Silver Anniversary Launch Party Recap and a Speech from Our CEO

We invite you to revel in the silver with us as we kick off our 25th anniversary of Utah Valley Bride! To say it was a joy beyond measure to celebrate with everyone who came to our launch party is simply not doing enough justice. From the insanely gorgeous draping to the hundreds of hand-painted florals and the sparkle and shine from every glittery gown, it was a night we will never forget.

Thank You To Our Launch Party Sponsors

First and foremost, this night would not have been possible without the gorgeous Oz Wedding and Event Venue and the incredible Alexis to host our launch party this year. Not only was every detail a beautiful backdrop to our silver theme, but we simply can’t get over how stunning the space was for a magical night. The stage was the perfect way to reveal and display our five new magazine covers for 2026, and for our CEO Carys to give her amazing speech.

The incredible silver draping and sparkling crystals on the ceiling are all thanks to Nephi and his team at Moonlight Lighting. Not only that, but they provided the glamorous GlamBot backdrop and hung up our magazine covers for the big reveal. Talk about show-stopping details! Moonlight really can make all of your wedding dreams come true with a touch of draping and lighting to bring it all together.

Details and Backdrops

And of course, the star of the show was Details by Laura Lee and her amazing team, bringing the florals and decor to really make every moment shine. We may or may not have teared up when we walked into the space to see the way the silver anthuriums and flickering candles made the moment finally feel real. Laura Lee’s planning and florals are what brought our silver anniversary vision to life and what made the celebration so full of love!

The way the florals and details tied together with the shining linens from Specialty Linens made the night feel like a portal to an elegant silver ball, where more than a few ladies lost a sparkling glass slipper or two by the end of the night. Thanks to DJ Scotty J for keeping the party going from start to finish, and keeping us on our toes on the dance floor once we finally kicked off the heels!

But the magic simply doesn’t stop. Our incredible backdrops are thanks to Lumora, providing the photo op in the entrance and the backdrop for the insanely stunning cake made by Cakes by Camryn. Not only was the cake a shining art piece with tiers of elegance, but it tasted even better, if you can imagine it. And it was illuminated perfectly by the beautiful Lumora installations!

Photo Ops and Tasty Delights

Speaking of photo ops, we will never ever stop talking about Tasty Bites Cookie Co. A photo booth that prints your pictures on a cookie? Right in front of you? Every person’s jaw dropped when they saw it, and once again, those cookies tasted even better than you can imagine. If you’ve ever wanted to take a bite out of your own photo, well, now you can.

And the photo booth was only the beginning. We all watch celebrity red carpet GlamBot videos and know we’d absolutely crush it, and we can say for certain that every guest did! Thanks to Josh and his Moment Entertainment team, we had the first-ever GlamBot in the state of Utah at the launch party, and it was one of the biggest highlights of the night! Turns out magazine pages and silver gowns really do look better in slow motion.

The night would not have been captured without the talents of photo and video team Starlight Stories, who snapped every sentimental and stellar moment throughout the night. Their talent for getting the silver details and sparkling smiles of every guest made the evening truly unforgettable. And let’s not forget the incredible talent of Timelessly Yours Content Creation, catching every raw moment and hug between vendors and brides as we came together to celebrate everyone’s love stories!

We also want to thank Charcutie for her delicious and downright delightful charcuterie spread for the evening. Who knew silver towers of food could look and taste so good? Together with Whisk Bakery Utah, Valaney created a beautiful setup for such a special night. And of course, the beverages for the night were thanks to Elevate Event Bartending, with a raspberry mule we’ll be dreaming of forever; it’s no wonder the line for drinks was wrapped around the venue all night long!

You Make Utah Valley Bride What It Is

Most importantly, we want to thank our amazing Director of Events and Operations, Micah. Her talent for bringing together our community in such a beautiful way to celebrate one another and revel in the work that was put into this magazine, both from our team and every single vendor in every gallery, goes unrivaled. Our magical night was brought to life all thanks to Micah!

Lastly, we want to thank every single one of you, vendors, brides, lovers of all things weddings, for coming to the launch party, for submitting your galleries to us, and for letting us be your source of inspiration. We simply couldn’t do it without you!

In case you missed it, or in case you want to revisit it, we’ve included our CEO Carys’ speech from the launch party below. Read it, pick your favorite part, and post it on your Instagram story and tag us in it!

Speech from Our CEO from the Launch Party

“Good evening, and thank you so much for being here tonight. My name is Carys, and I am the new owner and CEO of Utah Valley Bride.

Before I begin, I want to thank all of our sponsors tonight: I want to thank Laura Lee and her team for their vision and floral design; Angie & Ben with Starlight Stories for providing photo and video, they just moved to Utah, let’s give them a warm welcome; The beautiful Oz Wedding & Event Center for hosting us; Chantelle with Timelessly Yours Content Creation; Taylor with Tasty Bites Cookie Co; Nephi and the Team at Moonlight Lighting and Draping; Specialty Linens; Elevate Event Bartending; Valaney with Charcutie; Moment Entertainment for providing the first Glambot in the state of Utah; Lumora Event Rentals; Cakes by Camryn; And DJ Scotty J for keeping the energy going all night long.

This year marks 25 years of Utah Valley Bride, meaning this publication has been part of the Utah wedding industry since 2001. It has seen trends come and go, businesses grow, creatives rise, and countless couples begin their stories. Over the years, this publication became more than just a magazine; it became a community brides dream about being part of. It set a tone and began to elevate the Utah wedding industry.

Since stepping into ownership of Utah Valley Bride in June, the stewardship of that legacy has been at the forefront of my mind. At its heart, Utah Valley Bride isn’t about Jeanette, Brittny, or, now, me. Utah Valley Bride is something that belongs, in many ways, to all of us: the couples we serve, the vendors who place trust in us, and the community that has supported this publication for decades.

Every long-standing brand goes through seasons. There are seasons of growth, seasons of change, and seasons that invite reflection and refinement. Utah Valley Bride has been through all of those seasons, but tonight marks the beginning of a new season. This season is rooted in intention, one that looks forward with a clear vision, while honoring everything that has come before it.

The heart of Utah Valley Bride has always been the people—the couples getting married and the vendors who walk alongside them during one of the most emotional seasons of their lives.

To all the wedding vendors in the room… As a previous wedding vendor myself, please hear me when I say: to us (and to the couples you serve), you are not just business owners. You are storytellers, artists, planners, guides, and problem-solvers. You’re the reason these weddings happen the way they do.

You are not just part of this industry; you are the heartbeat of it. The artists, planners, and professionals who carry couples through one of the most important seasons of their lives. Our commitment moving forward is to honor your work with care, integrity, and respect, and to treat you as true partners in our storytelling process.

Before I introduce this year’s publication and covers, I want to introduce and thank my incredible team, because without them, none of this would have been possible.

Alli: Director of Marketing

Micah: Director of Operations

Sydnie: Editor-in-Chief

I would also like to thank Jenna, the graphic designer of our magazine, and Brittny, for working so hard to make sure that the transition between ownership was seamless, and for trusting me with the opportunity to steward UVB.

At the heart of this year’s publication is a belief we hold very deeply: marriage matters most.

The wedding day is beautiful, yes, but it’s beautiful because it marks the beginning of a marriage, a partnership, and often a family. It’s a moment where two people choose commitment, growth, and a future together. And because of that, every wedding is a big deal.

This year, our focus was on offering readers both inspiration and intention. As all good wedding vendors know, for couples, inspiration matters, but so does clarity. We wanted readers to walk away feeling informed, confident, and supported as they plan one of the most important days of their lives.

Alongside eight incredible, aspirational weddings, we wanted to offer real, tangible guidance; advice couples can actually use as they plan their weddings and hire their vendors.

As we look ahead to the upcoming year, our vision continues to expand.

We’re excited to lean back into journalism again. Featuring more and more real weddings, curated inspiration, local love stories, and beautiful moments that feel honest and meaningful, while partnering with the vendors and creatives in this room to help tell those stories beautifully and responsibly.

As we move forward, we invite you into this next chapter with us through your submissions, collaboration, and shared trust. This is about building something lasting and elevating the Utah wedding industry together.

Tonight is special, not just because we’re launching our 2026 magazine, but because we’re standing at the start of a new chapter for Utah Valley Bride. Please join us in a round of applause for 25 years and 25 more!

Without further ado, introducing five covers felt like the right way to honor twenty-five years and step into our new chapter. Each of the covers we selected are real Utah brides, and they are each here with us tonight. As we reveal each cover, please celebrate with us!

Thank you for being here. Thank you for believing in the importance of marriage. And thank you for trusting us to be stewards of a legacy that truly matters.”