Emily Wearing The Fleur Dress

How did you meet the love of your life?

I met Nick on our middle school soccer field in sixth grade. His older sister, Lily, knew my older brother, Ollie, and she felt like we had to meet each other. In a quick exchange of quick hellos and a simple wave, we had officially met.

When did you know that this person had stolen your heart?

The moment Lily introduced us. I heard a voice in my head telling me that I was going to marry him one day. I quickly brushed it off for so many reasons, but I just distinctly remember that moment.

Tell us the story of the proposal.

On our nine year anniversary we drove up Flagstaff Mountain. We walked up to the mountainside to find a spot next to the Boulder Star, an annual Boulder tradition consisting of 365 stringed lights in the shape of a star that can be seen for miles. Illuminated from the lights, we overlooked Boulder and reminisced on the memories we created together throughout the city. As the conversation started to drift, Nick turned to me and asked me to marry him. It was a quick yes for me, with instant smiles from both of us.

How long was your engagement? What went into the decision about date and location?

Our engagement was a total of seven months. We decided that a summer wedding would be just perfect; as a teacher I would be on summer vacation, while the weather would allow us to host the wedding at my family’s buffalo ranch. As plans started to take shape, COVID-19 made its appearance. We wanted to keep our date in July, so decided to look at different options. With supportive family and friends, we decided to cancel the wedding to ensure the safety and comfort of our loved ones. Instead, we created an elopement style weekend filled with our favorite food and activities. We were thankful for flexible Colorado marriage laws, as we were able to sign our marriage license in our kitchen with our beloved beagle LouLou as our witness. The next day, we were able to get dressed in our wedding attire and say our vows with our wonderful photographer at Red Rocks Park.

How would you describe your personal style?  What were the most important factors for you as you considered how you wanted your bridal look to manifest?

I would describe my personal style as a mix of modern modest silhouettes with minimalist details of bohemian textures, patterns and colors. I wanted my bridal look to feel like me. To be able to effortlessly put on my dress, shoes, earrings and style my hair in a way where I wouldn’t second guess the decisions I made or need to ask for opinions. I was looking for the moment when everything just feels right and feels like me.

How did you find Wear Your Love?

I knew I wanted to have a wedding dress with long sleeves. I started to simply type in different keywords to my Google search bar, and Wear Your Love magically came into my life!

When did you know you had found your perfect dress?

I was hesitant to purchase a Wear Your Love dress, it honestly seemed too good to be true. I waited, looked for other dresses that I could try on, yet I kept coming back to the Wear Your Love Fleur dress. Every time I saw it, I knew that it was the one I had to have. When it came to taking the measurements, the guide Wear Your Love provided was so user friendly, this might have been the official moment where I knew everything was going to be perfect.

What went through your mind when the Wear Your Love box arrived at your doorstep, and you pulled out your dress for the first time?

When my dress arrived at my doorstep I felt so excited that it had safely arrived! When I pulled the dress out of the box, I was so relieved that it was exactly how I imagined it. I had to put it on right away, fearful that the measurements I had taken were incorrect in some capacity. As I stepped into my dress, not only was it the perfect fit, it was so comfortable and was just so stunning. I felt so happy that I had a dress that felt so perfect for me.

 

What was your wedding theme or style?

I leaned into the organic natural feel of our location as we said our vows next to huge, smooth red rocks and prairie grass on a warm summer morning. I wanted to ensure my style complimented our surroundings with soft textures and colors such as deep orange, cream and green.

How involved was your love in the planning? Did your families help with planning? Did you hire a co-ordinator, planner, or event stylist?

Nick and I went through all the ups and downs of trying to plan a wedding during COVID-19. When we decided to opt for an elopement style wedding, we both worked together to create a weekend filled with things we love to do together, so there was no professional planner needed. Our family and friend’s understanding and support for our change of plans was extremely meaningful to both Nick and myself. During the summer, I love being able to teach at Countryside Montessori school. The teachers and directors made the weeks leading up to our wedding extra special. When I couldn’t get professional measurements for my Wear Your Love dress due to COVID, a teacher at the school named Linda jumped right in to follow the step by step directions. When I had to cancel our large flower order, the co-director Julia offered to make our gorgeous bouquet and boutonniere. When our original photographer canceled two weeks before our wedding date due to an unfortunate accident that ended in arm surgery, a parent and talented photographer from my classroom the year before came to the rescue to capture the joyous moments on our wedding day. As we tried to find a place to say our vows that matched our vision, our friend Caroline didn’t miss a step looking at the different trails and open space we could consider. It felt like the weekend naturally came together, and I can’t thank our community of loved ones enough for making it happen.

 

Let's show your wedding venue some love! What is the name of the wedding venue you chose and why did you choose it for your special day?

Well, I suppose our official wedding venue was our small kitchen in our 600 square foot Boulder condo! However, we were able to exchange vows and take some gorgeous pictures while exploring the Red Rocks Geological Overlook Trail in Golden. We chose Red Rocks because of the gorgeous scenery and colors. It is such a gorgeous location just thirty minutes from our home.

What was on your wedding soundtrack playlist, aisle, reception, and first dance?

Our Spotify playlists were playing throughout the day. Some favorites were by Fleetwood Mac, Sean Rowe, Van Morrison and everything in between.

What was your favorite moment of the day?

My favorite moment of the day was saying our vows in a concave rock wall. Our photographer gave us a moment from afar to exchange our vows to each other. This was a moment I thought might have been lost due to our lack of a wedding, yet it was perfect, tender and ended in happy emotional tears streaming down my face. It was the moment where I felt our promise to each other in every nook and cranny of my heart.

Who was involved in your special day? We'd love to shout out to all your favorite vendors! Add all social media information, so each person gets the credit they deserve.

Our wonderful and talented photographer Natalie Pigliacampo (@nataliepigliacampo)

Along with our equally wonderful and talented florist Julia Mohseni (https://www.facebook.com/julia.mohseni) who gathered flowers from Sol Y Sombra Farm (@solysombrafarm) and the trail that made it magical at Red Rocks Park (@redrocksco).

Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for anyone planning a wedding?

Going from a wedding with seventy guests, to just the two of us was a huge change of plans. Although accepting the impacts of COVID on our original plans was at times hard to accept, I feel so grateful with how we pivoted to something even more amazing then I could imagine. It allowed me to take a moment to truly recognize and focus on what marriage truly meant to Nick and I. We were able to take away the distractions that come with a large party, and just celebrate our love for each other. I felt apprehensive so go forth with an elopement style wedding, for fear I would feel like I missed out on an opportunity. Now I look back at it, and I am so thankful Nick and I were able to take this step in the quiet of each other's company. Although we missed our family and friends, we felt their love and celebration through and through. So in all, I suppose my words of wisdom is to embrace the unknowns that naturally come leading up to your wedding day. Even when the unknowns feel scary, your partner is right by your side and honestly, what else is more important?

Now that you can look back with 20/20 hindsight, was there anything you'd do differently?

In hindsight, I would have never planned for a seventy person wedding. I would have kept it just the two of us from the beginning.

What's your favorite thing about being married so far?

My favorite thing about being married is knowing that we chose one another to create a life we love together. Although we had chosen each other for the previous nine years of our relationship, deciding to marry each other puts a whole other layer of love, security and adventure on top of what we have already created together.

 

Emily wears an open-back Fleur gown with nude lining and full train.