Woodland Whimsy with a Dash of Halloween Fun at Ridgewood

Liz & Anthony | June 22nd

From the bride…

WHY DURANGO

We wanted to showcase the beauty of the Southwest to our East Coast friends and family. It was an awesome way to introduce our city-slicker guests to the natural wonders of the West.

THE VENUE

After we got engaged, we were sent several different issues of Durango Weddings Magazine by Liz’s excited mother through snail-mail. We loved the look of Ridgewood Event Center immediately upon opening the magazine. Ridgewood has gorgeous grounds, a convenient location, and a variety of ceremony spaces plus, views of the mountains, and a beautiful barn – how could we choose otherwise?

THE VISION & VIBE

We wanted an industrial wonderland. Trying to combine the East Coast aesthetic of a Brooklyn loft with the whimsy of the West took several forms. We played with a variety of textures within the whole wedding by mixing wood, glass, greenery, and cement. The ambiance sang of a modern fairyland.

THE BOUQUET

My romantic bouquet had soft pink and ivory peonies, fern, and flat-leaf eucalyptus.

FIRST LOOK

We shared our first look by the river, wearing socks with each others’ faces on them while eating Italian wedding soup – Anthony’s favorite food.

THE CEREMONY

We really wanted the day to feel like us in as many ways as possible. All of our family walked the aisle before us and we walked down the aisle together, hand-in-hand, to Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”. Our officiant, a best friend, awaited us under the peony and fern hexagonal arch.

THE FIRST DANCE

We had a fake-out first dance beginning with “You’re The Inspiration” by Chicago with record scratching into the real, choreographed first dance, “Don’t Go,” by Yaz, sung by my best friend.

THE DANCING

During the middle of the dance party, we programmed a big spooky laugh that stopped our guests in their tracks. The “Monster Mash”, “I Put A Spell on You”, and the “Ghostbusters Theme” blasted while we handed out glow-in-the-dark vampire teeth. Halloween + Wedding = Best Life Ever.

THE ENTERTAINMENT

We rented a bouncy castle. They are not just for kids!

LOOKING BACK

If we could do anything differently, it would be to better manage our time that day. We felt it sweeping by so quickly that we didn’t get enough moments with our guests. Everyone warns you that the time flies by – they were right!