Sarah & Josh’s Cougar Ridge Wedding in Torrey, Utah

Some weddings just stick with you and Sarah and Josh’s destination wedding at Cougar Ridge in Torrey, Utah will forever be one of my favorites. Everything about their wedding was full of intention, personality, and love. Sarah and Josh have the absolute best personalities and we got to know each other so well after working on their wedding for a total of 18 whole months!!! The wedding day completely encompassed their relationship, personalities and all the small details they were excited to share with their friends and family.

Having this wedding at Cougar Ridge allowed them to have a wedding weekend instead of just one day. We encouraged all the guests to arrive 2 days prior to the wedding so they could participate in all the activities we planned. Hiking, exploring the booked out property and hanging out with the soon to be newlyweds! Sarah and Josh wanted to be able to show their loved ones one of their favorite destinations! Choosing this venue was easy for Sarah and Josh as they visit frequently throughout the year and they got engaged there!

The night before the wedding we planned a welcome party at the pool deck. We had the DJ come a day early, brought in a taco truck and everyone was able to relax and party the night before their big day.

When the wedding day arrived, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect; sunny, warm and no rain on site. Their ceremony was heartfelt and emotional, with handwritten vows and so many tears from guests. Not going to lie, our team was in the back listening and we got a bit teared up too listening to the vows of a couple we got to know so well throughout the last year. The baby goats wandering around the ceremony, while unexpected, added a fun experience that no one will forget!

After saying “I do,” we moved onto cocktail hour and dinner. At RCE we absolutely love it when our couples choose to do golden hour photos. Being at Cougar Ridge, Sarah and Josh were able to do these photos with all the animals on the property. Between the epic Capitol Reef Mountains and the animals these photos turned out SPECTACULAR!

Some of our favorite aspects of this wedding included a first bite with their favorite cookies from Ruby Snap. Throughout the planning process, I think monthly, I heard Josh talk about how much he loved these cookies. I knew after our second call that I wanted to make sure they were somehow incorporated into their day. They were a major hit with the guests!

We had the absolute best DJ booked and they danced all night long! The energy was infectious, and no one wanted it to end, but unfortunately, all good things must. So we wrapped up the night with a sparkler exit that felt so magical to an already stunning day.

Getting to work with Sarah and Josh was such a gift and honestly, Capitol Reef is one of my (Ruby) personal favorite places on earth. So getting to create a wedding in this location was a dream come true and made planning this wedding just a touch more special. As I look back on their day, I can’t help but feel grateful for having had the chance to witness and capture such a genuine and gorgeous wedding. For me, this wedding will be one of the ones that gets filed in my I can’t believe I had a hand in planning this folder!