What creative or personal aspects did you include in your wedding?
I bought my now husband a pair of otter socks to wear on our wedding day since we are “significant otters” and they paired beautifully with his deep wine wool suit! They even made an appearance in our photos.
We also did a ring warming ceremony which was very heart warming to see everyone sending positive wishes our way. Everyone in attendance was also able to sign the marriage license! Our officiant gave us the ceremony sheets he read off of, and we used that to have everyone write a few words for us as we venture off on this new adventure.
What is the most memorable moment of your day?
That’s a tough one! I really enjoyed our first look since we did it in private and it was just such a special moment for us. It felt like, in that moment, that we were all that mattered. We were able to cry and laugh and it felt like we were the only two people on this Earth!
Additionally, saying our vows to one another was amazing. I think we both can agree that there was so much love in our words and it really just added another level of comfort and passion to our day.
What was the biggest thing you did to save money?
We used Simply Eloped and through them we were able to purchase a package that included the permit for the National park, the officiant and the flowers. We were also able to add on photography which ended up being more affordable than if we had tried to book everything separately.
What was your biggest splurge?
Our biggest splurge was the wedding dress by far! It was totally worth it though to see the look on my husband’s face.
What was your favorite detail?
The location! I had never been to the location before, but I had seen photos and I thought it looked beautiful. In person it was ten times better! We definitely could not have picked a better place to get married and take photos.
There was still some snow around us and up on the mountains. The backdrop was jaw dropping. We are very adventurous and we just felt like this was the perfect spot to show everyone who we are as a couple.
What’s the best advice you have for planning your wedding now that you’re on the other side?
Have fun with it! Eloping may seem like the “easy” thing to do, but it’s important to stay on top of your vendor search and plan accordingly.
Consider that photography is one of the most important aspects of a wedding. It’s important to find someone who matches your vibe and whose photography style you appreciate. You want to be able to capture this beautiful moment!
The few days before may be a good time to start assigning responsibility to people to ensure things go smoothly on your wedding day.
Share any additional details you’d like us to know about your event:
Since we weren’t having a traditional wedding where we could decide on certain colors, we decided that it would be nice to have our family color coordinate. It was definitely an eye pleaser for me and it made the pictures come out so good! The women in our family went with colors of greens and blues, and the men wore gray suits. These colors mixed well with my husband’s suit and the colors in my flowers!
We didn’t want to have a reception, as that has never been our thing. Instead, after the ceremony, we went to lunch at the Duraven at The Estes Park resort and dinner at Twin Owls Steakhouse in Taharaa Mountain Lodge. I would not only recommend both places but I would go back again and again!
We also decided to rent a Jeep Wrangler from Turo and it was the perfect vehicle for us to both ride up in the mountains and to spend the rest of the week exploring the rest of Colorado.
