gross and disgusting in my body for so long and didn't want anyone to see or notice it... but then I began to realize what a sacred and special thing it really was. It enables me to walk, to run, to hike and to dance. My body enables me to hug loved ones, to hold others' hands. My body enables me to sing and laugh and cry and feel so many things. My body is a very valuable thing, I realized, and I want to treat it with respect and dignity. Over the past year I had begun feeling like I wanted to treat my body with the same respect I treat the earth or God's other creatures. I began telling my body how grateful I am for it and how much I love it. I began thinking often of what I'm happy my body CAN do and it filled me with joy. Above all -- my body has the ability to heal and that is what it has done over the past several years. I was afraid to get married because I was afraid of being the center of attention... but in this modest and beautiful dress, I felt respected, I felt dignified and I felt safe. I chose a modest dress as a sign of respect for my body and a sign of gratitude to God for giving it to me. 


What was your favorite part of the day?
The temple. I didn't get to wear my ECD dress in the temple, I got to change into it after, but even that was meaningful. I had been an ordinance worker in the Bountiful Temple for over a year and to get married in the dress I had volunteered in for so long was very meaningful to me. I love God -- we tried to dedicate the day to Him in ways that were significant to us and how we felt He had led and directed us to each other. We tried to highlight the ways in which he'd been generous to us... so, the temple (the religious place we were married) was the most special part for us as it was all about the creator and us and the sentiment that: with Him and in His hands, all things are possible. God is good and while we felt that all day, that feeling was strongest in the temple.


What did you splurge or save on?
I saved money on hair and makeup -- I did my makeup myself and a friend did my hair. My aunt is a hairstylist and did my hair for engagement photos but the day of, she was out of town, so I found a simple hairdo that a friend helped me put together. Truly, it enabled me to enjoy the day more. I splurged on things that would have caused contention between family members and that enabled everyone to focus on the day. Flowers, the gown, decoration -- all were delegated to other people to figure out so that no opinions or hurt feelings became the focal point. 


Credit your vendors:
Gown: Pandora gown by Elizabeth Cooper Design

The Manor at Eldredge Square 
564 W 400 N, Bountiful, UT 84010, United States
+1 801 292 5501

Willow Specialty Florist
371 N 200 W, Bountiful, UT 84010, United States
+1 801 397 0536

Megan Snell Photography
https://www.instagram.com/megansnellphoto/
+1 801 891 4826


Additional comments or advice for other brides:
If you want your day to be peaceful rather than frenzied -- DELEGATE what you care less about to family and friends and delegate to professionals what you care more about. It is worth the money to be able to feel the joy and peace of your wedding day. The marriage is the most important part, the wedding only lasts a day, but it IS a special day that you wouldn't want to miss by being worried about a detail that you will forget. Splurge on things you will hold onto and pass down and let go of the things that will only last the day. You will be glad you did. I am already.