Denver Botanic Gardens Elegant Wedding

HOW DID YOU MEET?

We met on our first day of work at a 2 week-long new hire orientation in Houston, TX working for an oil services company all the way back in 2011. We had a lot of chemistry, but knew nothing would come of it since he was moving to Upstate New York, and I was staying in Houston. For a year or so we stayed in touch and remained friends. At one point we were talking on the phone everyday for hours and decided we should make something of it. We dated long distance for 2 years before we both moved to Denver to be together. It was an adventure for sure!

TELL US ABOUT THE WEDDING DRESS.

My bridal dress was  an ivory silk sheath gown with lace illusion neckline, which was a custom design by Mayra at Emma & Grace Bridal Studio. Mayra was so patient throughout the design and fitting process, even down to hand cutting and placing lace flowers to get the exact look I was going for. I wanted the lace to mimic the flowers growing in the gardens and to have a really organic and whimsical feel.

AND THE REST OF YOUR BRIDAL FASHION?

I wore a custom cathedral length veil with hand cut lace flowers to match my gown. My shoes were simple nude patent wedges by Kate Spade. My earrings were classic teardrop pearls which complimented my grandmothers opal halo ring that I wore as my something old and borrowed. My something blue was a sapphire and diamond infinity band, which was a gift from my husband on our wedding day.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR THEME/STYLE?

Our theme was elevated backyard garden party with a touch of Secret Garden romance. Dan and I love to host summer dinners in our backyard, so we wanted that to reflect in the reception ambiance. We wanted our guests to feel welcomed and loved, as if they were at our own home, but with even better food and live music.

WHAT WERE YOUR COLORS?

Our color scheme was muted shades of grey, white and green. We really didn’t want to compete with the natural beauty of the Botanic Gardens, and we knew these would be timeless colors. The bridesmaids’ dresses were different shades of soft grey. All of the bouquets and boutonnieres were tied with hand dyed grey silk ribbons. The floral arrangements were full of textural white blooms and greenery ranging from artichokes to hops vines. The table linens used during cocktail hour and the reception were grey and white striped linen by La Tavola, which played off of the rustic grey barn wood tables.

WHAT WAS SPECIAL ABOUT YOUR STATIONERY?

The invitation suite was designed and printed by Brown Linen Designs. We chose this old european architectural design because it reminded us of the cut stone and molded cement used to construct both the church and the buildings throughout the Botanic Gardens. The invitations were letterpress printed and hand calligraphed in a light slate blue ink and delivered in an airy blue grey envelope. The day of paper goods were designed by myself (Kendra) and printed by a local Denver print shop called Yellow Dog Printing. One of my favorite reception details was the escort card display, which I made with Dan’s help and was assembled by the lovely ladies at We Tie The Knots. Guests names were displayed on calligraphed cards which were pinned to trailing hops vines cascading from the my own painting easel. This was such a fun way for our guests to find their seating assignment, while playing off of the garden feel at the outdoor happy hour.

LET’S TALK BLOOMS! DESCRIBE YOUR BOUQUETS & BOUTONNIERES:  

The bridesmaids’ bouquets and mothers’ nosegays were composed of white textural blossoms and whimsical greenery. They were tied with trailing hand dyed silk ribbon to compliment their grey gowns. The groomsmen and dads wore boutonnieres made of delicate white blossoms and greenery, tied off with the same hand dyed grey silk ribbon. I heard from our florist that the guys were fighting over the boutonnieres with hops berries in them. We wanted the flower arrangements to be really organic and natural, as if they were growing right out of the gardens. Frances at Prema Style did an amazing job making this garden fairytale come to life with her works of art.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR RECEPTION STYLE?

Initially we wanted to have the dinner and reception outdoors, but Denver sound ordinance does not allow for outdoor amplified sound. To bring the outdoors in, we had tall centerpieces with tree branches and lighting to draw the eye toward the sky lights in Mitchell Hall. The buildings in the Gardens are all made of formed concrete in an art deco style, so the ceiling was really magnificent. The grey barn wood tables were lined with white blossoms, trailing vines and clusters of candles. The table linens were grey and white striped raw linen by La Tavola Linens, which gave the space a really rustic european feel. To play off the old world look, we added vintage cut glassware. I (Kendra) calligraphed stones as place cards at each guests spot to tie in my background as a geologist. The amuse bouche was served on a simple black plate, greeting the guests at their seats in a really dramatic way.

WHAT MENU ITEMS MADE IT A MEAL TO REMEMBER?

The wine and food took center stage at the reception, thanks to the talented chefs at Catering By Design. We wanted to really highlight the farm to table style of dining that we both love, so we chose some non-traditional twists on the classic plated wedding menu. Starting with a Palisade peach crostini that greeted each guest at their seat, which was a subtle nod to the pride summer bounty of Colorado’s western slope. Guests then enjoyed a honey grilled watermelon caprese salad before their main entrees were served. They had a preselected choice of beef tenderloin medallions, pecan wood smoked salmon (to DIE for), or a roasted cauliflower steak with romesco sauce. Focaccia bread and herb butter was served family style on rustic bread paddles. If guests weren’t already stuffed, a dessert of Palisade peach crisp and homemade vanilla bean ice cream was served to round out the summer harvest menu.

DESCRIBE YOUR CAKE:

We opted not to do a traditional wedding cake. Instead, we shared an apple pie from Hinman’s Bakery in Park Hill. Our first date was apple picking in Ohio. I bake Dan an apple pie every fall to honor this special memory, so cutting a rustic apple pie seemed like the perfect “wedding cake” for us. A framed sign with the saying “I love you a bushel and a peck” was displayed on our pie table because this is what we always say to each other.

GIVE US THE SCOOP…ANY LOCAL INSIDER TIPS?

I don’t know if we just got lucky or what, but all of our vendors were so friendly and just genuinely kind people. They all went out of their way to make our big day special, which just warms my heart. If you are planning a wedding in Colorado and in search of a wedding planner, you have to use We Tie The Knots. Cammye, our planner, was the key to fitting every piece of the day together. She had real experience and real honest opinions about all of the vendors, which saved so much time and stress. Cammye was also so great about handling my endless questions and reigning in my over the top last-minute ideas. Frances from Prema Style is truly an artist with floral design and will make your vision and crummy sketches come to life. Ashley from Smash Beauty Bar is absolutely hilarious and will have you forgetting all about the stress of the wedding day. She is also a great resource for skin care advice if you’re in the market for that.  If I had to pick one favorite vendor, which is so hard to do, I would say our photographer Amy from Amy Caroline Photography was an absolute dream. She is the sweetest, most detailed, thoughtful, selfless person you’ll ever meet. It’s safe to say I have a little crush.

WHAT ABOUT WEDDING DAY SNAFUS?

We were so fortunate to have Dan’s cousin, who is a priest in Southern Illinois, celebrate our wedding mass.  He has known Dan his whole life and had some funny stories. The funniest story will now be the time he started the ceremony without the bride! Everyone had walked down the aisle and my Dad and I were waiting behind closed doors. Our wedding planner was fixing my veil and suddenly we heard Father Stephen begin the mass. We were waving our arms through the top windows trying to get his attention. Luckily he quickly realized he was missing a key member of the wedding party and all was saved. I think the first photo of me walking down the aisle captures me cracking up.