Eight years before their gorgeous Colorado wedding, Stephanie and Evan first met while living down the hall from each other during their time at Southern Methodist University. When the time was right, Evan proposed to Stephanie while fly fishing. “When I turned around, he was down on one knee with the ring in a fly box,” she remembers. 

As the couple resides in Denver, they chose to get married nearby at a gorgeous alfresco venue in Castle Rock. Since the pair wanted their 200 guests to experience the beautiful Colorado summer – with little chance of rain or snow and all of the natural flowers in full bloom, a September date was selected for the nuptials and stunning wedding invitations featuring watercolor details were mailed to loved ones. 

To honor the couple’s engagement before the big day, the bride and groom treated their wedding party and their dates to a day of fly fishing on the river near the proposal site. Groomsmen even wore fly-fishing flies as boutonnieres for the nuptials the next day, while bridesmaids donned floor-length blush gowns for the alfresco Jewish ceremony. 

With the sun shining over the beautifully manicured lawn, friends and family took their seats for the ceremony atop oval-back chairs that appeared to grow amongst lush blooms. Processing along the aisle with the couple’s family, bridesmaids, and groomsmen was the pair’s miniature Goldendoodle, Birdie. “She was on our wedding crest, so it was only appropriate she made an appearance,” smiles Stephanie, who donned a strapless gown with floral embellishments as she met her groom beneath the extraordinary chuppah. 

“We wanted our guests on the dance floor the entire night.”

Following the heartfelt ceremony and a joyful cocktail hour, attendees gathered beneath a sailcloth tent for the elegant reception. Inspired by chinoiserie, décor featured soft blue and white elements accented with hundreds of florals in the bride’s favorite color: pink. “It paired beautifully with all of the blue-and-white vases,” says the bride of the palette. 

Long wooden tables and round varieties strewn with light blue linens were adorned with both high and low arrangements of billowing blooms, such as dahlias and roses in pink and white, which also decorated the top and sides of the tent. Each guest’s place setting showcased varying china, with some pieces even dating back to the early 1900s. 

After dinner and slices of the couple’s wedding cake were enjoyed, everyone hit the dance floor and a live band helped to keep the party going. “We wanted our guests on the dance floor the entire night,” says Stephanie, adding that servers passed milkshakes featuring Birdie’s illustration on straws later in the night to keep guests’ energy up for the celebration. 

With such a beautiful day to remember forever, the bride offers the following advice to couples planning their weddings: “Hire a fantastic planner, photographer, and videographer, and make sure you love your invitations,” she shares. “Your planner will execute your vision, and the photos, videos, and invites will be all of the physical items you have left when it is all over… so make sure you are careful when choosing those!”