Photography + Videography: Drake & CO Photography + Films
Venue: Gorrono Ranch at Telluride Ski & Golf Resort
Florist: Compass Rose
Cake: Fig & Bloom
DJ: DJ Ryan Griz Entertainment
Dress: Allure Bridals
Bridesmaid dresses + groomsmen accessories: Azazie
Suit rental: The Black Tux
Hair and makeup: The Peaks Salon
How did you meet each other?
We met in the dorms at CU Boulder in our first couple weeks of freshman year. In fact, our very first date was in the campus dining hall (romantic, we know).
What was the best memory of your wedding day?
M: There are so many memories to love for so many different reasons it is hard to pick! Though I think my favorite might be taking our husband-wife pictures after the ceremony. All off the stress was gone and were were just in pure bliss walking around in the sunset. Best of all I could look back at the venu and see all my loved ones enjoying drinks and laughing, it felt so surreal and peaceful.
My runner-ups: Skipping back down the aisle with Branden to just us giggling in the cabin for a few minutes. The heart-melting toasts. My MoH running through a field of twigs in her dress and heels to bring me my veil. Dustin (the videographer) saying “Michelle look at your husband!!”, then showing me a video of Branden being crowd-surfed like a rag doll (he was the first person to refer to Branden as my husband). ANNND after a 1.5 years of sickness my dad being there to walk me down the aisle and have a first dance.
...Also Branden dropping me during our first dance but don’t tell him that. Hehe
B: There were definitely a few good candidates, but the first that comes to mind was during our first touch: We weren’t allowed to look at each other yet, but Michelle handed me my ring and told me to look inside. She had the words “In my life, I love you more” engraved into it, which were the words to the chorus of the song she was about to walk down to, and our de facto couple song. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a tear on the spot.
A runner-up memory was when Mike, one of our videographers, came into the groomsman cabin and started to set up the microphone in my tux. That was the moment when the magnitude of the day hit me: that I was about to finally get married, and 100 of my closest family and friends and family would be watching. My nerves and excitement both intensified, but seeing my groomsmen and stepdad smile as Mike finished setting it up helped ease the nerves.
What would be some advice you would give to future couples as they plan their wedding day?
M: I would tell brides/grooms to set realistic, small goals for day-to-day planning. If you think of everything at once it will inevitably overwhelm you. Give yourself daily/weekly goals and as soon as you meet that just tell yourself “Ok, nothing more. I met my goal -- time to relax”. Then on your wedding day, wake up and just know everything is out of your hands. You only get one wedding day so just enjoy it! Attitude is half the battle. Also you probably won’t sleep the night before, but don’t worry, you will be too happy to be tired.
B: Don’t drop your bride on the dancefloor… Also, if you’re staying in a honeymoon suite the night of the wedding, be sure to have backup clothes, glasses/contacts, etc there for the next morning. Otherwise you might be wearing your tux and wedding dress to breakfast!
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
We have not yet taken our “big” honeymoon, since we want to save up some more PTO and funds. We ended up crowdsourcing the destination as a “competition” to our wedding guests (people voted with their cards/money). It was between Bora Bora and Seychelles. Bora Bora won by a landslide (perhaps people get worried about pirates near Seychelles). We will be going to Bora Bora for our one year anniversary/honeymoon!
During the week after the wedding, we did have a “mini-moon” on our road trip from Telluride back to Seattle. We actually did long distance for 90 days before the wedding. Branden was working in Boulder so Michelle bought a one way ticket to the wedding and we drove home to Seattle together after the event. We stayed at Under Canvas to glamp in Moab and hiked at Arches National Park. We then drove through beautiful Utah, Nevada, and California to Napa Valley and enjoyed wine tasting for a few days. Taking a vineyard bike tour was one of our favorite activities of the week. Our final stop was in Portland to see one of our favorite bands, Vampire Weekend, in concert (it felt extra special since they were on their “Father of the Bride” tour).