Ceremony
mapClark Planetarium (in the Gateway Mall)
3rd Floor Mars Exhibit
110 South 400 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Due to the small size of the Mars exhibit, attendance at the ceremony will be limited to family and close friends.
Parking
Underground parking is available at the Gateway Mall in the Summer and Winter parking lots, accessible from 200 South and 100 South. There is a public entrance to Clark Planetarium from the Summer parking lot on both level three and level four (top). Clark Planetarium will validate parking for patrons so that three hours of parking in either of these lots will cost $1. Free and metered parking is also available on streets near the Planetarium, and there are other public pay parking lots nearby.
Public Transportation
The TRAX blue (Sandy) and green (West Valley City) line routes have stops directly in front of the Planetarium. Connecting service is available from red line routes. For price and schedule information, please visit the Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX website.
Reception
mapRodizio Grill
Trolley Square 2nd floor
600 South 700 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84102
From the 700 East entrance into Trolley Square, take the first staircase to the second floor and turn left to walk to Rodizio Grill. The reception will be in the restaurant’s private room which is down the hall just past the restaurant.
Reception information
Rodizio Grill is a Brazilian steakhouse. An all-you-can-eat variety of grilled meats will be served tableside to our guests. Our guests will also have access to an extensive salad bar. Options are available for vegetarian and gluten-free diets. Please let us know if you have any other dietary restrictions. Guests will also have access to a full open bar with bountiful beverages both alcoholic and otherwise. A DJ will be providing music during the event, and dancing (good or bad) is encouraged. Attire for the reception is casual.
Parking
Free parking is available all over the Trolley Square complex. For a map showing all parking lots in the complex, click here. Valet parking will be available during the reception near the entrance to Trolley Square on 700 East.
Public Transportation
TRAX’s red line (which goes from the University of Utah to South Jordan) has a stop near Trolley Square at 625 East 400 South. From there, walk one block south to Trolley Square. Connecting service to the red line is available from the blue and green lines. For price and schedule information, please visit the Utah Transit Authority’s TRAX website.
Travel Information
Via Air
Salt Lake City International Airport is located about four miles west of downtown Salt Lake City and is a 10-15 minute drive from the ceremony and reception locations. It is a regional hub for Delta Air Lines, so a variety of non-stop flights are available to and from the airport. For more information about the airport, please visit its website.
Via Land
Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which travels between San Francisco and Chicago, stops in Salt Lake City. The stop is at the Salt Lake City Intramodel Hub (340 South 600 West). Greyhound busses also travel through Salt Lake City at the Intramodel Hub.
Hotel Information
The ceremony and reception will both be held in or near downtown Salt Lake City. There are many hotels in the downtown area to choose from that fit into a wide variety of budgets. Excellent deals on Salt Lake City hotels can be found on Hotwire or Kayak.
Things to Do
Salt Lake City is not as square of a town as you might think! There are some excellent places to eat and hang out around town, along with some beautiful and interesting sights. Here are a few of our favorite spots.
Restaurants
Takashi, 18 W Market Street -- If you love sushi, you absolutely can’t miss this place. The fish is super fresh, but what sets this place apart is the creativity of the dishes. In addition to Japan, Takashi has spent some time in South America and those influences are quite apparent in the cuisine. This place also has a menu of delicious hot dishes for those scared of raw fish, along with one of the best wine and sake lists in town. It’s a bit pricey, but worth every penny. This is our favorite restaurant in town.
Mazza, 912 S 900 E or 1515 S 1500 E -- Fantastic Lebanese food in an unforgettable atmosphere. Every dish is full of rich and complex flavors with only the freshest ingredients. We highly recommend the lamb and rice dolaa, but there are no bad dishes on the menu. The large menu is very friendly to vegetarians and those with gluten allergies. They also have a small but excellent wine list, including several unique varieties from Lebanon and Israel. The 9th and 9th location is our favorite, but both are excellent.
Pho Tay Ho, 1766 S Main Street -- This restaurant inside a converted house looks unassuming from the outside, but inside you’ll find what we think is the best Vietnamese food in town. This place is a family affair, with the matriarchy carefully simmering the delicious broth in the kitchen as their children serve the customers. Pho is the specialty here, but there are a couple of non-pho dishes on the menu. There’s not much atmosphere and the service can be slow at times, but it’s some of the best soup in town, and you know how Monica is about soup.
Greek Souvlaki, many locations -- Salt Lake City has an unexpectedly large Greek population, which means there’s a lot of Greek restaurants to choose from. We think the clear favorite for gyros is this spot, with many locations across the Salt Lake Valley. Warm, fresh pita + lots of tasty, tasty meat + glorious tzatziki sauce = epic win.
The Copper Onion, 111 E Broadway -- Bringing together the best of the rustic and modern, The Copper Onion SLC best purveyor of “New American" cuisine. Small plates? Large plates? They’ve got it all, along with all kinds of magnificently creative flavors, all rooted in the best of comfort food. Make a reservation if you can because wait times can get long, even on weeknights.
Bars
The Red Door 57 W 200 S -- Our favorite martini bar in SLC. The options are seemingly endless, and all super tasty! They also have a wide variety of wines and whiskies for your drinking pleasure. The atmosphere is dark and hip (but cozy) with a nice patio, and there’s live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Gracie’s, 326 S W Temple -- Great food, great drinks, and the best patio in town, all with a great neighborhood bar vibe. They have live music most nights and on Sunday afternoons for brunch.
The Bar-X, 155 E 200 S -- What was once a scary dive bar has been transformed into a comfortably hip spot with wonderful specialty cocktails. The sign in the front is legendary; you won’t be able to miss it!
And this list has only scratched the surface of all the great food SLC has to offer. Check out Monica’s Yelp reviews for some more options.
Local Sights
The Salt Lake City LDS Temple is probably the most iconic landmark in the area and shouldn’t be missed. The best view from the road is along North Temple, but it’s also nice to walk around the grounds.
The downtown Salt Lake City library is on 400 S between 300 E and 400 E and should not be missed. The architectural is wonderfully modern and beautiful. The next door City-County building is also a beautiful sight, and its vintage design is a nice contrast to the more modern library.
In the Area
For those with cars, there are a wide variety of beautiful scenic drives only a short distance away. Some favorites are the Mirror Lake Byway and the Mount Nebo Loop. There are also many wonderful hiking trails in the area, catering to all skill levels. One might also drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to the Snowbird Ski Resort and ride up the Hidden Peak tram to see the spectacular mountain views there.
For those who are interested in nearby Salty Lakes, visit Antelope Island. One can dip into the Great Salt Lake (if they dare) and you might even see a few buffalo (or the namesake antelope).
Lagoon is an amusement park about seventeen miles north of Salt Lake in Farmington, Utah. It has rides for all ages including nine roller coasters.
Beyond
Those with a few extra days might wish to travel to some of the glorious National Parks in Utah such as Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Goblin Valley State Park is also a once in a lifetime experience. Those with a lot of extra time should consider spending a few days around wonderful Lake Powell.
If you’re looking for suggestions for things to do that this page doesn’t cover, feel free to contact us!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are you getting married on Mars?: Because.
Because why?: Because we’re nerds and Mars is awesome.
Okay, whatever. Can I bring my kids to your awesome wedding?: Of course! The ceremony and the reception will both be kid friendly.
Can I take pictures at the wedding?: Sure! We will have a professional photographer, but feel free to snap all the photos you want. The more ways we have to remember this special day, the better! Photons will be provided.
What is the deadline for RSVPs?: We ask that your RSVP to wedding no later than June 15th.
What if I tell you I can go and then something comes up?: If you’re no longer able to make it, please let us know as soon as possible. Also, we will weep openly.
What’s the weather like in Salt Lake City at that time?: Nice and summery owing to the Earth's tilt. High temperatures during this time typically run in the mid to upper 80s with low temperatures in the upper 50s to around 60. June is the second driest month of the year in SLC, so there should be little (if any) rain, at least in theory.
Have you reserved a block of hotel rooms?: Because of the large amount of hotel choices in the area, we do not currently plan to reserve a block of rooms at any one hotel. However, this can be arranged if there is enough interest.
What if I have a question that you haven’t answered?: You should totally contact us.
Registry
The greatest gift that you can give us is your presence at our wedding. However, if you are, for whatever reason, compelled to provide us with something to celebrate our nuptials, we are registered at the following locations: