Katherine Estrada & Jackson Ladd | April 26, 2024

Love Story Details Become Wedding Day Details

Katherine and Jackson’s first date was a Utah Jazz basketball game on Halloween. You know how it goes, your date picks you up and puts you in charge of the music—for Katherine, the first song she recognized on Jackson’s playlist was the first one she played. “All Your’n” by Tyler Childers took them up to Salt Lake City for their first date, and would later become their first dance song on their wedding day!

Their love story is one that has us swooning over every detail. “We dated for a full year before getting engaged, with three months of it spent long-distance. During that time, Jackson regularly sent me love letters, always making sure to spray them with his cologne before mailing them. His intentionality and thoughtfulness are constants in our relationship—he never lets my favorite vase sit empty, always filling it with fresh flowers.”

How to Plan Your Perfect Utah Spring Wedding

Those heartfelt details continued into their beautiful spring Utah spring wedding. Every bride-to-be knows how overwhelming wedding planning can be, but Katherine loved every moment of it—even the hard parts.

“I think most brides would agree that wedding planning can be stressful, but I personally loved it. Of course, there were moments of tears and feeling overwhelmed, but once the wedding was over, I found myself with post-wedding blues because I wanted to do it all over again.”

We can relate—as soon as it’s over, we want to start planning another wedding!

“Thankfully, my mom was an absolute saint throughout the process. She’s so creative and made everything run as smoothly as possible. One of my favorite parts was creating mood boards and watching them come to life. I was blown away by how my mom and our vendors brought my vision together so perfectly.”

And perfectly doesn’t even begin to cover it! From the beautiful blues to the floral baskets, and even the surprise drive-thru burger photoshoot, we’re simply obsessed with every single detail of this Utah spring wedding.

Wedding Planning Priorities

Katherine’s priority for wedding planning was realizing she had to speak up when it came to deciding what she really wanted. “I was a month or two into wedding planning when I realized I was starting to plan the opposite of the wedding I always dreamed of. Thankfully, I spoke up and my dream wedding became a reality.”

Brides, take this as your sign to “speak up,” Like Katherine said!

And speaking up also includes trusting your instincts—like Katherine did when it came to finding her dream wedding dress.

“My wedding dress shopping experience was anything but ordinary. My sister had just gotten engaged, and we were actually shopping for her wedding dress. While browsing through the racks, I spotted the most stunning gown I had ever seen. It was everything I had envisioned for my dream dress, though I hadn’t figured out how it would all come together.”

Since Katherine wasn’t engaged yet and this was supposed to be her sister’s moment, she felt embarrassed about the idea of trying it on. But it was a sample dress, on the sale rack, and in her size—so her mom insisted she give it a chance.

“The moment I put it on, I was in tears. I remember saying, ‘I could get married in this,’ and ‘I could buy this dress right now.’”

A week later, she came back to try on other dresses, just to be sure, but nothing compared—she was still in love with it.

“On my third visit, I finally purchased the dress—three months before I even got engaged! It felt like fate, and I’m so glad I trusted my instincts.”

And we’re even more glad! Her dress is more than just incredible, it’s jaw-dropping (have you seen that bow?). The overall theme for Katherine and Jackson’s wedding was “Audrey Hepburn meets coastal grandma,” and every detail—including the dress—matches that vibe perfectly.

A Utah Spring Wedding Day Comes with Unexpected Rain

Everyone who’s been around for a Utah spring wedding knows that the weather can be a little unpredictable. After all, April is known for its showers. But, the unexpected rain on their wedding day made for unexpected sweet memories—and even sweeter photos!

“Despite the terrible weather bringing me to tears once or twice, one of my favorite memories happened after we took photos at the LDS temple. My husband and I ran to the car through the pouring rain, completely soaked. Once we got in, we just looked at each other and said, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re actually married!’”

All brides and grooms who have been on the after-side of I do know this feeling—it’s almost surreal.

“We snapped the cutest selfie, drenched from the rain, and it’s still one of our favorite photos. It was such a simple yet tender moment that captured the joy and excitement of the day.”

Katherine may have been worried about the rain on her wedding day, but we love how it added to the overall gorgeous atmosphere of these wedding photos.

The Sweet Moments

She knew that she wanted her whole wedding day to feel as peaceful and stress-free as possible, and like the heavy rain clouds, she was able to enjoy soaking it all in from the moment she woke up with her bridesmaids.

“I spent the night with my bridesmaids and woke up with plenty of time to get ready. My sweet friend, who’s a hairstylist, came over to help, and I decided to do my own makeup because I wanted to feel like myself—it was such a great decision, and I’m so glad I did it.”

And doing your own makeup has its perks—like being able to redo it when you cry it all off.

“I cried like a baby during our sealing ceremony, so when we got back to the venue, I wiped off all my makeup and completely redid it. It gave me a little alone time to reset, but I also got to hang out with my bridesmaids, spend time with my husband, and take more photos before our ring ceremony and reception.”

We love the moments Katherine and Jackson were able to spend together on their wedding day just the two of them—after all, it’s what your wedding day is all about.

“Our ring ceremony was short and sweet, and it meant so much to me to share vows in front of everyone, especially my non-LDS family and friends, so they could feel included in the day. Afterward, my husband and I snuck away to the groom’s room to eat dinner before the party started.”

It’s these small moments together that you’ll look back on the most!

“We ended the evening with a private last dance, followed by a sparkler send-off. It was the perfect way to close out such a joyful and unforgettable day.” The song they chose for their last dance together? Her parents’ first dance song from their wedding day. Talk about a sweet detail!

Delicious Details

But it wasn’t just the two of them that enjoyed their gorgeous Utah spring wedding—it was their whole wedding party.

“One of our favorite parts of the night was when we asked everyone to come to the dance floor so our photographer could capture a group photo from the balcony. Not only did we get an amazing picture with all of our guests, but it also kept everyone on the dance floor, creating the best energy for the night.”

If you’re looking for the perfect way to get everyone on the dance floor—this is it!

And their guests’ favorite part of the whole day was the delicious gelato they served at the reception. Who doesn’t love some good scoops from Pinguino’s?

Speaking of delicious food, we simply can’t forget to mention the incredible photos Katherine and Jackson took at none other than In-N-Out. Not only are they absolutely adorable, but the whole experience was serendipitous and perfect for what she had in mind.

“My parents have the sweetest photo of them at McDonald’s with a vintage Rolls Royce right after their sealing, and I always knew I wanted a similar, fun photo—but at In-N-Out. To our surprise, there happened to be a gorgeous blue vintage car parked there that matched our wedding colors perfectly. The kind owners of the car graciously let us take photos in front of it, and it was everything I hoped for!”

And it’s everything we hoped for and more—BRB, going to take some bridals of our own in the booth of our favorite diner!

Something Blue

Katherine’s favorite details from her Utah spring wedding (and ours too!) were the beautiful blue bow on the arch that framed their ceremony, and the stunning baskets full of flowers for her bridesmaids. Paired with their blue dresses, we may or may not be pinning all of these photos on our Pinterest ‘Perfect Utah spring wedding’ and ‘Something blue’ inspo boards.

Katherine and Jackson’s wedding day was more than just sweet—it was downright perfect down to every flower petal and flowing gown. Her advice to any couple who is in the middle of planning their Utah spring wedding is to enjoy it.

“Try not to let your emotions overwhelm you. Wedding planning and the big day are meant to be fun and exciting! I honestly wish I could do it all over again—not because I have regrets, but because it was such a joyful and special time.”

When your wedding turns out as gorgeous as this one, it’s hard not to want to do it all over again!

If you’re looking for more wedding inspo like this one, ideas for darling details, or help planning your own Utah wedding, Utah Valley Bride has all the resources you need. From our wedding planning course to endless real weddings to read about, feel free to click around and stay a while. We’re happy you’re here!