Mackenzie “Mac” Scanlan and Evan Skorpen first saw each other on a dating app. While Mac “liked” Evan’s profile because he had skiing and climbing photos, she was less impressed by his invitation to meet for drinks. She’d rather be invited on a more competitive and adventurous date, so she never replied.
A week later, they happened to be climbing at the same gym in San Francisco. Evan recognized Mac from across the room and finally worked up the courage to introduce himself in person.
After a first date of dinner and climbing, Evan wanted to up the ante for the second. He investigated and discovered that they both share an intense love for Third Eye Blind. He casually offered Mac his “extra ticket” to their concert, as if he didn’t know they were her favorite band. When they got to the concert, it turns out that the extra ticket he bought for Mac was…for the wrong night. He begged the ticketer to let her in on the grounds that this was a definitive second date, and he “couldn’t mess this up.” His argument was compelling, and Mac was allowed inside the concert.
By the end of the night, their fate was sealed. They went on to buy a home and welcome a dog together. Evan proposed in 2019, after five years of dating. Originally, he planned on popping the question during a mountain bike excursion in Santa Cruz, but a tubing accident and totaled knee put a wrench in those plans. With the house rented and family and friends flying out to surprise Mac, he improvised. He scouted a state park with a picturesque backdrop and ample space he could hobble through. With onlooking tourists, Evan asked Mac to marry him.
“For the wedding aesthetic, we wanted the weekend to feel like a somewhat higher-end version of adult summer camp—with lots of music,” Mac explains. One of Mac’s friends from Facebook told the couple she saw wedding photos at a private ranch and thought they might like the place, which is owned by her college friend. Evan and Mac immediately booked a ski trip to Jackson, Wyoming, and visited the private venue on Snake River for themselves—expansive, beautiful, and close to town, it was perfect. To help bring their vision to life, the couple hired Penny Layne Creative.
The wedding festivities began on Wednesday, July 28, at a local brewery and continued at the country fair and James Town Revival concert. Guests would have plenty of time to mingle and savor the views the following day, followed by an intimate family dinner. Friday featured hiking in Grand Teton National Park, white water rafting, fly fishing, and a barbecue dinner with local bluegrass band One Ton Pig.
On Saturday, July 31, 2021, the wedding day started with horseback riding and hiking. Evan and Mac always knew they wanted a ceremony overlooking the Tetons. Evan’s father, a preeminent pioneer in white water canoeing, passed away a year before the wedding. Exchanging vows in the mountains near rushing water made the couple feel as if he were watching over them. Choosing their officiant was one of the easiest choices the couple decided upon. Mac met Katie on her first day at Claremont McKenna and even lived with her when Mac first dated Evan. Mac laughs, “Katie was skeptical at first but very quickly became the biggest Evan fan.”
Evan walked down the aisle, followed by the couple’s siblings, Mac’s step-parents, the couple’s Greater Swiss Mountain dog, Coda, and the flower girls. Mac descended last with her parents beside her as Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” played.
The bride found her elegant yet simple Lela Rose silk gown at the Jin Wang atelier. She paired the dress with a long Peter Langner veil, rose pink Valentino wedges, and pearl and diamond Paul Morelli earrings. The groom styled himself in a custom Zegna dark green suit and sports coat that he and Mac worked on with their go-to specialist at Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco.
The lively reception felt exactly like one of Mac and Evan’s dinner parties– vivacious yet relaxed with delectable food and wine. The couple collaborated with a local caterer to curate a menu that distinguished itself from typical Wyoming fare like buffalo or elk. Mac brought in her Bay-Area-based mother and step-father to assist. “They took this role quite seriously,” Mac recalls. “They sampled all of their favorite wines and some others, building a multiple-page Excel spreadsheet comparing each along with critic scoring.”
The toasts were sparkling and perhaps the most special part of the entire evening. Evan and Mac’s older siblings, Mac’s mother and father, and Evan’s mother spoke. There was even an excerpt read from Evan’s elementary school notebook. Instead of a first dance, the father-daughter and mother-son dance commenced simultaneously.
Once the dancing really got started, Mac quickly changed into a short, spunky Alexia María dress. Guests grabbed late-night snacks and walked to the other end of the property for the after-party. The playlist boasted proper ’90s hits with plenty of Robyn for Mac.
The following day, everyone reconvened for a boozy brunch send-off. The couple’s favorite local band, Sneaky Pete, serenaded the group, and their musical accompaniment allowed the previous night’s partying to continue underneath the wedding tent.
