Two years after being introduced at their mutual friend’s West Village apartment before a night out, Dan proposed to Christie Wood while hiking the Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland. Once engaged—as the couple has a special interest in Western art, hiking, and anywhere in the mountains—Amanda of Slater Events intro-ed Snake River Ranch in Jackson Hole which satisfied all of Christie and Dan’s wedding venue wishes. “[It is] naturally stunning, with easy access to outdoor activities and close to many lodging options and an airport so that logistics would be easy for guests once they touched down,” Christie says. Samm Blake was on hand all weekend to capture it all on camera.
Guests received a Morgan Riley Design invitation suite, detailing the events to come, and the bride-to-be began curating her wedding wardrobe. The ceremony dress decision was effortless, as she’d been eyeing a Vera Wang look for years. “I always had it in the back of my mind but didn’t know whether I would love it as much when I tried it on,” Christie explains. “My mom flew to New York to join me for several dress appointments, and we saved Vera Wang for the last day.” As soon as she put the dress on, tears welled and she knew it was the one. “I was particularly in love with the soft, delicate lace that extended into a high neck and down over my hands and the beautiful pearl belt. The combination between the lace and the belt struck me as a contemporary and polished fit with the ‘elegant Americana’ aesthetic we were planning for our wedding.”
Sophie Bille Brahe jewelry and Danielle Estrada’s minimal makeup complemented the look beautifully. “At the end of our reception, I changed into my after-party dress: a silk taffeta corset mini dress I customized slightly with Annina Dirndl, whose ‘Alpine Fashion’ slogan reminded me of our proposal location,” the bride notes.
On July 15, 2023, following a refreshing morning with her bridal party, Christie walked arm-in-arm with her father through the tree grove and down an aisle lined with sprawling Gather Florals. “Walking down the aisle with him while seeing our smiling guests for the first time that day was such a joyful moment,” the bride says. Guests sat before the Teton Mountains underneath ivory parasols as Christie and Dan exchanged handwritten vows. “After we were pronounced husband and wife and processed up the aisle, we enjoyed a few quiet minutes between just the two of us, laughing with adrenaline over champagne.”
As the sun sank beneath the mountains, a local band, One Ton Pig, played until everyone transitioned from cocktail hour toward the reception tent, which was filled with natural wildflowers and Xowyo + Co tablescapes.
“Guests resoundingly agreed that the food was spectacular, with one of the hits being ‘Christie’s Cacio e Pepe’ which we had planned via special request with the catering company,” the bride says of the Genevieve Catering meal. “To serve as our cake, we had banana pudding-filled saint-honoré pastries arranged in a large circle—a nod to our favorite New York dessert, Magnolia Bakery’s banana pudding.” Following dinner and toasts guests moved to the dance floor, as the newlyweds shared a first dance to Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” Dwight Houser deejayed all evening, and nobody stopped to sit down.
“Before the sun finally disappeared behind the hills, a group of us headed back into the field, close enough that we could still hear the music from the tent,” Christie recalls. “We danced in a circle of our friends in the long grass—it was magical!” Before the night journeyed on at a local cowboy bar, the newlyweds exited through a field surrounded by guests who fired off confetti cannons. “We were truly on cloud nine at this point, giddy with love for our friends and each other, and gleeful from the magic of the whole day.”
