Simple
A Simple Southern Wedding in Downtown Denver
Sarah & Sean | Denver, Colorado
From the bride; Although we have lived in Denver for 5 years, Sean and I are both originally from South Carolina. We wanted our wedding to reflect our southern roots as well as our new lives in Colorado. An outdoor wedding in the Rose Garden at City Park overlooking the views of downtown Denver was the perfect venue, and the menu created for us by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science helped to incorporate our southern roots! All outdoor weddings come with the possibility of being rained out, however, there is an old southern tradition to bury a bottle of bourbon exactly one month before the wedding to ensure good weather! I won’t tell you where we buried the bourbon but it definitely worked- we could not have asked for a more perfect day to get married!
THE WEDDING INSPIRATION
Sean and I wanted our entire wedding to feel like a reflection of ourselves. From the ceremony overlooking downtown Denver, the southern menu, to the live music and dancing, we tried to mix our southern roots with our love for Colorado.
THE FLOWERS
I wanted a mixture of roses as well as wildflowers in the bouquets and centerpieces to help bring together the overall look of the wedding. The bridesmaids all wore different color dresses, and the flowers of the bouquets incorporated each of those colors in an effort to compliment them.
THE DRESS
My dress was actually the first one I tried on. While I tried on many more after, I kept coming back to that first dress as my favorite! With a lace top, scalloped neckline and English netting skirt it was absolutely stunning. The rest of my look was completed with an English netting veil, Jimmy Choo gold shoes, and Tiffany pearls that were a gift from Sean on our wedding day.
THE GROOM
Sean’s look was arrived at a little unconventionally, as a few weddings back while many of his friends were getting married, they all decided to purchase the same tuxedo to wear in each of the weddings! It worked out beautifully, and the look was completed with monogrammed suspenders, bow ties, and checkered socks…as anyone who knows Sean knows he has a very strong sock game.
THE CEREMONY DECOR
The Rose Garden at City Park hardly needed any decoration. A few chairs, a sign, and a wooden arch covered in flowers was all that was needed to bring our ceremony to life!
THE CEREMONY ARCH
The arch was draped with white and pastel roses and fabric that complemented my veil and dress.
THE RECEPTION
The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is magnificent, with floor to ceiling windows spanning three stories and a view to die for! We brought very little into the space except for floral centerpieces and a few mint and gold decorations knowing that the venue itself would only be eclipsed if we did more.
THE DANCING
At the University of South Carolina, “Sandstorm” is known for being played during any home game when our football team scores. The football stands are filled with white towels also known as “cocky cloths” which the students flourish in a united and excitement filled chant during the song. Before the song was played we passed out cocky cloths to all our guests and the dance floor was filled with USC fans chanting and singing along! It was an amazing moment for any football fan and one we enjoyed immensely!
ADVICE
My biggest advice to other couples planning their wedding would be to make it personal! You can spend all the money in the world on expensive decorations and expensive venues, but if it doesn’t mean something to you then ask yourself if it’s worth it. The things that people remember the most about your wedding are the small details that show a part of who you are. Nobody hears pulled pork and fried chicken and thinks of wedding food…but to this day I still receive compliments, most of which are that the food was the best they’ve ever had at a wedding! As for the marriage advice, I’ll just say, do whatever makes the both of you happy! You will get a lot of advice from people, some that works and some that doesn’t, but as long as the two of you are happy and love each other, you’re off to a great start!
THE WEDDING TEAM
Photographer: Mark Creery Photography | Event Designer: Muse Events | Floral Designer: Timeless Floral & Events | Ceremony Location: City Park | Reception Venue & Caterer: Denver Museum of Nature & Science | Ceremony Musicians: Front Range Strings, LLC | Dress Store: Emma & Grace | Reception Band: Deja Blu | Ice Cream Truck: High Point Creamery
View more: Denver Weddings | Colorado Weddings
A Mountaintop Elopement in the Wildflowers
From the bride: Three and a half years ago I met the love of my life, Josh, in a place I wouldn’t have expected – the gym! I was looking to amp up my exercise routine, so I joined a local fitness team that he happened to be a member of. At first, I felt a little intimidated and knew I could use some guidance. Josh was so welcoming and had this genuine kindness about him that seemed so rare in the fitness world, so of course, I asked him for help! It didn’t hurt that he happened to be really, really handsome! From the get-go, there was a crazy connection between us. It felt like we had known each other for so long like we had always been the best of friends. He was so easy to talk to, laugh about inappropriate things with and complain about working out too! We spent almost every day together just talking and getting to know each another on a really deep level. It didn’t take long for us to fall in love!
Josh and I knew we wanted our wedding to be low key, simple and romantic so eloping was perfect. With North Carolina being our first choice, Meghan Rolfe Photography suggested Max Patch and it was absolutely beautiful! We couldn’t have picked a better spot to share our vows and express our love for each other.
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A Wedding Adventure on the New River Gorge
Kayla & Adam | September 9th | West Virginia
From the bride: We love the outdoors and knew we wanted an intimate ceremony with breathtaking views. The New River Gorge has always been a special place for Adam and I. Every beach trip we would stop and take in one of West Virginia’s most famous bridges with our family. Why not get married there.
My dress was a beautiful tulle ivory color with rose gold and sage embellishments. The bridesmaid dresses were a very elegant long style and the color was ice pink! I loved their dresses!
Our “first look” was the most anticipated moment of our day by far! Seeing Adam’s face light up watching me walk to him was an incredible and special moment I will remember for the rest of my life.
We can honestly say that we enjoyed every single part of our day. The ceremony, reception, and after party were all absolutely perfect. We got married at noon and did not end the party until 9 PM.
ADVICE
Take it one day at a time! Do not rush! This will be an event that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Take it all in and cherish all these special moments. Marriage is beautiful and tough but you’ll always have each other!
The Wedding Team
Photographer: Britani Edwards Photography | Second Shooter: Courtney Dorsey Photography | Venue: Adventures on the Gorge
A Virginia Wedding with Incredible Mountain Views
Julie & Roger were wed on May 28, 2017 at Silver Hearth Lodge which is perched on the top of Bent Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia. Guests not only enjoyed dinner and dancing, but a bonfire, s’mores, horseshoes, and rocking chairs on the porch. Most guests spent much of the reception outside relaxing and admiring the breathtaking mountain scenery.
CREDITS: Photographer: Hannah Bjorndal Photography // Venue: Silver Hearth Lodge // Flowers: Green Designs, LLC // Wedding Officiant: Julie Trump // Wedding Dress: Essense of Australia from Tiffany’s Bridal // Hair: Brandy Moorman of Bliss Studio
A Rocky Mountain Wedding with a Teepee in Ridgway, Colorado
From the bride, Carey: Paul and I really wanted our wedding day to be about us and our love for each other. We’re both very introverted and planning a wedding ourselves was very stressful at times. We wanted to share our big day with family and friends because they mean so much to us, but we had to keep reminding ourselves throughout the whole process that it wasn’t about them and it wasn’t about making anyone else happy but us.
WHY OURAY, COLORADO
Ouray was a special spot for both of us separately before we even started dating – I liked the hot springs and Paul loves to ice climb. I said Ouray was one of my favorite spots in my Match.com profile and he totally picked up on that. It was one of our bonding moments. Since being together we have traveled to Ouray regularly and have decided we really want to move there someday. We are currently in the process of trying to figure out how to make that work, sooner rather than later. We almost instantly agreed that it’s where we should get married. It’s such a gorgeous little mountain town and we really wanted to share it with our family and friends.
THE FIRST LOOK
The first look was so special and important for us. It allowed us to take a breath, recenter and refocus on each other, and have a really profound and beautiful moment just the two of us, before heading into the blissful revelry of the wedding.
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT
Driving away together as man and wife – best 25 minutes on the road ever!
MY ADVICE
Have fun and make it about YOU and nobody else. Don’t stress the small stuff, but do as much as you can upfront so you don’t have to run around like crazy people on the days leading up to the wedding.
RECOMMENDED WEDDING VENDORS: Photographer: Taylor Jones Photography // Floral Designer: Dahlia Floral // Hair Stylist: Salon Envy // Venue: Secret Garden
A Winter Wedding in the Rocky Mountains
From the bride, Kara: Kenny and I are both from Arkansas and we wanted to bring our closest friends and family to the Rocky Mountains so they could experience for themselves why we loving living in the beautiful state of Colorado. We chose Winter Park as our wedding venue because we both love to ski and Winter Park has been our favorite resort for the past couple of years.
My dress was blush pink and the bridesmaids were black with the groomsmen in black tuxes with Arkansas Razorback bowties.
Getting to ride the open-air ski lifts to the top of the mountain was the most magical thing a girl could ask for.
My advice: DO NOT STRESS…about anything. Things will happen but enjoy the day. Everything happens for a reason.
We had a groom’s cake with an Arkansas Razorback and a small cake topper for Kenny and I to share. Looking back, it was the most wonderful day of my life.
RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photographer: Sarah Porter Photography // Venue, Caterer, Lodging: The Sunspot Lodge at Winter Park // Band: The Fever // Cake: Frost // Hair & Makeup: Fraser Hair Salon
A Simple & Dreamy Wedding in the Mountains
From the bride, Lauren: As a photographer by trade, having our wedding day documented was extremely important to me! In fact, I started planning our entire wedding on the basis of two things, the photographer and a national park. We knew that we wanted to get married in a National Park, but we also needed our ceremony location to be accessible for all family members and myself, in a big white dress! The accessibility of Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park was perfect, and the area would accommodate our small wedding party perfectly. It all started as a dream to get married with the mountains as our backdrop, but with a little planning, our dream came true!
My favorite part of our wedding day was our first look, leading all the way up to the ceremony.
I was really nervous getting married outside in September without a back up plan, but I couldn’t envision us getting married anywhere other than Schwabacher’s Landing in Grand Teton Nation Park.
Although extremely simple, our ceremony was perfect and although the weather was unseasonably cool, it didn’t rain!
We both read our own personal handwritten vows (which I was terrified of doing, but knew I wouldn’t regret it) and it was one of the most beautiful experiences that my husband and I have ever shared. My husband is a writer by trade — his vows were eloquent, unique and they are incredibly special to me. Let me share, “Falling in love with you was watching a storm form on the horizon. Seeing the landscape ahead of me blanketed in snow, and all I could do was wait for it to happen to me, too. And when it came over me, my entire view changed. Everything I saw was different, but it was the same. It all was pristine. And in my life, I promise that every fresh footprint I lay will be with you. I vow to love you like the mountains love the snow. I promise to quietly miss you like the flowers do the rain. And I swear to keep you forever like the canyons hold silence. So before our friends and people we love, I hope you feel the same and ready for the next part of our adventure as husband and wife. You are the compass that helps me through this land and I know our life will be one full of things deep, sometimes dark, but always lovely”.
Looking back, having a small wedding was the right fit for us, it saved a lot of money and allowed us to spend more on our guest accommodations.
My advice: Plan your wedding to be exactly what you and your partner want it to be — try not to stress and don’t let the pressure from others sway how you plan your wedding. This day is yours, and it’s a celebration of you coming together as a married couple. Everyone who matters will respect and enjoy your wedding day exactly as you have it envisioned. Overall, just try to relax, enjoy the day because it’s over in the blink of an eye!
Lauren’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Photographer: Jamye Chrisman Photography // Flowers: JH Flower Boutique // Dress: Blue by Enzoani // Hair & Makeup: Tanya Crocker Hair & Makeup // Ceremony: Schwabacher’s Landing, Grand Teton National Park
An April Wedding in Vail
From the event planner, Stacy Horn of JA Special Events: Mountain weather can be unpredictable in April, but Vail locals Ashley and Mark, completely embraced the gently falling snow that softened their wedding day. Brinton Studios beautifully captured the romance of that first dance on the Donovan Pavilion patio surrounded by friends, family, baby’s breath, and shimmering bubbles, the festive bridal party serenade from a green Turtle Bus, the sacred moments of a meaningful ceremony at Vail Chapel, and hand-crafted details like the pretzel ski poles dipped in chocolate by Ashley’s mom, the escort cards displayed in wine corks on wine-box cheeseboards crafted by Mark, and the aspen tree masterpiece cake by Mountain Flour. A gourmet mac and cheese station from Footers Catering warmed guests up for an evening of fun and dancing.
Vendor Team
Rentals: Alpine Party Rentals // Event Planning: JA Special Events // Photography: Brinton Studios // Ceremony Venue: Vail Chapel // Reception Venue: Donovan Pavilion // Catering: Footers Catering // Cake: Mountain Flour // Floral: Sarah Pounder // Videography: Burlap Productions