“I loved the idea of combining the ridiculous humor of ‘Shrek’ with something genuinely beautiful and romantic,” Bethany Yorgason tells PEOPLE

NEED TO KNOW

• Bethany Yorgason initially joked with a friend about hosting a Shrek-themed wedding — but then that joke became a reality
• Her officiant dressed as Lord Farquaad while the couple’s relatives portrayed other characters
• The bride spent more than 130 hours making handmade pottery for guests to use and keep

After Bethany Yorgason got engaged, she joked with a friend that it would be fun to host a wedding inspired by the 2001 animated kids’ movie Shrek.

“My friend Krista casually mentioned that if we had a Shrek wedding, she would dress up as Lord Farquaad,” says Yorgason, referencing the movie’s villain. “For some reason, that was all it took to convince me that we absolutely needed to have a Shrek wedding.”

When Yorgason, 27, told her then-fiancé Trevor Williams, 33, about her idea, he was immediately on board. The two had both grown up watching the movie, but had never seriously considered having a Shrek wedding.

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“I loved the idea of combining the ridiculous humor of Shrek with something genuinely beautiful and romantic,” she says. “I didn’t want our wedding to feel like a children’s birthday party. I wanted it to feel like we’d stepped into a medieval fairytale, with a tavern dinner that still felt elegant.”

The two started planning in June before their August nuptials in Pleasant Grove, UT. Although Yorgason did most of the planning herself and DIY’d much of the decor, she also relied on her aunt, Andrea Burns, who stepped in to be her wedding coordinator.

“She took my vision and somehow made it even better! She was so committed to bringing the fairytale atmosphere to life that she even cut branches from her neighbor’s willow tree the morning of the wedding to use as decor,” says Yorgason.

There were so many Shrek Easter Eggs and details that Yorgason and Williams incorporated into their special day. The bride’s friend Krista, who originally inspired the idea for the wedding, officiated the ceremony dressed as Lord Farquaad. Her husband, Matt, dressed as Mongo, the giant gingerbread man, and also served as their flower girl. Williams’ nephew went as Gingy and was their ring bearer.

As for Yorgason and Williams, they dressed as Shrek and Fiona themselves — complete with green body paint.

Heading down the aisle, the officiant walked to “The March of Farquaad” before “All Star” by Smash Mouth began playing. Yorgason was escorted by her mom, dressed as the Fairy Godmother, to the song “Fairytale” from the Shrek soundtrack.

“It was the perfect combination of absolutely ridiculous and genuinely magical,” says Yorgason. “At the end of the ceremony, Lord Farquaad announced, ‘By the power vested in me by the city of Duloc, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!’”

Right on cue, the DJ started playing “I’m a Believer!” by Smash Mouth as Yorgason and Williams took their first steps as a married couple.

As guests moved into the reception, everything was kept on theme. Yorgason shares that she wanted her party to feel like an “enchanted swamp.”

“I made moss-covered table runners for the dinner tables and my bouquet was filled with ferns and greenery,” says Yorgason. “We got married in front of a literal pond surrounded by moss-colored rocks [and] the arch was decorated with willow branches and sunflowers, which couldn’t have been more perfect for the theme.”

Yorgason also handcrafted all the pottery for her wedding, which included plates and mugs. A self-described chronic DIY-er and ceramic artist, Yorgason had only ever made three plates before embarking on this endeavor.

“Each plate and mug took approximately an hour of hands-on work, so I spent well over 130 hours making pottery for our wedding in a single month,” she says, admitting, “Although I had a lot of help from family with glazing.”

“It was probably one of the most ambitious projects I’ve ever taken on, but seeing everyone eating dinner off something I’d made with my own hands was incredibly surreal,” continues Yorgason. “We gifted every dinner guest their dinner mug, which also was so special to me.”

When it came time for dinner, guests were treated to catering by Waffle Love — a gourmet waffle restaurant. Yorgason says they chose Waffle Love specifically because of Donkey’s love for the food in the movie and his iconic line about making waffles in the morning.

“It was a perfect excuse to serve waffles at our wedding,” she says.

When it came time for wedding cake, the bride and groom chose a tree trunk design, which was complete with bark, moss and mushrooms. There was also a “Mud Bath” dessert station, which featured chocolate fondue, Rice Krispie treats labeled “Donkey Dippers,” and fresh fruit labeled “Ogre-ganic Fruit.” Guests were served a bright green icy slush called “Swamp Sludge” in martini glasses with gummy eyeballs, and their water dispensers were labeled “Bog Water.”

Yorgason says her friends and family were “shocked” at first when they learned about the wedding. But they quickly came on board and were “so excited” to celebrate.

“A lot of our friends and family immediately started planning their costumes. People were sending me photos of their outfits weeks before the wedding, asking questions about characters and really getting into it,” she shares.

“Some people went completely above and beyond. My sister spent 20 hours making origami donkey and dragon masks for her and her husband,” says Yorgason. “Two of Trevor’s brothers even dressed up as the ugly stepsisters, which absolutely cracked everyone up.”

“What made it so special was how many people embraced the ridiculousness with us. It turned the wedding into something everyone got to participate in rather than just attend.”

Looking back on the wedding, Yorgason says her favorite part was just seeing all her friends and family fully embrace the fairytale she’d created.

“There was something surreal about seeing our friends and family gathered together, dressed as fairytale creatures and Shrek characters, celebrating with us,” she explains. “It wasn’t just Trevor and me having a Shrek wedding anymore. Everyone had become part of the story. I think that was what made the day so special. Our friends and family didn’t just show up for us; they showed up as their own little piece of our fairytale.”

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