“Scott proposed at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs on New Year’s Eve 2020. I grew up visiting the Broadmoor with my family and it became one of my favorite places in the world. Scott took me there for dinner as a surprise on our first date not knowing how special it was to me. From then on, it became our favorite place to spend time together. The plan was to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a group of friends that night and Scott asked if I wanted to grab drinks at the Broadmoor before we went to the party. I thought nothing of it because we visit often since it’s one of our favorite spots. When we arrived at the hotel, we walked around admiring all of the holiday decorations and made our way up to the balcony that overlooks the hotel where we had our first kiss. When we walked out onto the balcony, there was a photographer taking a staff photo of someone who worked there so we went to the other side of the balcony to enjoy the view. Just before sunset and when all of the Christmas lights turned on for the night, Scott started to say romantic things to me and then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was the best surprise of my life. A few minutes later, he pulled out a second ring box from his pocket with a photo of the puppy that he picked out for us to pick up 6 weeks later. A fiancé and a puppy all in one night! It gets even better… after he proposed, I realized the photographer was actually hired by Scott to capture the whole moment on camera. We walked around and took photos together and then he surprised me with a room at the hotel that night. We celebrated with champagne, room service, and watched the New Year’s firework show on top of Pikes Peak (a 14,000 mountain in Colorado) from our balcony.”
The Wedding Day
“When we got engaged, it was an easy choice to pick Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colorado as our wedding venue. Both growing up in Colorado, we wanted our venue to have a rustic ranch Rocky Mountain feel. When planning, our vision for the day was a perfect mix of wild west and elegant. We loved all of the little details on our day that fit in with the rustic ranch setting. The guest attire was suits and boots and we hired a live country band for the reception. Our seating chart was made from horseshoes and we wore cowboy hats for our grand entrance. Being a meteorologist, I knew it was risky to plan a Colorado wedding in March with our crazy spring weather but we decided to take the chance. By the grace of God, the weather was perfect. It was one of the warmest days of the month with a high in the 70’s and sunny skies.”
Picking the Venue
There were so many things we loved about this wedding venue. Scott grew up about 5 minutes south of the venue in a small town so we immediately loved that it felt like home to him. We always drove by it to visit his parents and both secretly each thought it would be the perfect place to get married someday. Once we got engaged, we went to tour it a few days later and both knew it was the one. We love that it is a cattle ranch and has a lot of wide open land. It feels like the wild west with big pastures and a beautiful wood barn. We have always dreamed of a rustic Colorado wedding and this venue fit that vibe perfectly.
The Ceremony
Did you do a first look?
We did not do a first look because we loved the tradition of seeing each other for the first time as I walk down the aisle. I am so glad that we did it this way. It did mean less time for photos because we had to do most of them after the ceremony during cocktail hour but it was so fun to not see each other before the ceremony and made that moment so special and exciting for us both.
Did you have a traditional ceremony?
Our ceremony was pretty traditional. We are both religious and wanted it to feel close to a church service but be outside with nature as the backdrop. We saved the first time we saw each other for walking down the aisle and also took and served communion during the ceremony. We read our own vows and had our church pastor physically tie a rope around our hands to signify “tying the knot.” We also picked out several bible scriptures to be read that we loved and made a big wooden cross to stand behind us instead of an arch. The most non-traditional part of our ceremony was the music. I walked down the aisle to a newer country song and our recessional song was “From This Moment” by Shania Twain.
Did you write your own vows?
We did. My favorite part of weddings is when people read personal vows. They are so heartfelt and emotional and I knew I wanted to make those promises in front of everyone we love. I am so glad that we decided to do it this way. Hearing Scott’s vows was one of my favorite parts of the day.
Did you include your dog?
Our dog, Chief, was our ring bearer. He didn’t actually carry the rings but he did walk in the processional and had a bandana that said “dog of honor.” We also took some photos with him and he hung out with Scott and the groomsmen that whole morning. He is only a year old and is still very much a puppy so he hung out in his crate in the groomsmen’s suite after photos and Scott’s brother took him home at the end of the night.
Portraits
The Reception
Did you take a private moment away?
We had a moment away before our grand entrance to the reception. It was so nice to talk and just really let it soak in that it was our wedding day and we were married and had so many people who love us there to support us. It was so nice to have that moment away.
Did you have kids at your wedding?
No kids! Only our flower girl.
Did you have wedding favors?
Our seating chart was little horseshoes that people could bring home for good luck! Our seating chart said “Saddle up and take your seat” with the horseshoes all hung on a big board of wood. Such a fun idea our planner suggested!
What is one thing you are glad you did and why?
We were so glad that we had a large kings table with our wedding party and their dates to sit at for dinner. It was so cool to look down the big table and see all of our best friends. We are also glad we hired a live band and had an open bar and after party to keep the party going.
Biggest Takeaways
What is one thing you would have changed and why?
I would change stressing about the weather before the event. March can bring big snowstorms and we were nervous that would happen but it ended up being sunny and 70 and was a perfect day to be outside. The weather is out of your control and not worth the worry.
Was there anything that you thought would be important and in the end, didn’t really matter?
We thought the timing of everything and staying on schedule was really important but we ended up changing the timing of some things the day of and it was totally fine!
What advice do you have for future couples?
Make sure every decision you make for the wedding is for you and your fiance and don’t listen to outside opinions. I would also tell them to stay true to who they are and what they want for their wedding even if it’s not traditional. You want people leaving your wedding thinking “that was so them.” Try and think of little details that are meaningful to you as a couple and express who you really are. Also, make a list at the beginning of the planning process about what vendors / things to spend money on are the most important to you and go from there. Lastly, if you feel stressed about planning a wedding just know that it is all worth it and your hard work will pay off.
