Embracing Utah’s Perfect Natural Landscapes

Claire and Isac met on a beautiful Memorial Day trip to Yuba Lake in 2024. They connected over a love for running and hiking, as Isac was on his way home from running the Grand Canyon, and Claire hinted that he needed to invite her to the next trip. He got her number, and they fell in love over chocolate cake and lots of running dates together!

To keep their love of the outdoors going, Isac proposed on a backcountry skiing trip in Big Cottonwood Canyon. “It was my first time backcountry skiing, and I loved every second. We toured with our skis about five miles to the top of a big mountain (Isac patiently teaching me how to make the turns with my skis), where Isac had his friends hiding to take pictures of us. I cried when we reached the top of the mountain because of how incredible it was, and I knew Isac was about to propose. We skied down on powdery snow, and it was the most magical day ever!”

What’s even more special is that Claire’s ring is from her Grandmother, also named Claire.

There really isn’t anything more magical than a love story that takes place across all of Utah’s most beautiful landscapes, from incorporating Utah poppies we all know and love to bridals at the sand dunes.

Classic Cakes and Swedish Marzipan

Claire jumped into wedding planning with her mom, which was one of her favorite parts of planning, along with dress shopping with her best friends. “My mom helped so much with planning the wedding, which was so helpful!”

She also had four other friends who were planning their own weddings at the same time, adding to all the magic and experience of being in their bridal eras together.

One of the hard things for Claire and Isac to decide on was what kind of wedding cake they wanted; Claire wanted to have her cake made at the same place her mom’s wedding cake came from, but because Isac is Swedish, he’s not the biggest fan of American cake or frosting.

“He loves princess cake with marzipan, but I wanted to have a cake made by Mrs. Backers.” They ended up going with Mrs. Backers, and according to them, it turned out perfectly. “Isac even ate some too!”

Their wedding priorities were good food, a fun dance party (according to the groom), and a beautiful backyard. From the cake to the stunning decor, complete with party moments like this, we’d say Claire and Isac’s wedding dreams came true.

Utah Sand Dune Bridals

Another fun and special moment during wedding planning was when Isac’s mom surprised Claire with her favorite flowers for their bridals.

“My mother-in-law organized the flowers for my bridals and showed up with poppies, which are my favorite flower, but I knew they were hard to work with, so I wasn’t sure if it was going to work out. But I was so happy and loved the flowers so much!”

And we’re even happier; with photos as stunning as these, we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw a huge upward trend of getting those perfect Utah poppies for your wedding.

But the stunning Utah poppies aren’t even the end of it. Claire’s wedding colors were inspired by another wedding she saw, and the Utah poppy party followed.

Red, Pink, and Orange Wedding Colors Inspired By Utah Poppies

“Honestly I had no idea what colors I wanted until I saw one on my friend’s website; she had posted a wedding she photographed and all the dresses were red, pink, and orange, and it looked so fun and lively; so that’s how I chose the colors. And I always wanted a spring-summer wedding outside.”

Fun and lively is the perfect way to describe a wedding like this one. With family coming all the way from Sweden and Washington D.C., every moment was a red, pink, and orange party. “I loved the colors of my bridesmaid dresses and flowers; super bright, fun colors made everything spectacular.”

They were sealed in the Saratoga Springs, Utah, LDS temple before heading to their reception for an amazing dinner.

“My dad had driven a bunch of stuff out from D.C., so the dinner was really special. He drove out a ton of china my mom had, along with really nice silverware, tablecloths, and even a big wooden table for the cake! The dinner was all made by our families; brisket made by Isac’s dad and my Mom. There was a huge roasted veggie and mozzarella spread, and a French potato salad that was really good.”

So not only was everything gorgeous, but it tasted even better than we could imagine. And it was made all the more special by every family member who came together to celebrate! The food was everyone’s favorite part of Claire and Isac’s wedding.

“My mom and Isac’s mom spent so much time making delicious things. Since Isac’s family is Swedish, for the dinner, Isac’s mom made delicious personal Swedish cakes for everyone.”

It turned out that Isac got the Swedish cake he wanted after all!

Favorite Wedding Day Moments

Their temple ceremony was Claire’s favorite part of the whole wedding day. “Getting sealed to Isac in the temple was the most special moment. I felt so happy and excited to be starting our lives together.”

Another memorable moment was as unexpected as everyone’s reaction to it: the rain. “It rained at the reception, but we were all dancing in the rain at the end, which was pretty memorable. The rain made everything really green and alive.”

When it rains on your wedding day, why not embrace it and dance anyway? And the pictures turn out beautifully.

Looking back on her wedding day, one of the things Claire appreciates is the fact that they decided to hire a videographer. “I’m really glad we ended up doing a wedding video. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be worth it, but when we watched the video, we were both crying and got to relive the day.”

Her advice to couples is to focus on each other during wedding planning. “Don’t let the event take up too much headspace. People would tell me, ‘It’s not about the wedding, it’s about the marriage,’ all the time, so when it rained at the reception, I just told myself that and enjoyed the day.”

When your wedding is as lively as this one, it really doesn’t matter what happens, rain or shine; take it from Claire and Isac, plan your dream wedding around your joy, and the day will be as gorgeous as your love story. Oh, and don’t forget your Utah poppies!