It was a joy for our team to be a part of Sarah and Mike’s summer Black Canyon Inn wedding! Their day was beautifully captured by Taylor Nicole Photography and full of meaningful details – from Sarah’s brother officiating to the Hawaiian cookie favors!
We reached out to Sarah to get the full scoop from her perspective. Here’s what she had to say!
How did you meet your spouse?
Mike and I met during the first week of our undergrad at Purdue University. We were in the same dorm building and met in the communal rec room. We were close friends for the first two years of college and then started dating our Junior year of college. A “short” 8 years later we were engaged : )
How did Mike pop the question?
Mike popped the question on a hike in Hawaii in May of 2021. We love to travel and this was our first travel opportunity in some time due to COVID. We rented a motorcycle and on the way to the hiking trail, it started to downpour. Once the rain slowed down we continued our ride to the trailhead which was all muddied up due to the rain – but also made it so that we were the only ones on it (perfect as we both imagined the proposal to be an intimate moment without others around)! At the end of the hike was a rope to the top of a small waterfall, which I suggested we climb up. As I led us to the rope I turned around and saw Mike down on one knee. Instantly I started bawling as Mike pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him!
What was your wedding style?
Natural elegance
When it came to planning your Black Canyon Inn wedding, what was most important to you?
It was really important to us that our wedding feel unique to us. We didn’t want a day that could have another couple’s name slapped on it. One of the main ways we accomplished this was by asking my brother to officiate our wedding. He did a phenomenal job setting the stage to allow those witnessing our marriage to truly understand the priorities, goals, and love that we share as a couple. We also wrote and read our own vows which allowed us to express to one another (and our guests) how much we mean to one another and get a more personalized and authentic look into our lives.
What made you choose Aspen & Ivy?
We came across Aspen & Ivy at the Estes Park Wedding Show hosted at our venue, Black Canyon Inn. We were unsure if we wanted to use a coordinator/planner, but after speaking to members of Aspen & Ivy we knew they were the obvious choice! Aspen & Ivy was well familiar with our venue and several vendors we were planning on using, and had us thinking about details that weren’t even on our radar! It was important to us and our families to be able to enjoy the day with minimal stress and Aspen & Ivy really made that possible! As our Colorado wedding planners, Aspen & Ivy made it possible for us to make zero decisions on our wedding day because everything was handled ahead of time and/or our coordinator understood our vision for the day, making her well-equipped to handle anything that did come up!
What was the best part of your wedding day?
The best part of our wedding was simply being surrounded by so many of our loved ones as we solidified our love for one another. The majority of our guests were from out of state, requiring them to take a plane and rent a car to get out to Estes Park. We felt so honored that so many guests were willing to go to such lengths to celebrate us. Nothing compares to ending the night embracing your loved one in the middle of a circle with your friends and family arm in arm around you!
When it came to your venue selection, why did you choose to get married there?
We chose to get married at The Boulders at Black Canyon Inn and couldn’t have been happier with our selection. We knew we wanted to be surrounded by nature and mountains, but didn’t want a rustic feel. Black Canyon Inn is nestled in the mountains of Estes Park and has two unique wedding venues. We chose The Boulders which is a stunning two-floor wedding venue with vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, a beautiful patio, and incredible mountain views for a backdrop that provided perfect modern and elegant flares to the natural beauty provided by the mountains. The other thing that really attracted us to have a Black Canyon Inn wedding is the fact that guests could stay onsite in their cabins and suites. One of our favorite things about the wedding weekend which we didn’t originally predict is that we would run into guests as we walked around the site the days before/after the wedding. This allowed us to be able to easily and casually connect with guests prior to the wedding!
Where did you say “yes” to the dress, and what designer did you wear?
I said “yes” to the dress at LUV Bridal in Denver and chose a Pronovias wedding dress tailored at Donna Beth Creations.
Where did you order your favors from?
We ordered our favors from Honolulu Cookie Company as a nod to where we got engaged. Each guest got an organza bag with 2 cookies – one of Mike’s favorite flavor and one of mine. Attached there was a note explaining our engagement in Hawaii and our gratitude to our guests.
If you could provide a tip to another couple planning their wedding, what would it be?
Talk with your partner and determine what your priorities are for the day. When struggling to make a decision refer back to your priorities in order to determine what is best for the two of you!
Also, take inventory of the items you’re less excited about or don’t have a clear vision for and work on those things early. We had no idea what we wanted our ceremony music to be and ended up listening to HOURS of instrumental duets in the week leading up to our wedding rather than enjoying our time together! Dessert table on the other hand – we had that nailed down EARLY!
Wedding Planner- Aspen & Ivy
Venue- Black Canyon Inn
Photographer- Taylor Nicole Photography
Florist- Best Day Floral
Videographer- Sun Prairie Films
DJ- Ron Michaels
Hair and Makeup- Makeup by Taylor Olson
Cake- Ruby Jean Patisserie
Ready to plan your wedding?
As Estes Park wedding planners, we are very familiar with Black Canyon Inn. It’s one of our favorite venues! If you’re interested in some planning assistance with your wedding, whether it be coordinating or full weekend wedding planning, our team here of Colorado wedding planners at Aspen & Ivy is ready to help! To get started, fill out our contact form today! We look forward to talking with you.
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