Following a long-distance relationship, a mission, a medical release from a mission, a week-long trip to Delaware to see each other in person for the first time in 10 months (which included getting engaged), a week spent in Utah meeting his family and a week spent in Idaho meeting ours, Rebekah and Nathan were married on Saturday, August 2.
Prior to their wedding, we went to the temple to shoot their pictures. I would highly recommend this strategy to anyone who is getting married. If it works for your schedule, get your pictures outside the temple BEFORE your wedding. We didn't have to fight crowds, we weren't rushed to head off to a luncheon or reception or anything, and we got to pick the time of day to shoot for the best lighting.
We ended up with gorgeous shots like these.
Ana came along as my photographic assistant and mostly helped with poses (including teaching the couple how to dip). Rebekah started feeling unwell toward the end of the shoot, but we still stopped next to the river for the last shot with the sunset. (We were going to hike Tablerock the day following this shoot, but due to Rebekah's dizziness, we chose not to go. That gave me more prep time, anyway.
The day of August 2, we first met at the St. Leon church so Bishop Judd Parker could perform the wedding. By getting married for time only first, all family members could be present. Both Rebekah and Nathan are the oldest children in their family, so this included all their younger siblings who haven't been through the temple yet.
Rebekah's crocheted bouquet and the couple's marriage license sitting on a chair in the cultural hall. Rebekah also crocheted the headband she wore for the wedding.
Nathan and Rebekah planned the whole program. They started with a prayer, then the two of them shared their story: how they met in Nauvoo, what their initial impressions of each other were, their one in-person date before Nathan left for Delaware to go to grad school, their long-distance relationship, Rebekah's mission and medical release, their engagement. Then both sets of parents spoke for a few minutes: me followed by Nathan's mom Jennifer followed by Seth followed by Nathan's dad Scott. Then the bishop performed the ceremony. Then they had a closing prayer.
The family listening to Nathan's mom as she speaks during the wedding. From left to right on the front row: Hannah, Jared, Daniel, Abby, Rachel, Scott (Nathans' siblings and dad), Rebekah, Nathan, Ana, Miriam Winnie, Andrea, Seth.
Bishop Parker performing the ceremony.
Andrea and Jennifer hugging after the ceremony with Nathan and Rebekah and Scott and Seth in the background.
Ana giving instructions for rearranging the cultural hall from the wedding's setup to the luncheon's.
Grandma Susan, Aunt McKall, Grandpa Dennis and Aunt Rachel helping to set up for the luncheon.
One of the centerpieces Rebekah made for the tables at the luncheon. We had inherited a bunch of old sheet music that we utilized in decorating. The table runners we ordered online, and almost all the rest of the decorations we borrowed from the Guymon family. I had shot family pictures for them earlier in the summer, so instead of charging them my usual fee, we arranged to use their tablecloths, icicle lights, battery-operated candles and other various accessories to decorate the wedding, the luncheon and (later) the receptions.
Immediately following the wedding, the couple, the bridal attendant (me) and the witnesses (Jennifer and Seth) headed to the temple with the rest of the family and friends to follow. There Rebekah and Nathan were sealed by Brother Hall, a temple worker Rebekah had gotten to know while serving as an ordinance worker before her proselyting mission.
The crowd waiting outside the temple.
Rebekah and Nathan coming out of the temple after their sealing.
The whole group picture excluding Grandpa Scott who forgot his tripod and couldn't use the timer to take the photo.
Then we headed back to the church for a luncheon. Rebekah and Nathan had a specific menu they requested: pulled pork with buns (and Hawaiian rolls, a favorite of our new son-in-law) and green salad. I convinced Rebekah that we could also include a potato salad and a fruit salad. We ended up with way more food than we needed, but it was all delicious. And we learned that Costco's pulled pork is AMAZING.
Nathan had his grandpa, parents, siblings and several aunts, uncles and cousins there. Rebekah had all four of her grandparents, her great-grandma, some great-aunts and -uncles, and Aunt Rachel and her family, Aunt McKall and most of her kids (Tyson and Bennet had a scheduled mountain bike race they had signed up for a year prior), and Uncle Ethan and Mason that came.
Rebekah and Nathan at the luncheon.
Wide shot of the luncheon.
Luncheon and decorations.
The sheet cake Ana made and decorated.
Andrea and Ana serving the cake.
The Stratus decorated by the Grover girls. After the luncheon, Nathan and Rebekah spent a few days in Island Park staying at Rachel and Justin's cabin.
More décor on the Stratus as the newlyweds pull out (with Scott waving goodbye).
Winnie and Canyon vacuuming in the cultural hall as we take down all the decorations from the wedding and luncheon.
It was a beautiful day: the weather was perfect, a lot of family came to support Nathan and Rebekah, the wedding ceremony was thoughtfully planned out and executed, we had a lot of help with decorating and serving food and taking everything down, and the sealing was sweet and meaningful.
After the couple came home from their honeymoon in Island Park, Seth and I drove them down to Salt Lake so they could spend a few hours with Nathan's mom before the couples boarded a plane for Delaware. Nathan was in the second and last year of his master's program (percussion performance), and Rebekah eventually found a good job to work on while he's in school. After he graduates in the spring of 2026, they'll move back out to this side of the country so Rebekah can finish her degree at BYU-Idaho.