The absolutely brilliant venue of The Lyons Farmette once again plays hosts to a gorgeous wedding, this with a down home Colorado country twist!  Jen Preston & Dave D Angelo, having been to their share of weddings and knew from the start the special little details that they wanted to include to truly hallmark their wedding as both stylish & thoughtful.  The couple pre-bottled Aperol Spritzers {their signature cocktail} to avoid the mad bar rush post ceremony as well as really focused on terrific food for the guests.  Coffee bean bags were re-purposed into a 700 foot long table runner, while vintage scales dotted the decor.  Traditional cake gave way to scrumptious pies along with the Coaches Scoop Truck which doled out the a la mode part!  As the lights went down, the sound cranked up in the form of Boulder’s premier 80′s group - The Goonies Band!  Jen & Dave’s wedding is utterly stunning & they did such a terrific job bringing dashes of country with the perfect touches of refinement!

Novella of the Bride…

We met through mutual friends in a ski share almost 3 years ago.  Dave travels a lot for work and we met the last weekend of the ski season.  We started dating immediately:)  Dave is a cinematographer who shoots all over the world and is gone for weeks or months on end.  I am a travel consultant and work in downtown Denver.  The distance is tough but it keeps the magic alive!  We both love to travel and I have been lucky enough to meet up with Dave during some of his far away shoots.

We fell in love with the Farmette at first sight!  There are so many quaint and quirky aspects of the farm that spoke to us–the bridge, the seating area down by the river, the old Ford truck, the millions of flowers, the beautiful air stream bridal suite, the animals.  We knew we could add our personal touch to the existing natural elements of the farm and have something personal, quaint, vintage and amazing.  The location has a comfy, laid-back quality and are biggest wish for our guests was for them to enjoy the event and just have a blast.

The theme of the wedding was Colorado Country Farm.  Our aim was to have an amazing time with 140 of our closest friends and family – there were no rules except to create an amazing experience.  Luckily, a lot of decor and preparations had been handled months prior – old burlap coffee sacks were washed, cut, and ironed into over 700 ft of table runners.  Denver’s antique stores and thrift shops were liberated of dozens of blue mason jars and old timey flour sifters for the flower displays.  We were also inspired by a previous wedding at the Farmette and hunted down a bunch of 50′s and 60′s kitchen scales to liven up the dessert table.  Leanne, the maid of honer and the bride’s sister, jarred homemade strawberry jam favors which were also used as place cards.  She baked over 150 cookies for the welcome bags.

One of the interesting things that made this wedding truly special and unique is what happened two weeks prior at Dave’s Bachelor Party in Austin, TX, where he was run over by a boat.  The groom was seriously injured in a boating accident, rendering his right knee and right arm immobilized for 8 weeks.  The prop sliced his deltoid in half and shattered his kneecap.  He also broke several ribs and punctured his lung.  Getting that call while at work on a Friday late afternoon was one of the scariest moments of my life.  For as serious as the accident was, every aspect could not have gone better, as strange as it is to say.  Its almost impossible to put into words how fortunate we felt that Dave was not more seriously injured and my only thought was–he is alive, who cares about the rest.  Immediately after the accident, Dave’s spirits were high and he stayed positive throughout.  He never once thought about postponing the wedding even though the doctors weren’t sure he’d be out of the hospital in time.  With great support, prayers and positive vibes from family and friends–he made it home the Thursday before our Saturday wedding, in a wheel chair, but with a huge smile:)  Needless to say it created many challenges, but nothing a wheelchair, larger pants, and some amazing friends and family couldn’t fix.  Despite the groom being in an Austin, TX hospital until two days before the wedding everyone banded together and got it done.  It was truly a memorable and magical day.

We had tons of help the 2 weeks before the wedding!  Given the fact that Dave, who is the primary wedding planner of this duo, was recovering in a hospital Austin, our groomsmen totally stepped in for last minute help.  The guys coordinated getting all of our decor elements to the farm, bottling our signature cocktails, staying in close contact with our wedding planner to pull together tons of details. My sister, Leanne, was a trooper and took charge over the bridesmaids and other willing friends to make sure other small details did not get missed.  I can’t say enough wonderful things about our wedding planner, Hope.  Without her, this wedding would not have been nearly the special event that it was.  In general, so many of our friends and family pulled together to make the best of a tough situation and it could not have been more perfect.

Being in our mid 30′s and going to lots of weddings, we had a lot inspiration to work off of.  For instance after seeing how many bride and grooms missed the majority of cocktail hour because of pictures we decided to make ours a full 2 hours long.  Another thing we noticed was right after the ceremony the bar would just get crushed.  To get that initial drink served quickly, the couple’s friends got together one night and pre-bottled Aperol Spritzers, the signature cocktail.  We also love food, so it was really important to us that folks were well fed – Big Bang Catering did a bang up job.  For dessert we skipped the cake cutting ceremony and the cake all together, opting for homemade pies from Spruce Confections.  What better to go with pie than ice cream – so during dessert we brought in Coaches Scoop, an ice cream truck.  This was a huge hit with young and old alike.  Deciding on music was a little tough at first.  For the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner we had Kort Macomber, a talented local Bluegrass musician. That was easy as he had played in two of the groomsman’s weddings and was amazing.  Figuring out who to dance to was a little tricky – we waffled between iPod and band, until it dawned on us – 80′s!!  Everyone will dance to rocking 80′s music and it just so happens we knew of Boulder’s premier 80′s group – The Goonies.  Finally, Boulder County shuts you down at 10 pm – way too early.  We wanted to keep the party moving and cohesive, so the buses brought everyone to Bacaro for an afterparty until the wee hours.

Couple’s Favorite Moments:

Bride: “There were so many moments!  The whole weekend was magical, celebrating life & love with our family & friends, but my two favorite moments were the sacred alone time Dave & I spent together in the back garden taking it all in (we had been apart for 2 weeks prior so it was so nice to have those few moments to ourselves to reflect on everything).  AND our first dance–we weren’t sure if Dave would be able to be out of his wheel chair for that long.  But he was and it was perfect! I still get chills every time I think about it…and hear the song “Faithfully” by Journey.”

Groom: “We had several unforgettable moments at the wedding.   Seeing each other for the first time, taking a moment to ourselves in the flower garden during dinner, and the first dance.  My right leg wasn’t allowed to bear any weight whatsoever and my right shoulder was effectively immobilized.  Still, we managed to prop me up to dance/sway on one leg for a very emotional and memorable first dance, The Goonies rendition of “Faithfully”

Vendor Love

Venue: The Lyons Farmette | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza | Dress Store: Felice Bridal | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Hair Stylist: Twig Salon | Bridesmaid Dresses: JCrew | Groom’s Suit: JCrew  | Florist: Brighter Day Floral Design | Caterer: Big Bang Catering | Bakery: Granny Scott’s Pie Bakery | Band: The Goonies Band,Kort McComber Duo {Ceremony/Cocktail} | Event Planner: The Wedding Studio | Photographer: Ashley Davis Photography

A little bit country and a lotta bit rock’n'roll, Nicole DeJarnatt & Fred Blythe’s gorgeous Colorado wedding really hit all the right notes!  Throwing a light hearted outdoor summer affair, Nicole & Fred utilized the spacious grounds of Planet Bluegrass Ranch, to celebrate their day!  Guests were seated among the trees while the ceremony, dusted with yellow petals, was held al fresco!  After the couple made it official, guests were invited to play in lawn games such as croquet or even give the custom made hula hoops a go!  Strong vibrant hues greeted guests at every turn, while specially made spice packets from the couple’s friend’s shop, Savory Spice Shop, were the perfect unique guest gift!  Guests celebrated the night away, dancing to live music with Nicole & Fred, really getting into that Bluegrass feel!

What Storyboard Likes…

Down Home Goodness- I am loving Planet Bluegrass Ranch as a wedding space!  This gorgeous ranch is over 20 booming acres of awesome naturalness with a touch of rustic charm.  Having the opportunity to use a space like this gives a couple a lot of opportunity to do some really fun things with their day.  Nicole & Fred really encouraged their guests to play in lawn games, even giving custom made hula hoops a go!  Inviting guests to kick off their shoes, get some grass between their toes and spend the evening dancing away as they harnessed the essence that is Planet Bluegrass!

Bring It Color!- I love a couple that isn’t afraid of strong bold attention grabbing colors!  Nicole & Fred, under the stellar design eye of Cori Cook Floral Design, toyed with some very vibrant hues that rivaled their surroundings!  Nicole’s bouquet in particular is a work of art from the Cabernet & orange creamsicle dahlias to the perfectly muted white gooseneck and wax flowers, this bouquet is a bluegrass girl’s dream!  The Pièce de résistance for me are the stunning red poppies placed in an almost  trail like manner, leading your eye down to the beautifully wrapped lace handle.  Utilizing a piece of lace florish like that is utterly divine!

Just A Country Girl, In Some Country Boots- Let’s face it, Nicole is one stunning Bluegrass bride!  The choice of the fit & flare lace Watters gown was not only beautifully fitted to Nicole’s personality but spot on for the ranch affair!  Complimenting the lace frock were Nicole’s textured locks which were pinned into an updo, from which a simple yet impactful long veil tumbled from!  To finish her country look, Nicole choose a covet worth pair of Lucchese Boots, 1883 Precious Metal Python Print, to be exact!  These boots are stunning, much like our bride!

Novella of the Bride…

*A spot about the couple…

Fred and I met in summer 2008 at one of the first “Grateful Dead Tuesday’s” at Zio Romolo’s Alley Bar in Denver. Neither of us had ever been there before, so we like to say it was a fateful Grateful Dead night.  Vegetarians since the early part of our relationship, we like to say we’re each others’ “soy mate,” although we shared a hamburger on our very first date at a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

“Frecole” (pronounced freckle) is our celebrity name and pretty much what everyone calls us.

We love to travel both abroad and domestic, and our hobbies include skiing, camping, hiking, biking, attending music festivals, cooking and running an occasional 7K. We climbed Mt. Fuji together and plan to run a ½ marathon next fall.

Fred grew up in Enid, Oklahoma and earned his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. After graduation he headed out west to try his luck as a ski bum in Aspen, Colo. He realized he wasn’t cut out for couch surfing and decided to pursue his graduate degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with a master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in accounting (MSBA). He spent 11 years in Vermont before the mountains of Colorado called him back home. In fact, the night we met, Fred had just closed on his new loft in Denver. He jokes that he got a girlfriend and a condo in the same week. Fred currently works as a Sr. Project Manager/Business Analyst for the Colorado Community College Systems by day and occasionally plays fiddle in a local bluegrass band, Modern Whiskey Market, by night.

Nicole is a Colorado native and grew up in Grand Junction, Colo. She attended Cottey College (an all-women’s school) in Nevada, Mo. and received her degrees in journalism and anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She currently works as a senior editor in the Denver newsroom at Business Wire.

*Theme & Venue Selection…

Unbridled glee! Our whimsical, festival-themed wedding (a.k.a. FRECOLE FEST 2012) at Planet Bluegrass Ranch was a picture-perfect day along the North St. Vrain River filled with bikes, lawn games, homemade hula hoops, fruit pie, a silo and live music. The overall tone of the wedding was completely relaxed allowing guests to enjoy the 20-acre ranch and all its natural beauty.

We have attended a handful of festivals at PBR (Rocky Grass, Folks Festival, Mabon, Kinfolk Fest) and wanted our wedding to have the same carefree tone, where our friends/family could enjoy each other’s company while listening to amazing music and dancing (and hooping) in the Colorado sunshine.

Planet Bluegrass holds a special place in our heart and has been the site of many of our relationship “firsts.” I introduced Fred to Planet Bluegrass on one of our first dates (Folks Festival 2008), and it’s also where we got engaged (Folks Festival 2011). And this summer, Fred’s bluegrass band has been accepted into the band competition during Rocky Grass Fest. He will be playing in the Wildflower Pavilion on the same stage where our wedding band performed just one year prior, which is a really cool way to celebrate around our one-year anniversary.

We looked at numerous venues in Colorado (always with PBR in the back of our minds) and in the end, we both felt strongly about giving our (and our families) hard-earned money to a place that we loved and believed in, and where we knew we’d return year after year. We take pride in knowing that our wedding helped support Planet Bluegrass, which brings amazing music to Colorado and helps nurture talented artists–big and small. Moreover, we introduced 175 guests from around the world and a handful of new vendors to the venue, which we hope will encourage a new generation of festival-goers.

Planet Bluegrass strives to “re-use, recycle, and compost whenever possible.” That “green” philosophy fit nicely with what we envisioned would be a sustainable event. Planet Bluegrass’ preferred caterer, A Spice of Life, also kept true to that vision. Not only did we have a 100% vegetarian menu, but A Spice of Life is also a Zero Waste facility, working with PBR to be as kind to the planet as possible.

Cori Cook Floral created an assortment of wildflower centerpiece arrangements and designed bold, colorful, loose and textured bridal party bouquets, which perfectly matched the happy and free-spirited feel of the celebration. The men’s boutonnieres incorporated sprigs of wheat in honor of the groom’s Oklahoma roots.

We worked closely with A Spice of Life catering to create a unique, completely vegetarian menu that even the most die-hard meat-and-potato-eating guests LOVED. (We have been vegetarians for 4.5 years and weren’t willing to compromise our beliefs by serving meat at our own wedding). The dessert table was an assortment of in-season fruit pies handmade by Shamane’s Bake Shoppe.

*A little help from their friends…

Our friend Sarah Gagne and her son, Rye Gray, helped us make all the hula hoops. We bought the tubing at Home Depot and using a YouTube tutorial, we filled them with water, marbles and beans; sealed them with a hairdryer; and wrapped them in colorful electric/duct tape with wild colors and patterns. At the end of the wedding, we happily gave the hula hoops away to our nieces/nephews and other children to enjoy.

Our dear friend and Savory Spice Shop–Boulder owner, Dan Hayward, donated hand-crafted seasonings to spice up guests’ night and served as the official party favors. The spice packets, which were hand-tied with twine and featured the couple’s name and wedding date, boasted landmark Colorado names like Wash Park and Colorado Plateau.

The bride’s family (step-dad and great uncle) made vintage signs using lumber from an old school house that paired nicely with the rustic ranch details, and complemented the bride and groom’s western footwear.

The matron of honor’s mom, Gayle Gerson, is a Grand Junction, Colo.-based artist who created a one-of-a-kind concert-like poster to serve as the official wedding invitations. The posters were hand-rolled and placed inside self-sealing poster tubes for delivery. Gayle has known Nicole since she was in 4^th grade and was also her high school English teacher.

Bridesmaid and childhood friend Jennifer Schmidt of Jen’s Hems in Grand Junction, Colo. designed and created the colorful flower girl dresses, which included a touch of vintage French Alsace lace along the neck line. The lace was taken from a passed-down wedding dress that belonged in the bride’s family. The lace was also incorporated in the bridal bouquets and in Nicole’s wedding bracelet, which was also handmade by friend and Kansas City-based jewelry designer Laura J. Timmons of Vintage Moon Creations.

Nicole’s former boss and friend, Laura J. Holloway, received her online certification/ordination and served as the couple’s officiant for the wedding celebration.

*Memories for a lifetime…

We were fortunate to have so many friends and family actively involved in the wedding. Fred’s favorite moment was dancing with his nieces and nephews and introducing them to his passion for bluegrass. My favorite memory was the toasts that our MOH/best man gave; they were outstanding and very personal. I have been friends with the MOH since 4^th grade and Fred met his best man in 5^th grade so they truly know us and love us and support our marriage 100%, which was very apparent in their touching tributes, which I have printed and plan to frame for the house.

Vendor Love

Venue: Planet Bluegrass Ranch/Wedding Dress: WTOO Waters Bridal Lycette Gown/Alterations: Nadine Hooper of Boulder Bridal/Bridal Shoes: Lucchese Boots – 1883 Precious Metal Python Print/Veil: Nadine Hooper of Boulder Bridal/Bridal Jewelry: Vintage Moon Creations/Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Angelo #7143/Flower Girl Dresses: Jennifer Schmidt of Jen’s Hems/Hair & Makeup Stylist: Jen Murphy/Groom’s Suit: Perry Ellis/Groom’s Hat: Goorin Bros./Groom’s Boots: Ariat via High Country Western Wear/Invitation-Poster Designer: Gayle Gerson/Transportation: CU Buffs Bus via the University of Colorado/Photo Booth: The ModPod (Elevate Photography)/Music Ceremony: Eamon Alger/Music Reception: PKB – Pete Kartsounes Band /Lighting-Sound: PBR Sound Engineer/Rentals: Flex Rentals/Florist: Cori Cook Floral Design/Caterer: A Spice of Life /Party Favors: Savory Spice Shop/Microbrews: Palisade Brewing Company/Baker: Shamane’s Bake Shoppe /Signs: Our Hobby to Your Home/Officiant: Laura J. Holloway-Pivot Communications/Photographer: Elevate Photography

Soft & Romantic are the finger print for this Glenbrook, NV Lake Tahoe wedding.  Farmer’s tables were set up outdoors draped in burlap & soft pink with touches of simple white flowers while mason jars were chalked with tables numbers for an under the pines reception.  Tara Trovato & Kyle Burgess worked with Forget Me Knot Events, Ltd. to craft their day into a romantic vision which including getting married under a crystal chandelier among the trees.  Even though on a tight budget, our couple was able to create a gorgeous wedding day that helped bring their dreams to life.

What Storyboard Likes…

Inside, Outdoors- I have a major crush just about anytime gorgeous home pieces, are brought outdoors.  I am not sure if its the idea of throwing normal convention on its head or what, but create a living room set up in a meadow, drag giant dining room tables into soft grass, or swing awe-inspiring crystal chandeliers outdoors and I am pretty much sold.  There is an element of whimsy & class that you can’t escape when styling an event in this manner.  I highly recommend, when you can do this, you do!

Veil by the Yard- Long veils were never my thing personally, HOWEVER, on other brides, I adore them!  There is truly something rather majestic about them, right?  The long flowing material, the way its grabbed and playfully tossed about in the breeze.  In church weddings, veils that go beyond the gown’s train are divine right!?  I really like Tara’s choice of such a long veil for her day & yes, of course I am loving the shot of her along the shore as that beauty catches in the wind!

Flesh Tone- I can’t entirely put my finger on it, but there is something that I am just loooooving about the choice of color  for the bridesmaids dresses.  Whether the girls realize it or not, this color seems to perfectly compliment everyone of them, and trust me with such a wide variety of girls playing this role {in all weddings}, its no easy task making everyone look good!  The color is soft, neutral, certainly not offensive.  Its a soft soft pink, almost beige skin tone right?  I also want to say I love the decision to keep the hair down & throw in some textured waves to the locks.  The overall effect is a group of well put together beautiful ladies that elevate our gorgeous bride!

 

Novella of the Bride…

We met at a young age while working our way through college in Reno. There was an immediate connection that lasted through graduation, a move to Las Vegas where I’m from and then a transfer back to northern Nevada. All the while, we really just found that there was nothing better than having your best friend by your side. After nearly seven years, Kyle swept me away to our favorite city by the bay and asked me if we could spend the rest of our lives together. Just over a year later, we said “I do.”

We live in Reno, just 30 minutes down the mountain from Lake Tahoe. So when we started looking around at venues, we felt like we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say our vows with one of the most stunning backdrops in the world. When we first looked at the venues inside Glenbrook, we knew that we had found our perfect location and had some friends help us gain access to the exclusive Tahoe community.

It wasn’t until I found my dress that the vision of our dream wedding began to come to life. As soon as I stepped into the detailed lace gown, I knew that I wanted something soft and romantic. So we settled on “Vintage Romantic” and the planning finally took off running. We were on a low budget and we both wanted it to be personal. We wanted people to see the details of the wedding and know that it was “ours.” We ordered confetti hearts with poems and love stories on them and a vintage garter from Etsy. We really wanted a chandelier over us at the ceremony even though it was outdoors. We used mason jars for water glasses and parts of our centerpieces which we decorated ourselves. We created our own invitations. We selected each and every part of our ceremony to make it meaningful. And we selected all of the music to make it special for us, our friends and our family. Pretty much every detail of the wedding was handpicked by one or both of us. It was a lot of work but, looking back, it was worth every second.

We had a lot of help and we are grateful to our friends and family who helped us along the way. My sisters were a huge help in getting the invitations completed. My mom and sisters helped decorate mason jars and finish several of the last minute details before the wedding.  We really just wanted it to be a special day for us so a lot of personal touches takes a lot of personal favors and it just proves what incredible friends and family we are surrounded by.

Brides Favorite Moment: “It might sound cliché but I can’t really think of just one. Though, if I had to pick, it might be when our incredible photographer asked us to escape the reception for some sunset photos by the lake. We snuck away on a golf cart just the two of us, drove back to the pier where we did our first look photoshoot earlier that day and just had a blast doing some photos that turned out to be some of our favorites from the day.”

 

Vendor Love

Dress Designer: Blue by Enzoani
Hair Stylist: Ritz Salon
Makeup Artist: Trombley Style
Caterer: HighPoint Catering
Baker: Tiers of Joy
Florist: Florabella designs
Rentals: Camelot Party Rentals
Linens & Coverings: Creative Coverings
Music & Lighting: Hug Entertainment
Event Planner: Forget Me Knot Events, Ltd.
Photographer: Jessi LeMay Photography

So small back story about today’s stunning feature that not even Summer Land {the bride} knows!  My little sister is always on the hunt for the next witty thing to entertain her.  She stumbled upon, Summerlandish, and felt she found a kindred spirit.  I decided to follow Summer on Twitter & FB as if nothing else, the things she says in 140 characters make her follow worthy!  Now comes the funny life timing part, not too long after that Summer actually contacted me about featuring her wedding {apparently SBW had helped her along her way} who knew!?  Would the chicken or the egg come first, who knows, what I do know is when she reached out regarding her wedding, I pretty much accepted it without really seeing the images.  I felt it was worth the potential risk as a girl like Summer, loving to be bold, brash, risque, & simply looking to have  good time, if nothing else was going to make for one fun post and that was a  risk I was willing to take.  When the images finally landed on my desk I soon realized I was in for a treat!  This gorgeous Park City Utah wedding allows nature to do all the heaving lifting all the while putting in just the right touches to make it brilliant.  Beautiful strong  wood tables are used for dining while a great white lounge area was erected for guests to relax.  Intense pops of blue pink & orange are woven into the right places giving life to the natural tones around.  Summer’s bridal style is equally well put together, taking a cue, as she puts it, from Martha Stewart preppy, opting for a lovely wedding frock with pockets!  With her hair swept into the perfect low back bun, the finishing touches of a floral fascinator & veil are all she needs.  Prince charming comes in the form of an Aussie man {Paul Jongsma}, clearly smitten by Summer’s charms & quite happy to be so.  For their feature I wanted to do a blind questionnaire, neither knowing each others questions or answers….until now!  Enjoy this gem as its a true Friday treat!

Its pretty clear you & your boys mean a lot to one another {as well as have a good time!}, how did it feel going through such a big life change with them at your side?

Paul: “It was such a good feeling knowing that my friends care for me that much to fly all the way over from Australia and be by my side.”

What was your most memorable moment with your boys while getting ready?

Paul: “The week before the wedding, we decided to get “ready” in Vegas. Since jumping out of an airplane over the strip is more exciting than learning how to tie bow ties, this stands out in my mind.”

What was your most memorable moment with your girls while getting ready?

Summer: “We lip-synced a group performance to Carly Rae Jepson’s Call Me Maybe. And it’s incredible. However, one girl refuses to let me put it on the internet. I will beg her because it’s so blog worthy.”

When you look back over your wedding photos, which image is your favorite & why?

Summer: “That’s a really hard one. They are all so special to me. I mean I obviously love the group shots, the dancing, the couple ones, the details, etc. But I guess the one I look at all the time would be my bridesmaids one. {Above photo} I love my girlfriends so much. And many of them are the reason that Paul and I are together. Megan, my maid of honor and best friend  since middle school actually met Paul a week before we knocked on his door and had his number. She played a bit of a matchmaker. Emily, my friend from University, was doing a working holiday in Australia and spent two months traveling with Paul and me. These girls have always been there for me and witnessed Paul and I fall in crazy Ameristralian love. And since we’ve all be separated by jobs, loves, etc. It is incredible to have them all by my side.”

What was going through your mind when you saw Summer for the first time on your wedding day?

Paul: “Oh my God I didn’t think anyone could look that beautiful and I remember her worrying about whether I’d like the wedding dress and I was shocked to think I couldn’t like it once I saw her in it.”

How did you go about putting together your complete wedding day look?

Summer: “It’s pretty easy to get a look when you’re back drop is Park City. I didn’t really need much in terms of floers for the ceremony since it was outside. And I am a huge fan of low table centerpieces. I found some wonderful ideas online and then asked Melissa to help me source something. We usually ended up finding something a little different, but equally special. I actually ended up buying quite a few things from Etsy- Mason Jars, Burlap, Paper Straws, Bunting, etc. Other than that I just thought about all of the things I loved from other people’s weddings. Flip Flops, Couches, etc.”

“Paul and I wanted people to see where we met and fell in love. We wanted people to feel comfortable and relaxed. I like to describe it as Martha’s Vineyard meets Park City. A nice preppy mountain affair With a dash of Aussie!”

What was going through your mind when you saw Paul for the first time on your wedding day?

Summer: “Everything leading up to a wedding can be quite stressful (for the bride.) For me, it wasn’t that I needed everything to be perfect. I just needed to know that everyone was having a nice time. On the actual day of the wedding, I took a friend’s advice and focused on enjoying what we had created. I really looked at everything. And when I looked at Paul at the end of the aisle, I felt completely relaxed, excited, happy, content and a little shocked that we managed to find ourselves back in the same place we met- four years later- saying I do. I no longer worried about if the seats would be comfortable enough, or if the umbrellas were doing their jobs shading people. I even didn’t worry about the storm lurking behind the mountains. I could have stood up there in a hurricane with Paul. I was just so unbelievably happy. But as soon as it was over, I felt like I couldn’t remember what had just happened. Paul and I went back into our suite for a moment and we said our vows again. It was really cute. hahahaha And then of course- we danced!”

We see you guys strive to achieve vertical height in the form of standing pyramids, what gives?

Summer: “As much as this looks like it was an ex-cheerleader’s idea, I swear it was Paul’s. He loves a good shoulder stand. I’m assuming his love stems from his festival days in Australia. As for me, I instinctively go to a high V whenever performing a balancing act. Nothing like a little Cirque du Soleil show at a wedding. (Thank goodness I didn’t face plant. There was quite the crowd watching.)”

Paul: “It started off at festivals. Everyone was always sitting on people’s shoulders thinking they were the kings of the world. So I thought I’d do one better and stand on my best friend’s shoulders who happens to be the tallest man in the world. It just sort of became a thing that we did. Once, I had Summer stand on my shoulders to pick mangoes in Northern Queensland.”

Loving the white on white cake, along with how it was displayed!  What was your inspiration behind it & how do you feel it turned out?

Summer: “Initially I didn’t really want a wedding cake because neither of us have a sweet tooth, but when I began working with my wedding planner, Melissa, from Soiree Productions, she explained that I would regret not having one. I knew that I wanted something simple. I searched on Pinterest and 100LayerCake, but ultimately found one featured on Martha Stewart’s site. We had a local pastry chef recreate it. It didn’t turn out exactly like the picture, but that made it even more special  I loved the table, votives and bunting around it ”

From The Baker: “The cake flavor was a delicious Madagascar Vanilla Bean with Sour Cream, Cream Cheese Buttercream and Homemade Fondant. The cake design named after the bride, the “Summer” is covered in layers of delicate dimensional blossoms and leaves edged in pin-point piping, reminiscent of a lavish antique lace tablecloth.”

How did you know Paul/Summer was the one?

Summer: “I just really wanted to marry him and have his babies. I think it was his pheremones. He’s also super cute with baby animals and knows some really good jokes. But seriously, we just didn’t want to stop hanging out. Like ever.”

Paul: “There were a thousand things that made me want to marry Summer. But I’d say when I really fell in love with her was on our 7 week camping trip on the east coast of Australia in 2009. We slept in a tent rain, hail or shine and rarely showered. If you’re still attracted to someone after going through that, you should marry them.”

 

When it came to planning the wedding, how ‘in to it’ were you really?

Paul: “Um, I would say more than I expected. I really let Summer do whatever she wanted, but she asked for my opinion even for the finest detail. I actually chose the wedding cake. (Well she gave me three options to choose from.) If it wasn’t for her, though, it wouldn’t have been as amazing as it was.”

With a wedding spanning 2 countries, well across the world from one another, what were some of the tougher points to sort out when it came to planning?

Summer: “A major thing for us when planning an international wedding was that people could actually come. We ended up having a two year engagement so that our Aussie guests had plenty of time to save annual leave and funds to come. It was amazing in the end. We had around 30 Aussies come to the US Most ended up staying for about 5 weeks and traveling around.”

“There were also things that we wanted to incorporate from Australia that we couldn’t get in the US. We thought it would be fun to do some of our local beer and wine from Mudgee (wine region where we live), but shipping was incredibly expensive.”

“And lest we forget the time change. I seriously would have been lost without a wedding planner. Instead of me staying up until 3am to make phone calls to vendors, I could just send Melissa an email and she would sort everything out.”

“In terms of budget- I felt like I had to entertain everyone. Since it was a destination wedding for all but two families, I organized quite a few events.”

The Wedding Plan

Wednesday was a outdoor concert at Deer Valley Ski Resort.
Thursday was pool/ bachelorette. The girls went to High West (a ski in ski out whiskey distillery) and then we met up with everyone at No Name Saloon on Main Street.
Friday- Bridal Brunch/ Grooms Golfing Session and then a Welcome Party at my Maid of Honors house which was the “rehearsal dinner”
Saturday- Wedding!!!!!!
Sunday- brunch

Novella of the Bride…

Paul is from Wollongong, Australia and I’m from Gainesville, FL. Paul and I first met in Park City in 2008. He was renting a house with about 11 other friends from Australia, New Zealand and England. My friend Megan’s family owned the house across the street. I was visiting for Thanksgiving and Megan and I decided to bring the boys some leftovers. We knocked on there door while balancing trays of turkey and stuffing. Paul and I were immediately drawn to each other. The next night we went out on Main Street and as the story goes- we lived happily ever after I am a writee at my site Summerlandish and Paul is a Mechanical Fitter and works for Xstrata Coal.

We chose Park City because it is a really sentimental place for us. Neither of us wanted to get married in our home towns, so Park City became the perfect destination.  The wedding was all outdoors. We honestly didn’t need to bring in many floral arrangements because our backdrop was so beautiful. For the reception, we had big wooden tables and an old wooden floor made of barn wood. We wanted an elegant Kennedy-esque backyard wedding.

A couple of my bridesmaids also went above and beyond. Megan, my Maid of Honor hosted a Welcome Party for all of our guests, a bridal brunch and planned my bachelorette. My friend, Emily, helped me sort out bridesmaids dresses. Of course the one we chose was now three seasons old, so all nine girls had to track it down on Ebay, etc!  We actually made a little viral song and sent it to Lilly Pulitzer to help us find the dress. They loved it and tried their best! Here is the link to the song. {SBW Note: This is actually freaking hilarious, lol}  Lilly Pulitzer tweeted about it. Emily also designed the CD for our favors and my friend, Molly, made the programs!

My friend told me that on the day, I should take a moment and just watch. Once everyone was seated in the tent and eating, I stood up and looked around and felt so lucky to have so many friends and family willining to travel (pretty far) to watch us get married. I also couldn’t believe just how beautiful all of the tables were. Everything was truly perfect.  We also had our first dance song made specifically for us.

Summer Love Final

Vendor Love

Venue: Hotel Park City
Wedding Dress: Anne Barge
Bridesmaid Dresses: Lily Pulitzer
Shoes: Grace
Hair & Makeup Stylist: Paula J Dahlberg
Groom’s Suit: Jack London
Music: Utah Jive
Florist: Decoration Inc
Caterer:Hotel Park City
Baker: Carrie’s Cakes
Wedding/Event Planner: Soiree Productions
Photographer: Nick Sokoloff

As you know from yesterday’s post, when I saw Pamela Lerfald & Nick Davis’s wedding photos I quickly jumped on board with doing a 2 day feature of this adorable couple from engagement to wedding!  If you missed the Tour de Fat inspired Beers & Bike engagement session check it out here!  Now onto the main event, yes?!  Keeping with the bicycle theme, Pam & Nick expertly wove 2 wheeled fun machines into a well refined slightly off beat gorgeous wedding.  Bike elements were incorporated everywhere from escort card displays, table numbers, guest gifts to even their unique take on a wedding cake!  This wedding has everything from a sweetly done first look to completely lovely photography which really gives you a strong feel of not only the emotions but the moody weather our couple faced!  Pam is a doey eyed stunner whom the camera seems to be utterly smitten with and Nick is simply old school handsome.  This wedding has a lot of wonderful simple touches that prove not every wedding needs to be dripping in crystals to make it chic.

Nick is from Mason City, Iowa and works independently as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. Pamela is from Portland, ND and owns her dental office, Davis Family Dental in Loveland, CO. Believe it or not, this adorable couple met on Match.com!

 

“Our photographers’ professional work sealed our theme of Fort Collins’ beer and bikes, as well as our kooky “tour de fat” habits. The pictures were unique, fun, crazy, and insanely creative…. just like our relationship.”

 

“BEER AND BIKES!  Nick is an active cyclist being we live in Fort Collins, so we went with a bicycle themed wedding (from riding single bicycles to a tandem).  Also, because we are both from the midwest and Fort Collins is a mothership of numerous breweries, we incorporated our love of BEER; hence the koozie party favors.”

“Our parents contributed much time and financial support for the wedding, as well as helping our grandmother’s travel from the midwest to be a big part of our day. Our sisters on both sides were wonderful in helping color coordinate and plan our attire for the wedding party. Nick’s sister, Jennifer, assisted us in the design and printing of our engagement cards and ceremony programs.”

 

Brides Favorite Moment:

“Getting rained on during the ceremony for a few minutes, then the sun peaked through right before our vows. This is typical of a marriage: sunny, then some rain, then sunny again!”

Vendor Love

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Brookside Gardens
Wedding Dress: Davids Bridal
Shoe Designer: Nina Garcia
Hair Stylist: Shell Bond
Makeup Artist: Aveda Salon at Brookside
Groom’s Suit Designer: Al’s Formal Wear
Music: The Fever
Florist: Palmer Flowers
Caterer: Origins Catering
Baker: Eileen’s Cookies

Wedding Stationary: Jennifer Axtman
Wedding/Event Planner: Suzanne Doles
Photographer: Harper Point Photography