Emma Molz & Warren Elgort's Park City Wedding
It never rains in Park City in the summer. So of course it did on the day of Emma Molz and Warren Elgort’s wedding last August. Many brides would be sent into a tailspin by bad weather, but not this one. Since the celebration was taking place in the back yard of Emma’s parents’ newly constructed vacation home, the 133 guests who had been shuttled over from their various hotels hung out inside to wait out the storm and let the chairs dry. “It was basically like a housewarming party,” Emma says.
Eventually the clouds parted just long enough for the couple to proceed with their alfresco ceremony in the meadow. Then, as if on cue, it started to drizzle again. This didn’t faze them either, as the reception was taking place under a big white tent. Plus, the rain actually added to the coziness of it all. The dance floor was a little wet, but again, not a big deal: Emma took off her satin shoes and did the newlyweds’ first dance barefoot (to “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” by the Beatles).
“I wanted everyone to have fun,” says Emma, who did all the planning with her mother Kirsten. “That was my number one priority.” And to make sure their guests, most of whom flew in from New York or L.A.—where the couple, both in the film industry, now live and work—would be well taken care of. That meant putting together welcome baskets with necessities like sunscreen, snacks, a guide to the town’s best restaurants and sights, and Liquid IV to help people acclimate to Park City’s elevation. On the wedding day a mobile oxygen bar was set up, in case the Molz home’s 8,550-foot altitude got in the way of anyone having a good time.
Family members chipped in too. Todd, the father of the bride, was a camp counselor of sorts, guiding guests on hikes to give them a taste of Park City’s summertime charms. And given that Warren’s father Arthur and sister Sophie are both established photographers, they naturally took up those duties. Even younger brother Ansel, more famous for his Hollywood acting credits, took pictures.
The dinner menu—steak with Peter Luger sauce, roasted vegetables, a salad—fit the no-frills vibe. “It was super-simple,” Emma says. “It’s what we like to make when we’re cooking at home together.” The couple, though, did have more particular standards when it came to the cake. It was a faithful replica of Sant Ambroeus’s Princess cake. To make sure the flavors were right, Warren picked one up in New York and carried it on a plane—packed in dry ice—to meet the caterers. The effort paid off. “Everyone said it was one of the best wedding cakes they’ve ever had,” Emma says.
The Etiquette Guide
How to host a destination wedding—and not alienate people.
Plan thoughtfully: Your guests don’t want curveballs. “It’s important to send a clear schedule of events in advance,” says one T&C editor who recently went to a wedding where this was not the case. “Some people need time to shop for pieces that follow the dress code.”
But don’t be bossy: A destination wedding often doubles as a vacation for your guests. It might also be their first time in the area, so let them enjoy it and get their money’s worth. “It’s best to offer recommendations instead of an itinerary,” wedding planner Sara Landon tells T&C.
Ease the travel: Does it take two flights and an hours-long car ride to reach your destination? “If your location is remote, it’s unkind to leave guests stranded on how to get there,” Landon says. “Enlist a travel agency or provide detailed information for their journey.”
Think ahead: Is your ceremony on a beach at midday? Supply sunscreen and parasols. Does it get chilly at night? Offer blankets. Want guests dancing until dawn? Provide flats. And let them leave when they want to by providing frequent transportation back to their hotels. —
Isiah Magsino
This story appears in the April 2024 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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