july 23, 2022

Bliss and Griffin's story began in childhood, as they grew up across the street from one another in a rural neighborhood in southeast Arkansas. Countless hours of playing and exploring as kids developed into an undeniable love for one another. Bliss and Griffin made it official when they were a sophomore and junior in college; a moment that had been in the making for quite some time. Nearly in the very spot they would later say "I do," Griffin proposed to Bliss in 2019 during a family vacation to Park City. However, soon after the proposal, wedding planning came to a screeching halt as Bliss was diagnosed with cardiac sarcoidosis, a rare and life threatening heart disease. Their world stood still, and planning a wedding became the least of their concerns. Griffin took hold of Bliss's hand as they undertook the unknown journey of recovery together. As they received answers from the medical world, wedding planning came alive again and coincided with a plan for recovering Bliss's health. Just six weeks before their beautiful destination wedding at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Park City, Utah, Bliss underwent heart surgery by having a pacemaker installed. Though it appeared at first her diagnosis may have ruined their wedding dreams, the wedding and their future together actually became their driving force to move forward and overcome obstacles in their way. This was more than a wedding, but truly a celebration of life and the unconditional love that Bliss and Griffin so gratefully share!

Bridal Brunch

This incredible wedding weekend started off with a fun bridal brunch at Cafe Terigo in downtown Park City, with mimosas and charcuterie galore. Each bridesmaid was greeted with a welcome gift at their place setting, surrounded with dainty butterflies and pink roses lining the table. 

rehearsal dinner

Bliss and Griffin gathered all their family and friends for a late evening, romantic rehearsal dinner at their venue, Stein Eriksen Lodge. The evening consisted of customized welcome gift boxes for each guest, a wonderful dinner prepared in-house, and perhaps our favorite part; heartfelt toasts from a multitude of loved ones. Griffin didn't leave a dry eye in the room as he read a poem he wrote for Bliss. The night wrapped up with a late-night cookie and coffee bar featuring their dog, Frank.

the wedding

The special day had finally arrived for Bliss and Griffin, and the joy was almost tangible in the air! The sun was shining through the ski-run covered mountains and a breeze was blowing through the evergreen trees. It was the perfect day for a wedding! Vendors buzzed around the property of Stein Eriksen, working as one team in synchrony, with one mission in mind; make this dream wedding a reality. Every detail was perfectly curated and planned by the Amanda Reed Weddings team, with spectacular, vibrant florals gracing every surrounding surface, including a jaw-dropping ceremony aisle and arch, created by Artisan Bloom. From the table linens to the wedding favors to the custom dance floor, every element of this wedding was breathtaking. Though the wedding was beautiful, our favorite parts of the day were the special moments between Bliss and Griffin. Particularly, we loved the moment during their emotional first look when Bliss's younger brother made a surprising appearance. With a quick giggle, Bliss kindly welcomed him into the moment, which made it even more special. We loved watching these two enjoy their first dance, basking in the realization that it actually happened, it was actually here: their dream wedding, celebrating the trials they had overcome and the future they would soon enjoy together.

words from bliss

"I work for Arkansas Bride magazine so I have seen a lot of their work and always admired and loved how Cameron & Elizabeth captured weddings. Their pictures were always stunning and they always seemed to capture the couple's relationship beautifully. I also admired how they are as people, both Cameron and Elizabeth are two of the kindest and most genuine people I know and have gotten to work with through Arkansas Bride. I was elated whenever they agreed to traveling all the way to Deer Valley, Utah to shoot my wedding. I cannot recommend their photography business enough. I used C&E for my bridal luncheon, rehearsal dinner, and full wedding day. Every single photo from my wedding weekend was phenomenal. They made me feel super comfortable in front of the camera and had really unique/fun ideas that turned out great. I have gotten countless compliments on my wedding photos and I could not be happier with the results myself."

words from griffin

"Everything for me was super enjoyable. I loved everything you guys had Bliss and I do together. My groomsmen were extremely complimentary of everything as well. Several of them said they've never had a groomsmen shoot go as smooth and as fun as y'all made it for them! Frequently guys/groomsmen will look at photoshoots as "cringy" or dread doing it, but all of my groomsmen said multiple times that it was the most fun they ever had taking photos with the guys before the wedding. They also talked about how nice y'all were the whole time too, they mentioned that several times. Everything y'all did was awesome and you did an incredible job."

vendors

Planning / Amanda Reed Weddings (@amandareedweddings)
Photography / Cameron and Elizabeth Photography (@cameronandelizabeth)
Videography / The Powells (@thepowellsfilms)
Venue & Catering / Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley (@selweddings @steinlodge)
Florals / Artisan Bloom (@artisanbloom)
Gown / Unveiled Bridal
DJ / DJ Cooper Brown (@djcooperbrown)
HMU / Belle & Blush (Merry Kline), H2Blow, Red Beauty Lounge (@belleandblush_beauty_bar @redbeautylounge @h2blowdrybar)
Artist / Chez la Mariée (@chezlamariee)
Stationery / Shindig Paperie (@shingdigpaperie)
Rentals / Alpine Event Co. (@aplineevent.co)
Linens / BBJ La Tavola, Nuage (@bbjlatovala @nuagedesignsinc)
Photobooth / Circulate (@circulatephotobooth)
Runner / The Original Runner Company (@orgininalrunners)
Dance Floor / Griffco, Queen of Wraps (@queenofwrapsslc)
Phone Guestbook / After The Tone (@afterthetone.co)