Abby Brenchley & Corbin Christensen | 05.18.23

Wedding Party

Abby and Corbin’s love story began with a group date they were thrown into. Corbin had been friends with Abby’s brother before he met Abby when they ran into each other at a carnival. Their first date at Provo Beach Resort went great—but Abby said no when Corbin asked her out again. Eventually, she did agree to go out with him again, and the rest is history.

After dating long distance while Abby was at BYU Hawaii for school, they eventually got engaged and then married in a beautiful Utah backyard wedding in May. But anyone who’s been in Utah during the spring knows that the weather can be unpredictable.

“I remember being kind of nervous about the weather. I wanted it to be in my parents’ backyard because it’s really pretty and just a special place. But it was kind of sketchy because it was the middle of May.” They both watched the weather for days leading up to their Utah backyard wedding, and it even started to sprinkle during their rehearsal dinner the night before.

“It was scary—but it turned out beautiful. It was a perfect day.”

And that perfect day has us fangirling over every detail. Not only was the weather perfect, but the backyard was a stunning place for their reception, from the incredible florals to the awesome dance floor.

Family Time and Relaxing Time

They were sealed in the Payson Utah LDS temple. “I think something that’s really special about a wedding day is being surrounded by your friends and family. It’s what it’s all about. That was special about the sealing—we had all of our loved ones there.”

In between their sealing and reception, they made time to relax and reflect on the fact that it was their wedding day. “We had our wedding dinner the night before, so we didn’t have a luncheon or anything. We just hung out at our house before the reception. That was one of my favorite parts of the whole wedding day.”

“We got to eat the food that was going to be served, and it was incredible. That was a good part, the downtime between the sealing and reception to chill in the middle and take it all in. We got to have a good time there.”

Planning a Backyard Wedding in Utah

Abby’s main priorities while wedding planning were hiring a wedding planner, and having flowers that would make your jaw drop. And both were a huge success.

“We had amazing vendors. My wedding planner Allison was amazing. I would recommend her to everyone because she was just perfect, she planned everything and knew our vision perfectly. I loved having somebody else to take care of the priorities.”

Her Utah backyard venue played a big part in their overall design and atmosphere. “I love flowers, and I think that that really brings together the whole vibe that you’re going for. And I knew that I wanted to have a lot of flowers to fill the whole space.”

Luckily their planner was also their florist—La Fete Floral! “There was definitely a certain feeling that we went for. Allison nailed it with flowers and the venue was great. I think the setting that it was in, it being in my backyard, was another thing that was special and cool. It’s a familiar place and we knew what we wanted to do with all of it.”

They even had a s’mores bar for dessert—and we want s’more of these stunning Utah backyard wedding details!

And we can’t forget to mention her stunning Frankie Jane wedding dress—those ruffles certainly ruffle our feathers in a good way. It was even a two-in-one look, with a removable overskirt to go from whimsical wedding dresses to sleek and chic. It’s basically a party in dress form, which was perfect for this wedding!

The Wedding Party Brought the Party

Their reception culminated in an “epic dance party.” According to Corbin, “The bride and groom kind of have to bring the energy. I felt like we brought it.” One look at their photos proves that they did indeed bring the energy.

And of course, right at the end of the night, everyone jumped in the pool with Abby and Corbin. From s’mores to a pool party, this Utah backyard wedding was a night to remember for everyone! Abby’s dad even surprised them with an aerial firework show for their send-off, a perfect ending for a fun-filled celebration—these two bring a whole new meaning to the term wedding party.

“There was a lot of energy. Everyone was laughing and having a good time with each other. And during the dance party, having all of my family included and having that high energy was really fun. I loved to see everyone laugh and get along. That was all my favorite part.”

Their advice for couples is to take a moment to enjoy your wedding day. “Take a deep breath and get yourself ready to genuinely be in the moment that day and enjoy it, because it flies by. I feel like it went so quickly.”

“You have your friends and family there to support you—it’s your wedding day! This is the biggest day of your life. So just enjoy it.”

They also said to make your reception a little longer than you think. With such an incredible party going on, they wished it had lasted into the night. “Ours was two and a half hours. I think most people do two hours, maybe, but even having a little longer helps. I would want even longer than that because it just went by so fast.”

When your wedding day is the party of a lifetime, you never want it to end, and that’s what Abby and Corbin’s Utah backyard wedding was. From the gorgeous and sentimental setting to the incredible moments in between with each other and their guests, their day was filled with sunshine and happiness. It’s a great way to start the rest of your lives together—with a literal wedding party.