We're Married! Payson Temple Wedding
View our Bridal Photos HERE // View our Engagement Photos HERE // View our Proposal Video HERE
On a bright and sunny morning in July, Steve and I were married! We woke up early, as our ceremony time was scheduled for 9:30 am, made sure everything was ready to go, then drove the hour south to our location.
We chose the Payson, Utah Temple for reasons we really don’t know. It’s beautiful, but neither of us had any personal connection to it, nor had either of us even been before. When the shutdowns for Covid-19 began, we wondered if we’d be able to get married in the temple at all, at least for a while. But as they started to open back up, the Payson Temple was on the list of those that would re-open, while the temple it made more sense for us to choose, was not. We realized that is why we felt so strongly about being married in the Payson Temple, rather than a temple we’d both been to, countless times.
During more normal circumstances, the temples will have around forty weddings on any given Friday or Saturday. During these current times, they do about ten. When we booked our temple date, they told me the room we had scheduled would fit seventy temple guests, which was more than enough. Due to the new phased re-opening rules, we could have sixteen. No other guests would be allowed to wait outside the temple or its grounds, including photographers. These rules seemed limiting, and definitely didn’t meet the vision I’d always had about my wedding. But with the current world climate, a lot of our wedding guests were unable to travel to Utah, anyways, making our guest list much smaller than originally planned.
Even though we had to change our plans, and many of our loved ones weren’t able to attend, I don’t think we could have asked for a more special experience. We had the entire temple to ourselves—just us and our small, masked wedding party. The temple, while always quiet, was even more so. With the morning light, softly streaming through the stained glass windows, the peace that is usually felt inside its walls was amplified. As we knelt across the alter from each other, I had to do my best to choke back the gigantic sobs that were desperately trying to escape. The few that did escape, came out as awkward giggles, while large tears ran down my cheeks. Steve’s eyes were also filled with tears, but he was better at controlling his emotions than I was. Our hands were tightly clasped on the alter, as the Temple President performed our marriage ceremony, while our guests sat around us.
While many of our earthly family was unable to attend, it was clear to me that many of those family members, on the other side of the veil, were in attendance. I could feel the love and light they brought to the room, as we knelt to be sealed for time and all eternity, joining our families together.
After the ceremony, our guests waited outside while Steve and I changed out of our temple robes, and I put on my wedding dress (which is different than my temple dress). We exited the doors to cheers from our small wedding party, then Steve went to change into his green suit, in the parking lot, so we could take these photos.
As professional photographers aren’t allowed on the grounds, at this time, Steve and I brought our own camera and tripod and had our wedding guest/dear friend Ariel (who just so happens to be a photographer) snap these photos for us. Since we were the only wedding at that time, it meant that we were the only ones on the temple grounds, and didn’t have to work around any other wedding parties or temple guests trying to use the same photo spots. It did mean we had to use the timer to get our group shots, but Ariel still made it look effortless.
I honestly love how our ceremony and photos came out! No, it isn’t how I’d always assumed my temple wedding would go, and I do wish the rest of our family members could have been in attendance. But I think our experience was a special one. Not only are both Steve and I grateful that we were able to be married in the temple at all, given the current circumstances, but we’re extremely grateful for all of those who were a part of the experience, in any way. They’re what made it so memorable.
After we finished taking our photos, we drove to my favorite smoothie place, Orange Peel, and drank our smoothies in the parking lot while we called Steve’s parents. Then we went home for a few hours, had lunch, and got ready for our party that was happening that evening. Blog post to come!
Photographer: Ariel Ray // Florist: Florals by Kenn // Hair & Makeup: I Did My Own // Her Lashes: JP Lash Studio // Her Dress: Alta Moda // Her Shoes: Nordstrom // Her Ring: Kay // Her Necklace: Kinn // His Suit: Garth Custom // His Tie & Tie Clip: The Tie Bar // His Shirt & Shoes: Nordstrom Rack // His Ring: Jamestown