Page 18 - Demo

18  A l a s k a B r i d e & G r o o m  2024Bride’s name: Sierra L. Weaver Groom’s name: Huntre L. Lamb How they met: The two first met at the Soldotna restaurant where Sierra was working – she was 16 and Huntre was 19. But “nothing sparked” until many years later when Sierra was working at an elementary school, raising her three daughters and going to school, and Huntre was a single father of a stepson and a daughter. “For our first date, Huntre took me on a side-by-side ride with friends. It was still winter time but not enough snow to keep us from riding the trails. Huntre leaned over, buckled my seat belt and said, ‘You’re going to need this on.’ After a couple hours of riding, we hit an ice rut which kicked the side-by-side out of the trail and caused us to tip over on the side. I was being held in by my seatbelt and he was too; he was hanging in the air above me. All this happened in slow motion and the side-by-side had the softest landing. Neither one of us was injured. Huntre says that was the moment he knew I would be worth keeping around.”Number of guests: 120 Wedding colors: Natural wood, gunmetal gray, neutral blushesUnique and special aspects of the day: “The mountains in the background and the breathtaking views of the Matanuska glacier were the reasons why we chose the wedding venue. It was perfect, secluded and the staff was amazing to work with.” For a special cake-cutting ceremony, Sierra’s three daughters cut the cake with Huntre, and Huntre’s daughter cut the cake with Sierra. “It was to symbolize the bond with each other’s children as they are a gaining a parent as we marry each other.” The couple built their wedding arbor together – “it was mountains with flowers and antlers, which is where we love to be, the outdoors.” In honor of the bride’s grandfather who used to wear bolo ties, Sierra ordered three custom-carved bolos for the groom, best man, and father of the bride and handmade eight more for the groomsmen. She also wore her mother’s old hunting boots that she bought for her first elk hunting trip with her father. After the ceremony, Sierra and Huntre were met with an exciting surprise: A helicopter arrived to whisk them away to the Matanuska glacier (arranged by the bride’s father and sisters). “Once we got there, we took some great photos.”Most memorable moment...For her: “As I finished getting ready, one of my bridesmaids came in to inform me we were walking down the aisle in 10 minutes (I didn’t even have my dress on yet) and I was very calm up until that moment. Once I heard those words, I started to panic and get nervous about my vows. What if I say too much? What if I cry? What if I get choked up and can’t talk? My photographer said, ‘When you walk down that aisle and you see Huntre, you won’t see anyone else.’ She was right. When I said my vows to my husband, I didn’t even notice anyone else. It was just the two of us talking intimately.”For him: The surprise helicopter ride. “I have been in helicopters but this was one of the best experiences. The pilot was very knowledgeable and the ride was very smooth. I was blown away by the crystal-clear water and how bright and warm it was on the glacier. This experience was one of my favorites to remember on our wedding day.”