Happy Friday, friends! We’re sending you off to a warm winter getaway with the most romantic, sweetest romantic elopement in the high Rocky Mountains.
Stephanie and Derreck took off with their best friends and the incredibly gifted photographer Sarah Porter to the beautiful and famous Rocky Mountain State Park to say “I do.” As if the intimate ceremony wasn’t already sweet enough, the couple’s gorgeous daughter Cali was a flower girl and was seen in and out of photos with her jolly parents throughout the day.
In keeping with the theme of elopement, the couple arranged the table with a rustic-styled mini-tablescape, beautiful flowers, a natural-looking cake, and free-flowing calligraphy on place cards. (Can we discuss how simple and enjoyable it is to create calligraphy at home with only a handful of guests?) Bride Stephanie kept fit right in the mountain setting with her boho dress with a flower crown and comfortable sneakers.
Our Love Story
One of the first memories I had with my husband came when I was around five years old. This was my first morning of Kindergarten, and we were walking to the stop for buses. We were able to get into the same class as Mrs. Meadows. We were always together when we rode the bus. After school, we would go to the creek in front of my house and hunt for Frogs and lizards!
D picked me up along with our daughter from the office the day before Valentine’s Day. He took our car to Boulder (we didn’t know what was happening). Derreck came to a stop at the summit of the mountain and had the most breathtaking panorama. He dragged me out of my vehicle and climbed up on his knees! The phone was propped against the glass, and then recorded the entire thing. Afterward, our daughter Cali stood out of the window and said, “Can I get the box? !”
The First Look
For me, my most memorable moment was the first time I saw it. Derreck rode along with Sarah, our photographer. I rode with my mothers. The plan was to have us just in front of everyone else, but we’d lost the map in the hotel. We got lost, and I was a total bridezilla. In the mountains, there was no cellphone service. I was a bit freaked out. A tiny bit.
When we returned, I spotted my soon-to-be husband in this stunning meadow. I was still angry, so Sarah made me aware that everything was fine and the lighting could not be better. When I came up to him (more than running), I felt everything disappear: the stress, the anxiety, and the anxiety. It was a complete peace as I untied his blindfold and gazed at his hazel eyes. It was among the most memorable moments in my life.
