Rustic beauty, soft whimsy, and fine art inspiration come together flawlessly in this must see Seven Springs wedding. Two self-proclaimed outdoors people, Kelsey and Ryan used the mountains as their muse when designing their big day. They exchanged vows under a canopy of trees while guests sipped champagne and threw dried lavender to celebrate the newlyweds. After an outdoor cocktail hour, guests found their seats via a standing moss-covered display and headed inside where the heart-stopping details continued. A very soft color palette of blush pink, sage green, and white gave the celebration a big dose of romance while floral arrangements of olive branches, eucalyptus, roses, hypericum berries, and lots and lots of greenery brought Mother Nature inside. Against wooden tables dressed with airy gauze runners, the look was simply divine. Fresh florals and foliage garland draped the backs of the newlyweds’ chairs while a variety of mercury glass votive holders brought warmth. Sparkling chandeliers and acrylic signs, table numbers, and menu cards from Purple Wagon Designs added just a hint of modern sparkle. Gorgeously sophisticated and deeply personal, this wedding was executed by A & L Events and captured by Lauren Renee Photography. Let the swooning commence!
About the Couple
They met at the end of college at Indiana University when a relationship was the last thing they were interested in starting, which obviously meant that’s when the relationship spark ignited.
The real story is this: Ryan was standing by the pool with a vibrant swim get-up and a bag of bagels from Bloomington Bagels Co. Kelsey saw him from afar and had to make an introduction. After some conversation, and Ryan buying Kelsey a Kit Kat bar, they never looked back.
They got engaged on Easter Weekend 2018 after they moved to Colorado. Ryan proposed on a Saturday on a 13,000-ft lakefront in the Colorado Rockies. The first problem was that Ryan did a test run with his friend/undercover photographer the Saturday before and there was a blizzard in the mountains the Friday before the big day. Ryan bought snowshoes for everyone, claiming how they absolutely had to do this hike even though there were waist-deep snowdrifts. A quick 2-mile hike turned into an ordeal to get to the top of the mountain, but he managed to maintain the surprise.
About the Wedding
The coined theme we decided on was “Tuscan Rustic, Mountain Chic”. We were really inspired by the mountains as we are outdoor people but we found a lot of inspiration in the simplicity and sophistication of outdoor Tuscan weddings with the clean tonalities of the greenery, eucalyptus leaves, olive branches, and pops of white florals. We also tied in a muted pink for some warmth, which was wrapped into the florals, bridesmaids dresses, and bow ties for the groomsmen.
I think our goal was to have this element of simplicity yet sophistication while having elements throughout our day that were extremely personalized. We sourced and supported a lot of vendors from Etsy to pull in accents and accessories that weren’t everyday rentals from a warehouse but that really felt like us. The whole day and everything that came together just felt “familiar”.
This was of course our wedding day but our biggest feedback to each other throughout the process and to our vendors was that we wanted those beyond us to enjoy the day just as much as well did. We wanted it to feel like a day our guests were truly apart of and that it wasn’t just all about us. There are only so many occasions that people from all four corners of your world can come together, and we just really wanted our day to be expressed with gratitude, appreciation, and so much love. Our wedding was a thank you in many ways to the people who helped us grow throughout our lives, individually and together.
Favorite Moment
Ryan
Whispering into my new wife’s ear during the post-ceremony shoot, trying to make her laugh. I tried my best to not let Lauren, our photographer, hear all the dirty jokes, but let’s just say it was an epic fail and Lauren got more than she bargained for.
Also, waking up in a house with all my groomsmen and making a big brunch and coffee (a lot of coffee) the morning of the wedding and sitting out on the deck taking in the morning together.
Kelsey
My first look with my dad brought me to tears. He cried, I cried, my mom cried – it was just so special before meeting my husband for the first time that day at the altar. After that, the ceremony was absolutely perfect. It was short and sweet at 20 minutes. My best friend, Heather, who has now been a long time friend of Ryan’s as well, officiated our ceremony and it was the most comforting, hilarious, emotional, unique, personalized ceremony and celebration of our vows and future life together. She was able to share the stories of our lives together perfectly and it was so meaningful coming from someone who knows us both so well.
