Real Weddings

Real Utah Wedding: Rachel Francis & Stephen Littlefield

By Tessa Woolf January 31, 2014

Guuuuuys, we have a gorgeous spring wedding at the St. Regis Deer Valley to share with you today. Salt Lake City couple Rachel Francis and Stephen Littlefield tied the knot at the mountain resort last April. The duo exchanged vows in the morning during an intimate outdoor ceremony, and after served breakfast and cake. We love a good breakfast bash! Below, see the couple's dreamy wedding photos by Chantel Marie, read more about their big day, and find out why it's not crazy to plan an outdoor wedding in in Park City in April...

Rachel, the bride, shares her wedding inspiration and more details about the couple's big day:

Wedding Weekend

I always knew I wanted a small, intimate wedding with our closest family and friends, and we wanted guests to have a great time. Stephen grew up in North Carolina, and many family members were traveling to Utah, so we wanted to really show them the mountains that Utah is famous for. We felt the St. Regis Deer Valley was the perfect setting to introduce them to the natural beauty that we love here. Guests arrived on Friday; the girls enjoyed a day of pampering, while the boys enjoyed a day of shooting. That night, we ate s'mores and chatted by the fire on the resort's patio. Then we woke up on Saturday morning for our breakfast wedding. We had such a great time---the wedding was the perfect weekend getaway.

The Great Outdoors

The ceremony was outside on the resort's terrace with a view of the mountains and the valley surrounding us. Many people thought we were crazy planning an outdoor wedding in April in Park City, but we took our chances and I am so glad we did! Deer Valley was the perfect backdrop to our ceremony.

Old School

We chose not to do a "first look" before the ceremony, and I am so glad we didn't. I will never forget the look on Stephen's face when I walked down the aisle.

Only You

We wanted the ceremony to be unique and personal---little touches to make the day very "us." My brother, Michael Francis, played the processional music on an acoustic guitar; every family member walked down the aisle; my bouquet was wrapped in the ribbon from the first floral bouquet Stephen ever game me.

Favorite Ceremony Moment

Planting the tree. A unity candle or sand ceremony didn't seem quite right, so we gathered soil from meaningful places in our lives and planted a sequoia that we will watch grow from the window of our first home.

Breakfast is Served

Breakfast is definitely our favorite meal of the day, so the idea of a breakfast wedding was fun and made sense for both of us. The St. Regis embraced the idea and ran with it! We had incredible food: mini breakfast burritos, lemon ricotta pancakes, yogurt parfaits, and a smoothie bar. We kept the guest list small, so everyone was able to sit down, eat, and relax.

If They Knew Then What They Know Now

Honestly, the day couldn't have possibly turned out any better. We all had such a great time, the weather was perfect, and we got to celebrate our love with the people who mean the most to us. It was a perfect day to start our new life together.

Congratulations, Rachel and Stephen! Thank you for sharing your big day with us!

And thank you, Chantel Marie, for sharing these wedding photos!