Tell us a little about yourselves!
Thomas and I live in Boulder, Colorado. I am an Emergency Room Nurse and he is in Real Estate in Boulder. We met at Auburn University. We actually were next door neighbors our last year of college! Thomas and I moved out to Denver and recently made the move to Boulder! We love hiking, camping and skiing so thought it was the perfect fit for us. We have a puppy golden retriever named Lewis who loves the river and hiking on the trail right by our home.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Hawk Ridge Ranch holds a special place in Thomas’s heart so we thought it would be a perfect place to tie the knot! His family has owned the ranch since the 90s, so Thomas grew up almost living there in the summers. It was a place for his family who lives all around the US to spend time together as a whole. Unfortunately, after his paternal grandfather passed, they thought it would be best to sell the ranch. We were devastated by the news. To lose a place so nostalgic and grand. So, we decided it would be perfect for an ending to be joined with a special and timeless beginning.
Wedding stylist Taylor Dawn, planner Knotted Events and floral stylist Alli J Creative did the most incredible job of helping us plan and style our family-focused celebration.
How many guests did you have?
We had 27 guests and our photographer Amanda Olivia Photography present.
Tell us about your outfits.
My dress is from a bridal shop in Denver...Emma and Grace Bridal. It is custom from the bridal shop itself. I was the dress I have been dreaming of for years. I thought the boots were perfect to tie together the ranch theme from Free People. Thomas’s suit is from Brooks Brothers along with his Tecova cowboy boots and belt. His cuff links were a gift from his mother.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Family is the most important thing with us. Thomas is originally from Florence, Alabama and I am from Atlanta, GA. We started dating towards the end of college and then moved away from both of our hometowns, so our families actually have never met prior to our wedding. When we were planning our wedding and budgeting, we decided that it would be most special to Thomas and I to have a weekend devoted to the joining of our families. We have had and will have multiple weddings this year that most likely will have the same layout in terms of how the day goes and we wanted to step away from that. We wanted to step away from the production aspects of weddings and truly just celebrate our union with each other and our closest friends and family in an intentional and beautiful way.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Too many to count! I wore my late paternal grandmother’s engagement ring on my right ring finger during the ceremony. Thomas’s wedding band was his late maternal grandfather’s. His mother has been wearing it since his passing. That same grandfather spent time in Japan for military service and Thomas’s mother gifted us a book and a match box that he brought back after his time there. It’s so special to us because my late paternal grandmother is originally from Japan, so having that as a part of our details meant a lot to me. It felt like a piece of her was there with us that day. My maternal grandmother gave me a beautiful heart-shaped locket that my late grandfather gave her on their wedding day.
Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?
The best advice we can give is to remember that a wedding isn’t a production, but a celebration of your relationship. In terms of Covid, run with the freedoms that it secretly placed on this industry. Take liberty and do exactly what you want to do. We now don’t have the pressure to choose what has always been. Covid opened up unique opportunities for us and didn’t necessarily hinder us (within the wedding world, of course). And most of all soak in every minute!
Photographer : Amanda Olivia Photography @amandaoliviaphoto | Ceremony Location : Private Estate | Hawk Ridge Ranch | Reception Location : Old Thompson Barn | Celebrant : Personal Friend | Jake Norwood | Entertainment : Natalie Spears @natmspears | Styling : Taylor Dawn @taydoehrman | Planner : Knotted Events @knottedevents.co | Floral Styling : Alli J Creative @allijcreative | HMUA : GR Hair and Makeup @grhairandmakeup | Catering + Beverages : Atina Bar and Grill @atinabarandgrille | Cake : Coppelia Cakes @coppeliacakes | Thank You Cards : Paper Eliza @paperfromeliza | Hand-painted Champagne Bottle : Paper Gems @paper_gems_co | Event Rentals : Event Rents Vail/Aspen @eventrentsvailaspe | Alcohol Provider : Sopris Liquor @soprisliquorwine | Film Processing : Photovision @photovisionprints | Bridal Gown Boutique : Emma and Grace Bridal @emmaandgracebridal | Groom’s Suit : Brooks Brothers @brooksbrothers | Rings : Custom Made Engagement ring, Late Maternal Grandfather’s Wedding Band (Groom) + Williams Jewelers of Cherry Creek (Bride Wedding Band) | Bride's Shoes : Free People @freepeople | Groom's Boots : Tecovas | Jewellery, Viel, Hairpiece : Emma and Grace Bridal @emmaandgracebridal