A Fun & Meaningful Celebration
From the bride, Rachel:
For us, this was a day to celebrate our commitment to each other. We wanted an intimate ceremony and reception, so that we could thank our guests for their love and support. As a result, almost every aspect of the wedding was personalized. From the ring bearer to the Master of Ceremonies, our family and friends were actively involved. Even small details held meaning since we handmade a lot of items and incorporated several family heirlooms.
Every aspect of our day was inspired by local flair. The venue was a beautiful Colorado ranch, the flowers were inspired by wildflowers, the band was local, we served elk and salmon, and whenever possible, the food was locally sourced. 
Instead of wanting the “perfect” wedding, we wanted a fun wedding. This helped us stay flexible throughout the planning process. That mindset carried through the wedding day. As a result, everything went smoothly.
The ceremony was very personalized. Our officiant was a long-time family friend that brought both sincerity and humor into the proceedings. He even told an abstract story about how Chris and I met – he told snippets of our story and let the guests imagine the details and create their own vision of the story. Overall, the ceremony represented joining our lives together with mutual love and respect for one another.
Our wedding favors were a family cookbook entitled, “Stand By Your Pan” that contained recipes from both our families. Our cookbook perfectly symbolized two people joining and growing stronger together.
The evening was incredible, and we would not change a thing. We spent time up front planning and setting a budget. Of course, there were unexpected challenges along the way, but we stayed flexible and kept our mind on the end goal – everything else fell into place.
My Advice: The wedding day and the planning leading up to it will go by so quickly. Remember to step back and take time to enjoy.
Rachel’s RECOMMENDED VENDORS
Caterer, Cake and Florals: The Yellow Carrot. In one word, The Yellow Carrot is exceptional. From our very first meeting, I was inspired by their creativity, talent, and passion. Creating a distinctive wedding is their specialty. In fact, I have never seen them do exactly the same thing twice. All of our guests were wowed by the flowers, bar, cake, and food. Not only did everything look amazing, but it was delicious! Our guests are still raving about the wedding, and this was largely due to the hard work and imagination of The Yellow Carrot. I cannot wait for another reason to work with the Yellow Carrot again!
Venue: Ridgewood Event Center
Photographer: Allison Ragsdale Photography