(All
photographs by Kyla
Jackson Photography )
Tory & Colby
Married June 11, 2005
Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Heavy rains created a last minute scramble for a new ceremony location but that did not upset this Colorado bride. Read her wedding day story....
The Location
Family Ranch in Pagosa Springs; The Poma Ranch. For the ceremony
site, we choose a beautiful spot on the ranch within a cottonwood
grove by the river with the mountains in the background. I used
to go there when I was a little girl so it had emotional significance
to me and it was the first place Colby mentioned when we talked
about where to have the ceremony.
Planning Time frame
6 months
The Theme
Having been born and raised in both the city and on a ranch, I wanted
both elements incorporated into the wedding. The theme was a very
classy city meets country with a down home feel.
The Invitations
We personalized the invitations by using a photo of ourselves.
The Attire
The men wore long jackets, cowboy hats and boots, crisp white shirts,
ties and black wrangler jeans. The Maid or Honor wore a light and
airy chiffon dresses in a watermelon color.
The Flowers
Bright combination of lilies and roses in burnt orange, hot pink,
wine, red and lime green.
The Décor
We lined our tent with gamble oak leaves and white lights and used
lots of different size candles mixed with the flowers on the tables
for an intimate setting.
The Menu
Sit down dinner of prime rib & salmon.
The Cake
4 tier cake with butter crème icing and 2 layers of raspberry
filling. The groom’s cake was an Italian crème cake
in a hunting theme.
Special Touches
The guests were taken from the parking area to the tents and ceremony
location via horse drawn wagons and golf carts.
Biggest Planning Challenges
1. Finding a level area for the large 40 x 60 tent and trying to
prepare for the outdoor aspect.
2. Finding the perfect dress. I did not want to spend a lot of my money on a wedding gown.
Entertaining the Out-of-Town Guests
On Thursday and Friday, we had an itinerary that included horseback
riding, fly fishing, and trip to the hot springs, and dinner at
different locations around Pagosa.
Rehearsal Dinner
We invited all the guests and had a huge BBQ & bonfire.
What went wrong?
1. It rained so we were not able to hold our ceremony in the cottonwood
grove. Instead we held the ceremony underneath the tent. Everyone
sat at the tables for the reception that made a horseshoe around
the dance floor and we got married on the dance floor and moved
all the flower arrangement as a back drop for the ceremony. The
groom and groomsmen were able to ride in on horseback but I was
not. After the ceremony, the rained cleared and a beautiful rainbow
was captured in our photos. Just after the pictures and the serving
of the food, it poured and continued to rain the entire evening.
You can’t do anything about Mother Nature – for the
guest with a wet dress and flat hair all inhibitions were gone;
every one concentrated on having a great time and a GREAT time was
had by all!
2. My train on my dress would not stay snapped because the train was too heavy. Make sure your snaps work with the weight of your dress.
Best thing about the day
Seeing my husbands smile and seeing everyone so happy for us. The
party was a success because everyone had a great time.
Tory’s Advice
1. There are so many wedding details, take a minimum of six months
to plan your wedding day and get organized.
2. Go thru all the wedding magazines you can find and tear out everything you like; cakes, flowers, décor, etc. It is easier to show vendors want you want than trying to explain it.
3. If you want to save money and do everything
yourself - you will need triple the amount of time you think you
would need! I would pay someone in a heartbeat if you don’t
want to have to deal with doing it yourself
Honeymoon Location: Kamalame Cay, Bahamas. INCREDIBLE!!!!!
RECOMMENDED WEDDING PROS Photographer: Kyla
Jackson Photography. Kyla did a phenomenal job. She set-up a
timeline and schedule, took control and was so professional. (Kyla Jackson Photography Profile) Tent Rentals: Pine Valley Rental. Janet was a dream to work with! |
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The Photo Album
All photographs by Kyla
Jackson Photography
