Editorial Revisit: Washington School House

One of the editorial shoots we really wanted to re-visit this year with you is our Washington School House spring shoot in Park City Utah from a few years back! We had an amazing team on this one and an incredible shoot that worked within the idea of a true destination wedding weekend. Some of the most beloved shots created with and for UBB come from this shoot, so it seemed like a no-brainer to share it again with you. Over the next few days we will take you back inside! Today we are sharing the arrival of our bride + groom and some of our fav fashion shots as well as a look at the luxurious school turned boutique hotel. Here is what we had to say back then along with some commentary from our planning + design team, Mood Events about how to pull off a full wedding weekend:

We had a big team of vendors and so many good people on site, we think it is safe to say that not a single one of us wanted to leave the school house! The word luxurious could describe the school house accurately but not fairly, its far more than just mere luxury! Originally built in 1889 as a school this gem is now a boutique hotel with the best kind of accommodations one could ever imagine for a weekend wedding! Not just luxurious it is also very comfortable and the staff is incredibly kind and accommodating. Filled with beautiful suites and one incredible presidential suite it really is the perfect place to host all your guests, recite your vows, and begin your honeymoon!

Making your wedding your own is more than just selecting a unique color palette. It is all about you as a couple – your likes, your experiences with one another, your love. No matter what your style or your budget, offering your guests an experience that is the truest reflection of you as a couple will make the most lasting impression on your family and friends.

Planning a wedding weekend is one way to make a lasting impression on your friends and family that they are sure to never forget. And while it may sound like a daunting task to plan a wedding, let alone an entire weekend, there are many benefits to planning a wedding weekend that can ease your stress leading up to the big day. Consider the following:

Find a venue and/or location that provides accommodations, in-house catering services for group functions and individual dining requests, coordination and recommendations for activities and sightseeing, and close proximity to local attractions.

Keeping your guest count small and manageable ensures that you have less guests to worry about, and more opportunities to celebrate with those who mean the most to you. Lower guests counts are also one way to keep costs down as the total volume of your expenses increase as your guests count also increases.

Also, finding the right venue and location can reduce the number of vendors you need to research and hire, as they often times can function as a one-stop-shop alternative. The venue can serve as your ceremony and reception venue, hotel accommodations for you and your guests, caterer for all of your wedding activities, and personal concierge for individual or group activities you’d like to plan or offer to your guests.

Choosing a venue that is also close in proximity to local activities and attractions, means that guests can explore the local sights nearby relatively easily, and all on their own time. This reduces the amount of activities you would need to “plan” for your guests, and also gives you the opportunity to take the festivities away from the venue and have your guests enjoy a rehearsal dinner or welcome cocktail party at a local restaurant or pub nearby.

Planning a wedding weekend is all about giving your guests an overall experience. But make sure not to over-plan the entire weekend. Plan just enough events to keep your guests entertained and feeling like it’s a wedding weekend, without restricting them to a hard-lined schedule. Also, be sure that all of the activities you plan do not overshadow the most important events of the entire wedding weekend: your ceremony and reception.

Set the mood and tone for your wedding by welcoming your guests with a champagne tower as soon as they arrive! This will immediately let them know that the festivities have begun. Coordinate with the hotel to personalize aspects of the check-in process to make it smooth, easy and also personalized to your wedding weekend. Here we presented our guests’ room keys on a silver platter with their names on the front of each card – similar to an escort card. Guests simply find their name and room number and head directly to their suite.