Wedded Bliss ... Heather and Dylan Begin Their Wonderful Journey

The place to be last Saturday was the wedding of Heather Miller and Dylan Jones. Over 150 guests were seated in the garden of Ivy Lane, the historic Eccles home in Ogden, for the outdoor ceremony. Several attendants and many of the guests had ties to Utah's skating community. That includes me, since I am a “figure skating mom” and became close friends with Cathy Miller, mother of the bride, after we sat together for hours at the ice rink while watching our daughters skate.  My daughter, Angela Fairbanks, who skated with Heather and her sister Meaghan, was the event photographer.

The bridesmaids wore navy knee length strapless dresses with cumberbund waists. The sun was warm and skies blue as the bride walked down the aisle, escorted by her father, Randy. The bride wore a strapless classic ivory gown with a sweetheart neckline, rouched bodice, and a chapel length train.

The ceremony was emotional, for all the usual reasons, but also because the officiant, who was a young man himself, had lost his wife to cancer only a month ago. “You never know when you will see each other for the last time,” he said in a choked up voice. He talked about how becoming one is a process, not a flip of the switch, and how making and keeping a marriage strong is a series of daily decisions.

Wine, beer and other refreshments greeted guests inside the air conditioned (whew!) home after the ceremony. The meatball server walked by my friends and I repeatedly, and we never disappointed her by saying “no.” Sausage stuffed mushrooms were also on the agenda, but a bit more risky and slippery and thus more likely to escape the toothpick and go flying across the room. But they were yummy. And there were fruit and veggie trays that must've been good because the mother of the bride tells me it disappeared before the cocktail hour was halfway over. I sort of remember, but for me it was all about the meatballs.

The savory chicken buffet dinner was held on two levels of the house. I sat by some friends of the bride's family from St. Louis, who were visiting Utah for the first time. “The mountains are so beautiful,” she said. She was excited about the little bit of sightseeing they'd done and also shopping on Ogden's 24th street. We also chatted about St. Louis, since I recently interviewed for a job there. Seasons yes, mountains no. And me being from the south side of Chicago always seems to have shock value for some reason, so I mentioned that. I also sat nearby a man who was the father of the bride's friend since junior high. He mentioned with a wink that he had some great stories. With junior high friends, you can run but you can't hide. They remember you when.

The toasts by the best man, maid of honor, and father of the bride were exceptional. The best man shared what a good friend the groom was, how he was always ready to help or go have a great time. The maid of honor told the funny story of how her now brother-in-law asked for the bride's phone number, and being the devious, not in the least overprotective sister she is, gave it to him. The father of the bride told about finding out about the engagement and how he's had time to get to know and appreciate his new son-in-law during the past two years. All expressed happiness at the couple's marriage.

 The evening culminated with dancing on the lower level of the Ivy house where a DJ kept the tunes rolling for several hours. The bar was conveniently adjacent to the seating areas and dance floor, which was in front of the fireplace. We saw an amazing display of gymnastics … lots of walking on hands and break dancing. Oh to be young. Every woman in the room was on the floor for Shania Twain's “Feel Like a Woman” and when Shakira's “Hips Don't Lie” came on, the crowd went wild. I was dancing next to a skater mom from Iran, so I learned a little belly dancing in the process. She apparently had learned as a child. No, I was not a quick study.

After the bouquet toss and garter toss, the couple ran through a line of sparklers held by all the guests, and made way to their vintage (60 year old) limousine. We waved them off into the night. What a wonderful party.

Congratulations Heather and Dylan!

Photography by Angela Fairbanks