Adam knew it was important to me that he ask my father for permission before he proposed. So, one Sunday in late May, he called my dad and asked permission. Apparently, my dad didn’t realize that the asking for permission was happening before the actual proposal. So, he was so excited about our engagement that he called me to congratulate me directly. I obviously had no idea what he was talking about, but I started putting it together.

In the meantime, Adam and I were in the car together, heading up to Bouder for a hike. As the color drained from Adam’s face (he figured out what my dad was telling me on the phone), he pulled the car into a carwash. As our car went through the wash, he handed me a book he’d made me of photographs we’d taken together. The last page of the book was a picture of the three rings he’d had made for me and asked me to marry him. When I looked up, it was the rainbow wax cycle and Adam had pulled out a box. He proposed right then and we shared our first engaged kiss in the carwash.

Of course, I had to call my dad back and tell him what happened… He was beyond mortified, but honestly, it was perfect. We still climbed the Royal Arch that day, but I remember the carwash more fondly. The funniest part of the whole thing was that Adam wasn’t really sure he was going to propose that day. He’d been carrying the ring around for over a week waiting for the right moment.

We picked Devil’s Thumb because it was a special place for Adam’s family. His mom and step-dad own a furniture store, named Djuna. They did the interior design for DTR and Adam helped load all of the furniture into the lodge before it openned. Very early on in our relationship, Adam took me to DTR for lunch. Subsequently, we took everyone who came to visit us. Devil’s Thumb is such a magical place and we knew it would be ther perfect backdrop for our wedding.

Adam and I had so many favorites of the day. One highlight was right after the ceremony when the rain stopped, the clouds parted and we got to enjoy a breath-taking sunset. Another was the way that everything melted away as we said our vows. It was like we were standing in a room alone, when really, we were surrounded by our nearest and dearest family members and friends. The whole day was filled with joy, though. It’s impossible to narrow down the highlights. We also have some pretty fond memories of the wild dancing that ensued during the reception!

Photographer: Jensen Sutta Photography / Venue: Devil’s Thumb Ranch / Event Planning & Floral Design: Love This Day Events / Ceremony Music: Michael Lancaster / Reception Music: Hunker Down Bluegrass / Cake & Dessert: Teacup

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Post tags: Birds, Cake, Candles, Casual Elegance, Colorado, Cowboy Boots, Devil's Thumb Ranch, horses, Hunker Down Bluegrass, Jensen Sutta Photography, Love This Day Events, Michael Lancaster, mountains, Ranch Weddings, Teacup, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers

And before you get lost in all the pretty details that the gallery has to offer, take a look at this film shot by Geoff and Justin of Born Madd. It’s the perfect way to end the day, the week, the month. Basically, it’s perfect and you should watch it right this second…

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… The day Dan asked me to marry him it was the easiest decision in the world. Once I began to plan the wedding, it all quickly became some of the hardest decisions to make. My fiance and I live in Australia, and we were planning a wedding for the other side of the world in Denver, Colorado. We decided on Denver because it was closer to home for me, so I was able to ensure all of my family would be able to come. Since I live in Australia and only get to see my family nearly every two years, it was the only thing I knew I needed to make my wedding day that much more special.

Once we had decided on the Denver Botanical Gardens, all the work went into finding the vendors on the ground to help me make it happen. We were very blessed to find so many talented and helpful people who made planning the wedding not only enjoyable, but also very relaxing. Everything was coordinated by email and short phone calls in between, even the food and decorations! It was so nice to have so many people on our team who are so good at what they do that you could trust them. We couldn’t taste test the food, so we just had to take the word of our caterer and we are so glad we did — the food was amazing! At the end of the day, the only thing I really cared about was being able to marry my best friend and have our families with us for that moment, so I knew it would all work out in the end.

On the day of the wedding everything went so smoothly. I was able to get ready relaxed and laughing with my sisters and my mom. My new sister-in-law did my hair so beautifully for me and we all had so much fun together while sipping champagne. For my something borrowed and something blue, my beautiful mother lent me her amazing blue sapphire ring and it was perfect! I am very close to my mom, so it meant everything to me to have her by my side the whole day. When I finally got to the gardens before the wedding, seeing how beautifully everything actually did come together just took my breath away! I couldn’t believe it looked exactly how I had envisioned it! It was such an enchanting sight, I felt like it was a dream. The gardens were a stunning scene to set the tone, but the combination of all of my designs and the decorations created the lighthearted mood I hoped to achieve. The centerpieces and flowers turned out amazing, and the decor was stunning! The whole day went off without a hitch, and it was so much fun to spend time with our families and all of our amazing nephews and nieces. Of course, the day went by so fast that we wish it could have lasted a little bit longer, but it was a day we will cherish for the rest of our lives. We are so grateful that we were able to have so many people be a part of our wedding.

Wedding Photography: Lindsay Carole Photography / Wedding Venue: Denver Botanical Gardens / Wedding Decor + Flowers: By Design Event Decor / Catering: Catering by Design / Wedding Dress: Roz la Kelin / Headpiece: Feathers and Frills / Wedding Cakes: Cake Crumbs / Hotel: Sheraton Denver Downtown / Wedding Invitations + Paper Goods: DIY by the Bride / Wedding Cinematography: Geoff and Justin of Born Madd /

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Post tags: Born Madd, By Design Event Decor, Cake Crumbs, Catering-By Design, Colorado, Denver, Denver Botanical Gardens, Feathers and Frills, Lindsay Carole Photography, Pink, Roz la Kelin, Sheraton Denver Downtown, Turquoise, White
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Craig and I are both travel buffs and had literally been around the world together in the past year before deciding to take a last-minute trip to Paris after Christmas. We spent our days exploring the Louvre, discovering yet another fantastic French bistro for lunch, visiting Notre Dame Cathedral, and finding cobblestone streets filled with all sorts of intriguing shops. Our nights were spent walking down the twinkling Champs Elysees after dinner, taking a romantic candlelight dinner cruise down the Seine river, and enjoying the glittering Eiffel tower from Paris rooftops. It was amazing! On the last night (which was also New Year’s Eve), we managed to get tickets to a ballet held in Paris’s famous opera house, the Palais Garnier. It was on these steps after the performance that Craig bent down on one knee and asked for my hand in marriage. It was so sweet, so romantic, and I wish I could do it all over again!

We chose to get married in Aspen during the summer because it is just so beautiful and it’s one of our favorite places to ski in the winter. We wanted a small, intimate wedding weekend with activities for everyone leading up to our special day, and that’s exactly what we got! Our wedding coordinator and event planner, Kara Delay, was absolutely amazing and I knew the first time we spoke several months previously, that she and I shared the same vision of a rustic and romantic mountain wedding. When I arrived at the site on our wedding day, I was absolutely blown away at what Kara had been able to create. It was my vision but times 10! Throughout the entire process, I felt so at ease planning a destination wedding knowing Kara was there to help me manage the details. She went above and beyond anything I could’ve imaged and I’m so grateful that she was able to help us create such a special day for us.

While the whole thing was spectacular but if I had to single out one favorite moment, it would be the ceremony. It was a very powerful moment spiritually, and everyone felt God’s presence right there in the meadow. It was as if His hand were on us, sealing the commitment we made to one another to have and to hold, through better or worse, from this day forward. We read letters that we had written to each other, which made it that much more personal. I still tear up thinking about it!

Floral & Event Design: Kara Delay, Love This Day Events / Wedding Planning & Coordination: Love This Day Events / Venue: T Lazy 7 Ranch / Photographer: Jared Wilson Photography / Dress: Pronovias / Belt: Romona Keveza / Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo / Ring: Romance Diamond

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Post tags: Alfred Angelo, Aspen, Bouquets, Casual Elegance, Centerpieces, Color Palette Pink, Colorado, Colorado Rockies, Flower girls, Globes, Jared Wilson Photography, Love This Day Events, Mountain Weddings, mountains, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, pies, Pronovias, Ranch Weddings, Ring Bearers, Rocky Mountains, Romance Diamond, Romona Keveza, T Lazy 7, Tented Reception, travel, Travel Themed, Vintage Cake Stands, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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From the Bride…Nick and I met in our first year of graduate school at The University of Virginia. We attended most of the same classes, as we had both entered the same architecture program, so it was perhaps inevitable that we’d notice each other, and eventually we began dating. Upon graduation we decided to start fresh in a new city. We landed in Boulder, Colorado. After living there only a few months we knew it was the best decision we had made. The mountains, trails, skiing, snowboarding, and all of the adventurous activities in our new backyard proved to be our cup of tea. It was a no-brainer: We would be married in our new hometown…six years later!

I am not one of those girls who knew exactly what she wanted her wedding to be like since the age of 5 and it was a bit intimidating to start the planning process. I felt a pressure to make this one day the ultimate expression of us as a couple, as it would forever be captured in hundreds of photographs. Luckily I had no problems deciding on my dress. It was the third one I tried on and I was in love, though it made me a bit nervous to pick my dress without knowing our wedding venue. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that we had the church and reception venue secured, and upon this decision everything else seemed to simply fall into place. Now it was a lot easier to envision how the whole day would unfold.

Both of us are architects, so we knew that we were going to be designing the wedding ourselves from top to bottom. This strategy made all of the little design elements and details that much more personal and unique – but not without a bit of blood, sweat, and tears. I think we got the most enjoyment out of designing the invitations (5 times over!). This was done very early in the planning process and it really set a guideline and aesthetic tone for the design, decorations, and the day in general. We found old frames and fashioned them into large chalkboards – even today they are hanging in our house! Our aim was simplicity and thoughtfulness in décor, as our backyard reception venue was already well-appointed with some very strong red awnings. As a complement we chose white and gray to be our primary colors for a simple, classic look. In a bit of serendipity, our borrowed getaway truck (a classic 1964 International Harvester Scout 80) was nearly a perfect match for the orange-red door of the church!

We had help from Calluna Events to help pull the whole day together, and both of us could not be happier with the way things turned out. I never really expected to have THAT much fun at my own wedding – I thought there would be more stress or obligations to tend to that would get in the way – but it truly was the best time ever. 

Wedding Photography: J-Anderson Photography / Floral Design: European Flower Shop / Event Design: Calluna Events + Bride & Groom / Event Planning: Calluna Events /  Ceremony Location: First Congregational Church / Reception Location: Koenig Center at the CU Boulder / Invitations: Bride & Groom / Caterer: Catering by Design / Cakes: Indulge Bakery / Ceremony Music: Scott Martin / DJ: Mike of Pure Sounds Production / Hair: Sarah Robinson of Voodoo Hair Lounge / Make-up: Jill of MAC

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Post tags: Boulder, Calluna Events, Catering-By Design, Colorado, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, European Flower Shop, Indulge Bakery, J-Anderson Photography, Koenig Center, Pure Sounds Productions, Scott Martin, The First Congregational Church, Voodoo Hair Lounge
Post categories: Casual Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Being married, although I have only been married for just a short time, is the most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me. Our wedding day could not have been a more perfect start to our marriage. I am from a small town in Tennessee, my husband is from Kansas City, and we met in Dallas, Texas. I have always known I wanted a smaller destination wedding, and luckily my husband and I were on the same page. Picking a place to get married was easy for us. We both love the mountains, and we could not think of a more beautiful representation of God’s creation to be the setting for our wedding. We decided on an outdoor ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch. After the venue decision, all the other details fell right into place.

I feel our wedding was a true representation of both my husband and me. Everything was clean, simple, and traditional. It was hard for me to not be married in a church, so my first decision was to try to make our outdoor ceremony feel as spiritual as a church would. I decided to use a large cross, made out of Aspen bark, draped in beautiful soft all white flowers, and to be set at the end of the aisle. My vision for the cross and flowers played into every other detail of the wedding. The wedding day itself was full of anxiety and stress. We woke up to rain, cold temperatures, and even some hail. The ceremony location changed three times throughout the day. Miraculously, about an hour before our scheduled ceremony time, the clouds were moved away and the sun came shining down on us to have everything just as planned. The sunshine moved right in to the reception where our band put on a fabulous show!!!! Everyone danced the night away!

Overall, our wedding weekend was exactly what Neil and I had pictured. All of our guests traveled from far distances to see us commit our lives to one another. It was incredibly special to have all of our friends and family in one place. A big thanks to my talented and fabulous photographer Sharon. She captured every memory! Thank you to all of our loving and caring family and friends for making our wedding possible!

Wedding Photography: Sharon Clark of Smitten Photography / Floral Design: Vintage Magnolia / Event Design + Planning: Frosted Pink Weddings / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Location: Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August / Wedding Cake: Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch / Band: Soul X / Hair + Make-up: Tricia Coble

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Post tags: Bachelor Gulch, Badgley Mischka, Colorado, Frosted Pink Weddings, Joanna August, Monique Lhuillier, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Smitten Photography, Soul X, Tricia Coble, Vintage Magnolia
Post categories: The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Angie Wilson Photography…Gina and Kevin wanted to keep an organic farm/vintage feel to their wedding. The Farmette in Lyons was a perfect venue for that look and all of their DIY details made it complete. Gina made the invites (which were printed on plantable paper), as well as the guestbook cards. Guests enjoyed a variety of games, including a cornhole game that Kevin built and an old croquet set. Even the signs were made by the bride and groom. Gina’s aunt and uncle own an antique shop and loaned them lots of vintage goodies that were used as decorations on the farm.

Guests enjoyed a delicious BBQ dinner at a long, family-style table. Gina planted succulents in old coffee cans that sat on the table. Instead of wedding cake, Gina’s mom and sister made pies and Kevin’s parents brought cheesecakes from New York. After dinner a live bluegrass band (White Water Ramble) played lively music which was a perfect close to the day.

Wedding Photography: Angie Wilson Photography / Venue: Lyons Farmette / Florist: Fiori Flowers + (flowers from Lyons Farmette) / Band: White Water Ramble / Officiant: Kevin Bracy Knight / Caterer: Biscuits & Berries / Desserts: Newskete Bakery (cheesecake) + Homemade Pies

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Post tags: Angie Wilson Photography, Biscuits & Berries, Boulder, Colorado, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Fiore Flowers, Lyons Farmette, Newskete Bakery, White Water Ramble
Post categories: The Blog

From the Groom … My most vivid memories of the day include taking an early morning run across the beautiful ranch, passing by the cabins where my bride and her bridesmaids were getting ready, enjoying the solitude of the open valley, and envisioning the amazing day to come.  Also, the paired grooms and bridesmaids slowly winding their way through the meadow and down to the alter, followed by my gorgeous bride-to-be.

From the Bride … I love the photos of the bridesmaids amongst the aspen trees.  The contrast of the blue dresses with the tall trees is gorgeous.  I also love the photos of Geoff and I just after our ceremony when we walked around the ranch.  Jenna Walker Photography captured the sun’s rays of light beaming through us and nature in a way that appears so magical.

Wedding Planner: ZaZen Event Design / Venue: Devil’s Thumb Ranch / Photographer: Jenna Walker Photographers / Floral Design: Swank Stems – Fine Floral Fashion / Cinematography: Sky Focus Films / Invitation Designer: The Paper Guppy / Cupcakes: Bites Cupcakes / Wedding Gown: Watters / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Amsale

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Post tags: Amsale, Baby's Breath, Billy Balls, Bites Cupcakes, Bouquets, Casual Elegance, Color Palette Blue, Colorado, Devil's Thumb Ranch, Frasier, Jenna Walker Photographers, Modern, Mountain Weddings, mountains, November, Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Wedding, Ranch Wedding, Sky Focus Films, Succulents, Swank Stems - Fine Floral Fashion, The Paper Guppy, Watters, Wedding Flowers, Wedding Photographers, Winter Wedding, Zazen Event Design
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Kanit and I met blues dancing in Fort Collins, CO.  It’s a passion that we share, so it made perfect sense that Kanit would devise a secret plan to propose while dancing. Our group of friends got together every Tuesday night to dance.  I thought the dance that night was nothing out of the ordinary, except that it was in a different location than normal and only our close friends were present. What I didn’t realize was that Kanit was in town.  He had lead me to believe that he was at his new base in Texas, when in fact he was secretly staying at my friend’s house. Even when I saw the floor lined with candles and flowers, it still didn’t register anything special. During one of the songs, I noticed that the girls were drifting out of the dance one by one, leaving me as the object of a large, involved, steal-dance with all the guys.  Imagine my surprise when Kanit suddenly stole me and everyone faded to the sides of the floor!  I immediately knew exactly why he was there and I refused to let him get on his knee.  After a good-natured struggle, he finally succeeded, whispered a heartfelt proposal, and I accepted.

We immediately started planning the wedding.  We knew that we didn’t want to have our wedding at some hotel or other popular venue; it just didn’t fit our personalities.  After an exhaustive web search, I found, quite by accident, Della Terra. Since it was only a half hour into the mountains from my parents’ house, we decided to check it out.  As soon as we walked up we knew it was the place.  The staff was so nice to us, the building gorgeous, the location perfect.  After we picked the venue, we began looking at wedding planners.  I had been a little unsure about hiring a wedding planner, but trying to plan a Colorado wedding while living in Texas was something that I didn’t want to tackle on my own.  I began emailing with Debbie at Save the Date Events, and after a long phone conversation, we decided to hire her!  Probably the best decision made during our planning process.  Through her, we met our photographer, caterer, and dj.  Through our wonderful photographer, I met our florist.  Debbie kept me sane and organized.  I highly recommend having a wedding planner!

Since Kanit is Thai and I was born and raised in the foothills of Colorado, we decided to turn that into a theme.  To compliment the beautiful venue, we went with a chocolate brown, light sage-y green, and purple (my favorite color).  With lots of help from Debbie and Cori at Cori Cook Floral, we were able to create a cohesive feel to the Thailand-meets-Colorado theme. For favors, we gave little Thai elephants because they represent good luck in the Thai culture nestled in with some Rocky Mountain Taffy, purchased at a shop in Estes Park.  The buffet-style dinner had local Colorado-style food, a mashed potato bar, and a Pad Thai station.

One of the things I remember most vividly is the weather.  The night before it was cold and very foggy.  Guests told us that they had driven through freezing rain and fog on their way up the mountain.  We were truly blessed.  On our wedding day, the sky was nearly clear, the air a cool mid-70s, and just the barest breeze.  I remember all the smiles of our guests and the energy of the reception.  Kanit tells me he remembers watching me walk down the aisle.  Becky at Becky Young Photography was amazing at catching all the moments during the day and we really have been unable to pick a favorite photo.

Overall, our wedding was everything we had dreamed of.  It was as close to perfect as possible.  And thanks to Debbie and the fabulous staff at Della Terra, the wedding went off without a hitch, and I didn’t even KNOW about any problems, so I was able to concentrate on enjoying myself, my new husband, and celebrating with our friends and family.

Photography: Becky Young Photography / Venue: Della Terra Mountain Chateau / Event Coordination: Save the Date Events / Catering: Footers / Floral Design: Cori Cook Floral Design / Cake: Intricate Icings / DJ: Great Time DJs / Hair: Bella Capelli / Invitations: Cloud 9 Weddings and Papers / Wedding Dress Designer: Robin Jillian Bridal

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Post tags: Becky Young Photography, Bella Capelli, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Cloud 9 Weddings and Papers, Color Palette Purple, Colorado, Cori Cook Floral Design, Cupcakes, Della Terra Mountain Chateau, Estes Park, Footers, Footers Catering, Great Time DJs, Intricate Icings, Mountain wedding, Robin Jillian Bridal, Save the Date Events, Thailand, Wedding Flowers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Flowers