It all began at the Seattle Wedding Show where we met Michelle and Taylor. They were a very fun, loving, and adventurous couple who wanted to celebrate their special day at Crystal Mountain. Fast forward to several months after planning, and things began to heat up a bit. Literally... their venue at Crystal Mountain was in danger due to the unpredictable wildfires of the PNW. Left with three days to tie the knot, Crystal Mountain had closed and we had to find a new venue as well as caterer. Even though they couldn’t have the scenic gondola ride or Mt. Rainier backdrop for their wedding, it was just as uniquely beautiful behind castle walls at Mystique Ranch. It was our first time doing a wedding there and we loved it! It felt like a fantasy wedding with a modern day rustic twist. As extra entertainment, guests were able to enjoy the barn animals, yaks, and even a peacock! Though there was a statewide fire ban and couldn’t light sparklers for their magical send off, we used white LED balloons to create their own perfect fairy-tale ending. Michelle and Taylor’s will definitely go down as one of the most unforgettable.

Planning a wedding could be stressful enough but when you live in Colorado, it could make it harder, but for Brooke + Hunter they took it in stride and just had fun.

As for inspiration, Brooke found a beautiful fabric that she wanted to center the wedding around from the color palette to overall theme. It was a beautiful tartan piece to celebrate their Scottish heritage. From the men's ties to the ring bearer's pillow to the fabric wrapped bouquets, we loved all the ways we found to incorporate it into their big day.

Besides the tartan, Brooke only had one other wish, yellow zinnias, her favorite flower. The only problem was due to the hot weather we had the few weeks leading up to their July wedding, the zinnia crop in the state was literally wiped out, leaving florist Jen of Jen's Blossoms to search for the bride's flower and that she did. Just two days till the wedding, Jen drove all the way down to Oregon and found the most gorgeous zinnias, really saving the day and for that I'm truly grateful we had Jen on our dream team. Besides her huge floral save, Jen created some magic when it came to designing the ceremony backdrop. From hanging white curtains between two trees with hanging zinnias that wowed the crowed especially as the wind caught it just at the right angle. This proved to be the best backdrop of photos. This was all in addition to the stunning floral arrangements and garland that lined the deck of their venue.

Now, I have to dish on Brooke's attire for the day, not only did she have two dresses, both of which were shipped to my house prior to the wedding, another EA first, but her silk veil was to die for. We loved Brooke's wedding dress, but it was her sexy reception dress that is in my dress hall of fame. She rocked it in every way possible!

For their truly intimate wedding which was officiated by a longtime friend of the bride, guests watched from the beautiful farm benches of Seattle Farm Tables as the couple exchanged their very beautiful vows along with two great readings by the brides's godfathers. The most heartfelt part of the ceremony was when the couple did a special ceremony with the groom's children cementing them as a new family. It was just that moment I will never forget for the rest of the my life.

What I loved most about working with our Colorado couple was just how open they were to any and all ideas and were pretty much game for anything I came up with, truly a planner's dream. Ryan Flynn Photography along with his second shooter Andy Shepard beautifully captured the whole day complete with a dress change and a bride + groom photo shoot at sunset on the beach.