Information for Wedding Day!

Welcome!

We decided to create this blog for three reasons. First, we are aware that many of you have not been to Salt Lake City and if you have, then you may still not be familiar with the area. We will give you a map, give you directions, and tell you a little about parking and landmarks to look for! 
Second, we realize that not everybody is familiar with LDS weddings, temple weddings in particular. This causes some concern because we really want everybody to feel comfortable and welcome at our wedding even if you aren't familiar with the traditions and customs of LDS weddings. We will give you as much information as we think you will need in order to feel like you can not only drive to the Salt Lake Temple, but you will also know what to expect when  you get there. There are some similarities but there are also  differences between LDS temple weddings and weddings that many people are familiar with.
Third, we are hoping this will keep everybody very informed about the details of our wedding. So, if the location of the reception is changed for an unexpected reason or if times change. This is the place to keep updated and informed! It is hard to keep everybody informed personally and this blog may help with some important communication that needs to occur. Please contact me with a comment or on Facebook if you have any other questions that need to be addressed. Again, I welcome you to our blog, and I hope you will visit back often even after the wedding to see any fun updates we have added!

Salt Lake City Area

We are getting married in the Salt Lake City Temple which is located in Historic Temple Square. Here is the address and a number, just in case!
50 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT

(801) 240-4872 (Temple Square)

(801)240-2640 (Salt Lake Temple)

Whether you come from the north or the south, the view will look a little like this from the freeway:

Temple square sticks out simply because the temple does! You can see the six spire temple in the middle of all those tall buildings. That is where everything is happening. The temple is actually pretty easy to find just because you can see it so well. Whether you are coming from the north or south, you will take Exit 306. Once off the exit, you will take your second right, then turn left on North Temple, and take another left on West Temple to the Conference Center Underground Parking Lot. There is paid parking on the street and many paid lots, don't use any of them! You will receive a ticket as you are pulling into the Conference Center Lot, bring this with you when you walk to Temple Square. It needs to be exchanged for a coin at the desk located in temple waiting room. There is a couple there to assist guests.  This will allow to you get your parking for free! (Otherwise it could cost you up to ten dollars depending on the lot.) This is for everybody who plans to participate in any part of the wedding. How nice to have some covered parking in the wintertime!



Here is a link to a map with Temple Square on it:
http://g.co/maps/6atym



When you arrive you should see a large conference center to the north and Temple Square just across the street to the south.

It's pretty on the inside too....

There are tours of this building! It is an incredible place. They have all kinds of original art and a garden on the roof that you can see also. You just need to walk to door 16. As you walk in there are volunteers at a desk that can give you a short look, a tour of all the main areas in the building, or just the areas you are interested in.


The Mormon Tabernacle Choir practices here and in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. I strongly recommend "Music and The Spoken Word." People from all over the world attend this little concert on Sunday mornings. You are welcome to check out this website for any of their performances or for any other events on Temple Square. They are always having concerts, musicals, and performances. It just depends on the week and what you are interested in. Here are the websites:


 http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/



http://lds.org/church/events/temple-square-events?lang=eng



I hope you enjoy some of these events! Greg and I will be attending the musical, "Savior of the World" this Christmas Season! It is my favorite with the most beautiful music.



Things to do on Temple Square:



In addition to tours offered at the conference center, Historic Temple Square has five buildings including two visitors centers (with fantastic museum-like displays) and three buildings built by the pioneers who first settled the Salt Lake City Area. You can feel free to walk the grounds and check things out or you can take a 30 minute tour offered starting at any gate on temple square on demand! Just outside the East Gate on temple square, there is the Joseph Smith Memorial Building which has fantastic restaurants, a movie theater, a family history center, and information about the area. I strongly recommend the movie if you are interested in the history of the people who settled here in Salt Lake City. It is a well made film about the history of the LDS church. Temple Square is a pretty facility, even in the winter, so check some of it out!

Here is a handy website:http://www.visittemplesquare.com/

The  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

 Temple Weddings and Customs

Once parked simply walk toward the temple and enter in though one of the gates that will bring you into Temple Square. We will be coming out of the temple after our sealing ceremony around 3 pm. Once in Temple Square walk to the southeast corner of the temple and enter though another gate onto the Temple grounds.  There are two entrances, walk into the glass doors and join the wedding party. We will be sure to have people there to help you know where we will exit.  This is an important and unique tradition in LDS Temple weddings. The entire wedding party waits for the couple to make their "exit" from the temple doors.
Kind of like this (but we hope to be a little more dramatic!):

I love this tradition....

We estimate that pictures will last around on hour and a half. You will probably only want to be there for the first 1/2 hour of group pictures and then head to the reception! But it is up to you.  We will be meeting up there with everybody once we have taken pictures as a couple.

Don't know who these people are but don't worry Greg is much more graceful at dipping than this guy! :)

The Temple Sealing Ceremony

LDS Temple Sealing Room

The couple getting married kneel at this altar and the guests are seated in the room around the altar.

It is commonly believed that our temples are just like chapels, with one large room, and a lot of chairs. On the contrary, our temples are a lot different than our chapels or chapels in general. As you can tell from this picture, the sealing rooms where marriages occur are not very big at all.  The Salt Lake Temple has over ten different sealing rooms, and the temple in general has over one hundred rooms. It is like a home, each type of room has a different purpose and there maybe multiples of one kind of room. In the South Visitor's Center there is an exact replica of this temple and the interior. It is interesting to see, even for somebody who has been inside the temple when attending ceremonies because even then you only see a small portion of the temple.



Temples are built so sacred ceremonies can be performed representing promises we make with God to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. An example of a ceremony performed in the temple is baptism. Temples are built only for this purpose and are open Tuesday through Saturday. They are closed on Sunday so families can attend church together and are closed on Monday for weekly cleaning. Here are pictures of some other rooms found in temples.

Not every member of the church attends the temple, but the goal is to prepare and decide to make these covenants when we are ready.

When temples are first built the LDS Church holds open houses. Anybody is able to take a tour through the temple, to see its rooms, decorations, and hear what each room is used for.  There are new temples being dedicated all the time! In a recent world wide meeting, five more temples were announced; one of them in Star Valley, Wyoming and another in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Details about open houses for these temples and others are on http://lds.org/church/temples?lang=eng. You are welcome to check it out if you are interested in having a tour of the inside of the temple.  Once the temple is dedicated, it is not open for tours to members or those not of the LDS faith.

In order to attend the temple, LDS church members are required to live the commandments and obtain a recommend after an interview with their local leaders. Some of the commandments they are required to live in order to enter the temple are living the law of chastity, paying a full tithe, being honest with our fellow beings, and have a belief in Jesus Christ.  Only those who have a recommend enter and participate in the ceremonies, including attending a wedding.

Those who attend the ceremony in the temple will be the couple's closest family and friends. Frequently, the couple wishes to share their celebration with more then are able to attend inside the temple. For this reason, during the ceremony, those who will participate in other parts of the wedding day are welcome to visit the grounds, visitor centers, and enjoy the guests' room at the temple. This party will join with those who were at the ceremony in the waiting room for the couple who were married to make their "big" exit from the temple.  Once the couple exits the temple, they are then able to greet guests, take pictures, mingle, and a reception will follow!

In addition to this difference, at the end of the temple ceremony, it is not pronounced “till death do they part.” We believe that family relationships and marriages should last even after death. So, in a ceremony performed in an LDS Temple, at the end of the ceremony it will be pronounced, "for time and all eternity." It is because of this difference that we have decided to be married the the Salt Lake City Temple instead of a traditional wedding that many people are familiar with which pronounce the couple married until death.

Here is a quick and interesting video that describes "Why Mormons Build Temples."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x_-TQivCx8&feature=player_embedded

General Wedding Information

Directions to Reception:

	1. Head east on E North Temple St toward N State St
		413 ft
	2. Take the 1st left onto N State St (signs for State Route 184)
		0.3 mi
	3. Turn left onto E 300 N/E 3rd N
		0.2 mi
	4. Turn right onto Columbus St
		0.3 mi
	5. Continue onto Victory Rd
		1.2 mi
	6. Slight right onto Beck St
		2.0 mi
	7. Merge onto I-15 N via the ramp on the left to Ogden
		11.9 mi
	8. Slight right onto US-89 N (signs for I-84 E/So. Ogden)
		0.7 mi
	9. Take exit 396 toward UT-106/Shepard Ln
		0.2 mi
	10. Merge onto US-89 Alt N
		0.2 mi
	11. Turn left onto 1200 N/Shepard Ln
		0.8 mi
	12. Turn right onto N Frontage Rd W/S Lloyd Rd W Continue to follow N Frontage Rd W
		1.0 mi
	13. Turn right onto S Fox Point Dr E Destination will be on the left
		0.1 mi

1520 S Fox Pointe Dr E Kaysville, UT 84037

It will be held in an LDS chapel. All of them have a big area where we can play basketball, volleyball, or....have a reception! Sorry, no basketball or volleyball on November 19th!  But maybe you could get a few games started after we tear all the decor down! The reception will be held at 7:00. We will have refreshments there for all the guests who attend. We will have a traditional bouquet throw, cake, and the garter rush! All you beautiful singles, bring your best game. I caught three bouquets this summer and look at me! I am getting married, I now believe! We are hoping many of you will be able to come celebrate this important time with us. We love you!

Come visit again!