A Spring Wedding in Durango by Kara Cavalca Photo

– The 2020 Magazine Cover Couple –

Stephanie & John |  May 4th

 

From the bride: John was born and raised in Durango. We loved the idea of having an outdoor wedding, so naturally, we thought of Durango!

 

Getting ready at Ridgewood

 

THE VENUE

The mountain backdrop at Ridgewood was beautiful and just what we had envisioned. As much as we wanted an outdoor wedding, we loved that we had the flexibility to do an indoor wedding if the weather had been poor. We also liked that our family members could stay at the ranch nearby!

 

wedding day details

 

THE WEDDING PARTY

Our bridesmaids wore dresses in plum and wine, and the groomsmen wore wine or plum ties.

 

 

Bridesmaids in plum and wine

 

THE FLOWERS

Our bouquets had lots of greenery along with dark red and purple accents to match the bridesmaids’ dresses.

 

Wedding bouquets

Cocktail table floral centerpiece

Flower girls throwing floral petals

THE CEREMONY

We wrote our own ceremony and a family friend officiated, which made it feel more special to us. We wanted our parents to have a role in the ceremony, so for part of it, we asked them to come up and plant wildflowers and bulbs with us as a symbol of our family’s growth.

 

A spring ceremony at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca A spring ceremony at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca Planting bulbs during the ceremonyA spring wedding at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca

 

 

For our vows, we opted to each tell a story about each other rather than recite traditional vows. It was touching and also fun to hear what the other person had decided to share.

 

 

A spring wedding at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca A spring wedding at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca A spring wedding at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca Bride & groom kiss Wedding party fun Groomsmen fun Bride & groom First dance

Bride & groom first dance

 

THE FAVORS

We made our own wedding favors for guests. We both love animals, baking and random trivia so we bought animal-shaped cookie cutters and attached notes to each of them with a fact about that animal. My aunt made delicious chocolate-caramel candies to go with each cookie cutter.

 

 

Cookie-cutter favors Wedding Cakes Reception dance party at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca

 

ADVICE

When we were in the planning process, we each realized that a few specific aspects of the wedding were most important to us. Identifying those areas that were most important to each other helped us focus on the things we cared most about and also helped us to split up some of the planning and organizing between us.

 

 

A spring wedding at Ridgewood Event Center by Kara Cavalca

THE WEDDING TEAM

Photographer: Kara Cavalca Photo + Video

Venue:  Ridgewood Event Center

Hair & Makeup: Hair Fusion

Cake: Skillfully Decadent / Flowers: Passion Flower

 

As seen in the 2020 Magazine

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DURANGO WEDDINGS MAGAZINE

The wedding planning guide for Durango-Southwest Colorado highlighting LOCAL venues + vendors. 

Durango Weddings Magazine is a curated event planning resource guide, print magazine, wedding blog, and producer of the annual Durango Wedding Expo.